It’s a small price to pay

It’s a small price to pay

Hebrews 12:12-13

“...but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:10-11

Pastor Lucas kindly accompanied me to an appointment yesterday to see my surgeon, Dr Benedetti. Incidentally, his last name means blessing. When I asked and  he shared with me the meaning of his name, I responded, "God is using you to be a blessing to me."  Lucas drove me to my appointment to see Doctor Blessing. He also accompanied me to the exam room when my name was called. I have a few spots in my surgical incision that have been leaking some fluid. On my last visit, Doc said there was some infection. This time around he said that it was looking better, but he was concerned about one spot. So he took scissors, while Lucas watched (grimacing), and inserted them into a spot in my incision. He opened that red spot up with the scissors to look for signs of infection. Ouch!!!!!! Thankfully it looked good to him. Knowing how much it hurt, he looked at me and said, “I know that was painful, but it’s a small price to pay.” 

The words my surgeon said, It’s a small price to pay, has been resonating in my mind ever since. Yesterday evening I heard those words again coming from the Holy Spirit, as I laid in my bed still feeling the discomforts of my wound. I’m glad my surgeon didn’t say to me, "I can get those cancerous tumors out of your body. However, that would cause you lots of pain. So because I feel for you, I’m going to spare you the pain and not do the surgery that can save your life.” I’m glad he didn’t think that way. I’m glad Doctor Blessing was willing to skillfully and surgically cause me temporary pain, so that I might receive an extended blessing, namely more time on this earth to serve my family, church and the kingdom of God. 

Most of all I’m glad for the great physician in heaven, who also happens to be my Heavenly Father. I know that he skillfully and surgically wounds me to heal me. I know that my sufferings in this life are a small price to pay in comparison to what God is producing in me through them. Greater still, I'm glad for the great physician, for although He wounds me, in His Son, there are incomparable riches that await me before the glory of His presence in heaven (Romans 8:18). 

“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). 

No matter what pain we may be experiencing, let us look through eyes of faith to the price that our savior paid for our redemption, the wisdom of our great physician and the glory that awaits us. And let us say with full assurance faith, It’s a small price to pay (Hebrews 12:1-3). 

We can trust that all our Lord is doing, even when it hurts, is done in love. Remember that His skillful and surgical hands are nail pierced hands. He paid the big price so that the small price we pay can bring greater eternal dividends for our good and His glory. 

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