Cheaper Weight Loss!

 

“I’ve come up with a new weight loss medication!”  I said proudly.  “It has low side effects, it’s generic, and it is really cheap.”

“Really?”  The lady I was talking to didn’t seem convinced that a simple family doctor in Brookneal, Virginia could have solved such a thorny problem.

“Absolutely,” I told her.  “You’ll be shocked when I tell you what it is, but maybe I should just keep the secret to myself.”

“What is it?”  She asked.

“Tylenol,” I said.  “You know how cheap it is and few people have side effects with it.  What could be better?”

The lady made a funny face.  “That doesn’t make any sense,” she told me.  “I know lots of people who take lots of Tylenol and there aren’t any of them that are skinny.”

“They should be,” I said.  “I’m just going based on a medical law I heard recently.  It goes something like this:  “No pain, no gain.”  So, assuming that is true, if we simply eliminate pain, folks should at a minimum maintain weight, but I’m guessing with aggressive treatment, they will start to lose weight.”

Of course, this is pure silliness.  Tylenol doesn’t help people lose weight, nor would any other pain medication.  I’m not even sure how true the statement “No pain, no gain,” is.

I think most people use this in terms of things like exercise or rehab after an injury, indicating that you have to be willing to suffer some in order to gain endurance and function back.  In that sense, it is true that we need to push ourselves farther than we would normally want to.

James 1:2-4 says, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

I don’t think it is human to enjoy trials of any kind nor do I think that God sends suffering on people.  I do believe that God is able to use all of the circumstances in our lives to build our characters, strengthen our faith, and even to give us patience.  As much as we hate the pain, we can have joy knowing that God is able to bring something good from trials.

I’m like anyone else and don’t pursue suffering.  It is still a blessing for me when I can understand that my Heavenly Father has the right solution for every situation.  His solutions are never as silly as trying to produce weight loss with Tylenol.