When God wants to purify
us it’s often by means we’d rather not acknowledge. Not only that, it may be done through people
we are not especially enamored with.
Malachi 3:2 states “But
who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He
is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.”
Matthew 3:11-12 tells us the Lord
Himself will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire, and that the “chaff”
will be burned up with unquenchable fire at the last Day.
Of course, right now God will refine us when it is required - no need to wait until the Judgment. If we are His child, and we continue to walk in the flesh, He
will “turn up the heat” (so to speak). We won’t get away with bad behavior without correction. After all, He lovingly corrects and rebukes
those He loves (Revelation 3:19).
Do you notice when God
begins to knock off the rough edges of your character? What does He do to curtail your gruff
attitudes? How does God interfere in your life when things don’t go your way?
One of my favorite
devotionals is My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers. An entry in September reads in part as
follows:
Our call has nothing to do with personal
sanctification, but with being made broken bread and poured-out wine. God can
never make us wine if we object to the fingers He uses to crush us with. If God
would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured-out wine in
a special way! But when He uses someone whom we dislike, or some set of
circumstances to which we said we would never submit, and makes those the
crushers, we object. If ever we are
going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed; you cannot drink
grapes.
Does this resonate with
you? Do you “feel the squeeze” and
wonder what on earth God is up to? Are there
are times when He has to put us between a rock and a hard place just to get our
attention?
It might be a neighbor He uses to point out something we didn't realize was offensive. Or how about your siblings? They know you better than almost anyone on the planet. What happens when God uses them to pinpoint an attitude that is less than God-honoring? He often uses our spouses to prick our consciences. Or perhaps our employer brings something to our attention that God uses to correct us.
However the rebuke comes - let the Refiner burn away all that remains of your "old nature" in order to bring forth something better - something pure.
In marriage, we often have
periods in our relationship where God is working on one of us, while the other
seems to “get a pass”. If you are in an unequally-yoked marriage, your squeeze can be especially painful to endure. The believer
knows that God might hone in on their character or brings them under conviction
in an area they think they have already conquered. That can be difficult to accept unless we
understand that ultimately the greater goal is to refine us, define us, and
bring Him glory.
The Apostle Paul tells us
in Romans 8:18 “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good
dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do
not find.” He goes on to say that
even though he wills to do good, he does not do it. The sin that dwells in him
commits the sin. His body is in conflict
with his mind, and thus he is brought captive unto his sinful nature. He wrestles with a dilemma we all face.
Victory lies in submission
to the Spirit of God by taking every thought captive unto the obedience of
Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Listen to the still small voice. Ask another believer to agree in prayer with you about your shortcomings and how to overcome them. Recite Scriptures that reinforce Godly behaviors and thinking.
God's teachings are truths that can only be
understood by His Spirit within us.
Deborah is the author of a Christian
non-fiction book titled “Mission
Possible”. It is written for women who love the Lord Jesus, but their
spouse doesn’t share their passion. It will encourage and challenge the
reader to embrace God’s promises for their spouse and future together.
Visit
Great article! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Alice. I appreciate your encouragement :)
DeleteLove your post and what helps me through the rough spots is to "stay connected" to God 24:7, so that it's His power I'm using and not my own. My life verse is 2 Corinthians 12:9 which serves as a good reminder for me. Thanks for your great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Sandra. Thanks for your touching comments! I love how God uses our weakness to showcase His glory in us. Be blessed...
DeleteSo beautifuly and percisely accurate. Going to another level with God extracts what is not worthy in us.
ReplyDeleteSamantha Ryan Chandler
John 3:16 member
Thanks for the visit Samantha. Indeed, God's pressure is what brings forth our true worth in Him. :)
DeleteGod usually gets my attention by having someone I decided I don't like do something nice for me. Or by letting me know that person's past and hurts. He is so good at refining us when we're open to anything.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the visit Jill. I agree with you - God usually uses someone we'd rather not be the one to kindle the refining fire :)
ReplyDeleteOuch!!! I have felt the heat so many times, but thankfully I never get burnt, just burnished. Thanks for a great article.
ReplyDeleteYes Pat - I have a few scorch marks too! Thank God He often sends multiple warnings before we feel the heat... if only we would wise up! :)
ReplyDelete