There is an expression among those who exercise regularly, “No Pain, No Gain.” The expression basically means that if you are not willing to work hard and suffer a little for your efforts, then you are not going to accomplish very much. Just doing the easy and simple exercises that don’t challenge one’s body won’t lead to lasting results. The same principle is true in life as well. In order for one to be productive in business, for example, one must be willing to make sacrifices of time and money; one must make an effort in order to do well. In our personal relationships also, we understand this to be true. The more we put into a relationship the better it is going to be. The parent who makes an effort to spend time with his children is going to have a better relationship with his child than the parent that doesn’t. The husband who spends more time with his wife will have a better relationship than one that is always gone.
Should it cause us to wonder, when we come to the spiritual world, that if we don’t make an effort at serving the Lord that we’re not going to get anything out of our relationship with God? The same principle is true here as well. “No pain, no gain.” Sometimes I think that people expect church to be some kind of spiritual playground where we can just relax and have fun in the glow of God’s goodness. While I certainly believe that coming to church can be rewarding, it doesn’t quite work like a playground. Our worship and service requires of us some effort, both mentally and physically. The more effort we put into our worship and service, the greater our relationship with God will become.
Our efforts must start with our attendance. If we don’t attend services or if our attendance is sporadic, then we’re not going to get very much out of it. Attendance to the worship services is where we get our encouragement to continue to live godly lives and be faithful to the Lord Hebrews 10:25. It is absolutely critical to our relationship with God. It is as important as families having dinner together on a regular basis. To miss such an appointment is to undermine one’s relationships.
For part 2 of this epistle, check out No Pain, No Gain (Part 2 of 2)