It just so happened that Monday, January 20 contains two significant historical events. It is the celebration of the life and message of Martin Luther King, Jr. It is also Inauguration Day. As we consider both of these events, what are the implications and reminders for us? From the message of Dr. King, we are reminded that, as children of God, we are to think differently than the status quo of the world. We are to be countercultural. We are to stand against injustice and hatred. In Christ, there is no Jew or Greek, no slave or free, no white or black, but all are one!

From the Inauguration, we remember to be thankful that we live in a country of so many freedoms. Whether or not we agree with the leaders of our country, we are fortunate to live in a place of opportunity, safety, and blessings. There are billions of people in the world who cannot say the same; therefore, we should be thankful. You may or may not have voted for those who are coming into office (and it is no one else's business, anyway), but we are required by God's word to pray for those who are leading our country.

I love golf.

I love the thwack sound when my driver hits the ball and the pure joy I feel in those rare times when the ball explodes off the tee 270 yards down a freshly mowed fairway. And we Minnesotans wait eight long, torturous months for that first swing.

Which is why I was borderline depressed last spring. After a 120-yard shot into the green with my pitching wedge, I swung, took a divot, and felt a sharp pain shoot up through my shoulder. It hurt like crazy.

I finished the round, but I knew something was strained or torn—and this launched a two-month search for answers. I couldn’t bear the thought of being sidelined for a full season.

By the end of those two months I had seen two doctors, four physical trainers, and one therapist. I’d read a dozen articles, watched four videos, and received fifteen pages of exercises. I was determined to overcome my problem and resume playing the game of golf as God intended.

But that would require leaving the old life, leaving my old exercise routine, my old way of warming up, and even my old way of swinging a golf club.

Pain signaled that something was wrong. Pain was the sign that my old way of doing things wasn’t working. And if I didn’t change, pain would prevent me from living the good life.

Pain can be a valuable tool. It’s the all-important message alerting us to pay attention so we don’t further damage ourselves and others. Without pain, we could even cut, burn, or damage ourselves and not know it.

So where do you feel some pain?

It could be physical, but most often people suffer from a painful relationship, habit, memory, or past.

Whatever the cause, pain can be sharp, sending an immediate message to our brains that something’s wrong. Other times it may be dull, and we simply try to ignore or manage it.

Some people try to medicate their pain with escapist habits like excessive working or exercising. Others use alcohol, drugs, pornography, overeating, or overspending. But if you ignore pain, it’ll keep you off the golf course and, more importantly, prevent you from living the new life God intends for you to live.

So instead, let pain be a signal and say, “You know, that hurts. I’d better fix that, overcome that, heal that… be done with that.” Thousands of people decide to stop what causes them pain everyday, and you can too. By acknowledging the pain and deciding to do something about it, you can start living and achieving in ways you never could before.

Where does new life begin? It requires three steps: humility, honesty, and hard work.