Not Out but Through
Copyright 2004 by Shea Oakley
All rights reserved
Taking the easy way out in hard circumstances is a perennial temptation in the Christian life. The desire to follow the path of least resistance is a function of fallen human nature. It comes in the form of the voice in our head that tells us ease is more important than building our character and comfort more important than being authentic witnesses of God’s grace in our times of trouble.
We all want to avoid pain and, in and of itself, there is nothing wrong with that desire. The sin comes when we chose such avoidance against the will of God. Suffering is sometimes necessary if we want to stay on the path of obedience. Our Lord uses trials and tribulations to refine His children as gold is purified by fire. Such refining is painful during the time we undergo it. There is no way around this truth. It is only later, in retrospect, that we realize the experience has brought about something so blessed that it was worth the hurt of the moment.
There are times in the life of every Christian when we must decide whether we are willing to endure pain, be it emotional or physical, if that is the will of God. In such circumstances our temptation is to try to avoid the pain by "opting out" of a trial rather than trusting Him to bring us through it and out the other side. If we give in to that temptation we are in danger of hurting ourselves, and sometimes others, in a way that will be far more painful in the end.
Most of us would agree that a trip to the dentist for a root canal or a tooth extraction is an unpleasant experience. Such procedures are, to say the least, uncomfortable but we know that the result of the procedure is worth the pain involved because we will be able to enjoy healthy teeth for many more years. Despite knowing this we can decide to ignore the condition, hoping that the pain will go away. We may even foolishly let it run its course because we are so afraid of the immediate pain of visiting the dentist.
The consequences of such decisions are always harmful to our bodies and souls in the end. Unfortunately, beyond that, we may also hurt others in the process. This is especially true when we are trying to win someone to Christ. If a non-believer sees a Christian unwilling to endure necessary pain, for the welfare of themselves or others, that non-believer will be less convicted of the truth of our Saviour’s own self-sacrifice for them. They will see cowardice in us and that compromises our witness and makes our faith seem far less authentic and attractive.
It should again be stated that the desire to avoid pain is not inherently sinful. Jesus Himself asked that His own great cup of pain be taken from Him. The fear He experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane was intense and completely understandable from a human perspective. He did not want to experience the agony of the cross and who among us would? But obedience to His Father was more important to Jesus than avoiding the anguish involved in redeeming the human race. Beyond that He knew that the future joy of having many new brothers and sisters in the Kingdom of God was worth it.
May it be that we, too, have that perspective on the unavoidable, and sometimes necessary, pain we must face in this life. For the sake of our Lord, others and ourselves may we never take the easy way out when truly "the only way out is through".