The Refining Process

"As fire melts unrefined silver, bringing the impurities to the surface, so trials bring the 'scum' to the top of your life. When you praise God in the midst of a trial, you cooperate with His plan to remove the scum; when you complain, your resist His plan and stir the impurities right back into your character."

~ Ruth Myers in 31 Days of Praise

"In this [your salvation mentioned in 1 Peter 1:3-5] you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith -- more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire --may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ," (1 Peter 1:6-7).

God uses physical pain as an instrument in my life to surface the impurity of my self-sufficiency. The aches and emotional waves wake me up to the reality that I need Him....not just for healing or relief but for endurance in the midst of pain and for a clear understanding of my purpose in it.

My sinful nature wants to be independent by doing things without help. That may just look like being a responsible adult and I often use this rationale to excuse my behavior. But God has shown me my heart. I often rebel at his purpose for humanity to be dependent on Him to the praise of His glory. The words that can come out of my mouth are often a symptom of my heart. Such complaints only stir up the impurities all the more. Thankfully, my God is patient with me and continues to remain with me through the fire.

In Malachi 3:3 God talks about refining his people, a purification process that is painful but necessary to be a people that reflect their God. There is a story about a woman who wanted to better understand the process of refining precious metals, specifically silver. The author is unknown and the story is open to public domain. It is told like this:

"...That week the woman called up a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest in silver beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that, in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest so as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot - then she thought again about the verse, that He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver. She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. For if the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's the easy part -- when I see my image reflected in it." The Refiner's Touch

My Gracious Father wants to see the image of his Son in my life. I do too. So, as I continue to walk with pain and guard my heart from complaining he will be with me in that hot process. I can be at peace with that fact.

"All our peace in this present life should depend on humble forbearance rather than on absence of adversity. He who knows the secret of endurance will enjoy the greatest peace." ~ Thomas A' Kempis in The Imitation of Christ.