Last month as I began working on some writing projects, I had a major appliance tear up on me. The stress from the virus stunted my creativity and I couldn’t get anything accomplished.
It wasn’t that I didn’t have the money to replace the appliance; it was the idea and battles of getting everything finished. Honestly, there was a bit of sentimental value in the appliance I inherited it from my parents.
Frustrated I turned to God, He is a God Who listens. Why did I have to endure this hardship right now? Why does the devil keep attacking me? I sounded like an ungrateful child. Truth is I didn’t want to make a big boy purchase, but I knew God has His reasons to chisel me.
I wanted things to go smoothly, but I knew that it was time to do something and God is right beside me. I reached out to my mentor; like a man, I also checked with my local appliance repair man for advice. I’m not one who has to have the latest and greatest.
Jesus taught His disciples to die to themselves daily, not just for 40 days or a brief period of time as many do in this season of Lent. This is why I have a big problem with the modern teachings of God’s “blessings” of grandeur and greatness, they aren’t biblical.
When I was in college I lived for the moment, pleasure was my god, it’s no wonder I stopped growing as a Christian, because I was more focused on comfort than commitment to God.
I was confident about my salvation while I was comfortable in my sin, I was coming in hot. This is why God went to extremes to make me into a masterpiece (Ephesians 2:10.) I wasn’t interested in growing as a believer because I knew it was difficult.
Winston Churchill said, “Personally, I am always ready to learn although I do not always like to be taught.” I believe I was in my accident because pain is the best teacher, that is why parents spank bad children; it’s not bad news, save your tears .
Refiner’s fire!
The Jewish culture understood the power of pain, because God allowed them to pass through many fires. They understood how the refiner’s fire works.
The Jewish patriarch Job was tested in the fires of life, yet never cursed God(Job 2:1-10.) Fire is destructive, but its power can be harnessed to purify and bring change. This is what happened when God allowed fire to rain down on Sodom and Gomorrah, God can bring beauty from ashes.
The prophet Malachi described God as a refiner refining His people (Malachi 2:17-3:9.) And in the final judgment the world will be destroyed by fire, as a final purification of God’s people—His love never will end.
The Jewish rabbis taught of God’s refining process. On one occasion Jesus even told the rock of the church to hold on, Satan would sift him (Luke 22:31-32.) Discipleship requires purification and that can only come through the fires of life.
Perhaps this is why Jesus taught His followers they would suffer many trials in this world (John 15:18-19.) We can be comforted in knowing God has a purpose for our pain and that Jesus is with us in the fire. Much like God was with three Jewish boys in Nebuchadnezzar’s fire (Daniel 3:16-28.)
The refiner’s fire is not comfortable, but it’s conforming us to the likeness of our Rabbi and Lord. The saying is the gold isn’t refined until the refiner can see his image in the gold. The more we become like our Heavenly Father, the less we will look like and depend on the things of this world—the fire reveals our true colors. Instead we will say all to You, God.
God will test us in the fire to refine us. True disciples do what their rabbis does, not what other rabbis do. This is why it is important for church leaders and teachers to be 100% biblical in all teachings (2 Timothy 3:16.)
Unfortunately most churches teach a comfy fluff and stuff gospel instead of the hard truth of the Bible. Christianity is more about becoming like God than it is about being comfortable in this world; any teacher who teaches worldliness isn’t a Christian teacher and that’s the hard truth, they have no idea how God works!
The hard truth!
It’s okay to have nice things, but it is idolatry when we let things have us, our worship. The Christian way isn’t always coffee shops and daydreams. Our Rabbi didn’t teach earthly prosperity, He taught meekness and simplicity.
As we near Easter, we need to remember Jesus in the fire of the garden of Gethsemane, the first Adam failed the test in the garden—but the second Adam aced the test when He prayed not that my will but God’s!
The hard truth is most of us don’t really want God’s will, we want our will with His help. Believers cannot incorporate worldly living into Christian living, that is a lie from the deceiver himself, he will let you down. Like gold in the furnace, the fires of life refine us of our selfish desires.
Twenty-four years ago this month God used my accident to begin refining me and I am still being refined in the refiner’s fire!
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