Pain of Getting Back in Shape
IllustrationTestimonyAnalogy★★★★WHEN I travel for a long period of time, I normally don’t do a good job of sticking with my exercise program. So when we return and I have to face the pain of getting back into my workout routine, I’m usually a little discouraged about that because I know what’s going to happen.
I’m going to be hurting. My wife is going to have to help me put on my shirt the morning after.
She’s going to have to help tie my tie. I’m going to be hurting because I took a break from lifting weights. But if I want to get on the right track again, there’s no way I can bypass that pain.
There’s no way I can bypass that inconvenience. In order for me to get where I want to go because I took a break, I’ve got to pay the price. We want to lay off of Christ and not pay the pain of getting back on track. It’s always going to be painful when you veer away from Christ and He has to get your attention to pull you back in.
But God’s discipline is always to restore you.
The point
After a break from exercise, returning to fitness is painful—muscles ache, recovery is slow. Yet there is no way forward without paying that price. Similarly, spiritual discipline requires painful seasons of restoration. God's corrective discipline restores, not destroys.