Topic: Choose Short-Term Pain for Long-Term Gain [RICK WARREN Devotional 19 September 2020]

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Choose Short-Term Pain for Long-Term Gain

“[Moses] chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.”

Hebrews 11:25 (NIV)To be all God wants you to be, you need to choose short-term pain for long-term gain.

Anybody who’s ever played sports knows this one. You’ve got to practice and work hard in order to play in a championship game. You don’t just walk out and compete for the title. If you’re going to be good at anything, you’ve got to accept short-term pain for long-term gain.

That’s not just true in sports. It’s true in finances and relationships, too. I have a good marriage, but Kay and I have worked hard at it for years. It didn’t come easily. You’ve got to work to make your marriage thrive, just like anything else in life.

Why is this resolution important in your life? Because most problems in life come from the inability to delay gratification. Society teaches us to say, “I want everything and I want it now and I want it free and I want it easy.” Life doesn’t work like that!

Moses made a choice: “He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25 NIV).

This verse says he chose to be mistreated—to endure the short-term pain for the long-term gain of doing the right thing.

You’re going to experience pain in life. But if you choose to do the hard thing right now and put in the effort and discipline to learn, grow, become strong, and mature, then later in life you get to benefit from all of that.

When you choose the short-term pain like Moses did, you’re going to see God deliver you so that you can enjoy the long-term reward.

What short-term pain are you facing that calls for an eternal perspective?
How have you seen your tough decisions or hard work benefit you in the long run?
How do you become more like Jesus when you choose the hard thing right now, even if it means you have to suffer or endure hardship?