As humans, we have a tendency to do things that feel good. Conversely, we like to avoid things that are unpleasant. When we are young, this practice often keeps us out of trouble. Speaking from personal experience, very few kids are going to put the metal key in the electrical socket more than once. One “zap” is usually all it takes to make them realize that it’s not a “fun” experience! Unfortunately, while this attitude can be a big help when we are young, it can work against us when we are older, ESPECIALLY when we use it as the basis for making moral decisions.
There is no question that sometimes what God wants us to do is not pleasant. If we want to grow closer to Him, however, it’s necessary to do these unpleasant things. When we study the life of Christ and the saints, we see them constantly rising above what “feels good”, choosing instead what is necessary. If you need an example, look at the life of Jesus and remove everything that wasn’t pleasant. What would be left? If you take away His most painful agony, suffering and dying on cross, where would you and I be today? Quite often, what is most painful in life bears the most fruit. If we want to get closer to Christ, we have to learn to put aside what WE want to do and do what HE wants us to do.
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