In the Fire

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4 ESV)

I just finished having a coffee date with a dear friend and was sharing some of my story when it struck me how much my life has changed, how much I have changed, through the years. When I look back on what was and what could have been, I can only be amazed at the Faithfulness of God! He has been my anchor through so many storms, my hope of sunlight behind the clouds, my joy after the sorrow. There have been times that I have been so burdened, my heart laid bare, my soul dry and the thought of going on one more day has seemed impossible. It has been in those moments that God has reached out His hand to lift me up, like water soaking into cracked earth and restoring life once again. So many times I think we fight the challenges and difficult moments in our lives only to realize later that they were the times where some of the most profound personal and spiritual growth has taken place.

As I sit here reflecting, I am reminded of a piece of pottery. When you look at the finished piece you would never guess that it was once a lump of unformed clay. In the hands of the potter it is shaped, molded, smoothed and formed until it becomes the masterpiece that he intended it to be. Yet, it is still soft and pliable and can become easily marred by a careless hand. But, once it has been fired, it receives its strength and its shape and purpose become sure. Now it is no longer in danger of losing its shape. I think in life we are very much like that clay. When we surrender ourselves to God, as the Master Potter, He takes us in His hands and begins to mold us. He shapes and stretches, working out all the undesirable lumps and kinks, pouring water on the dry spots. We change and grow in our relationship with Him as we submit to this process, until He has formed us into a vessel for His use.
However, we cannot reach our full potential until we have been through the fire. It is in the fire that we grow in strength and come to a full maturity. Not that we ever stop being ” pliable” in God’s hands, or that He can’t use us in whatever stage we are in, but rather that our effectiveness in our service and the depth of our relationship is so much greater when we allow God to work in our lives in the midst of our “fiery furnace”.

I can’t say that I would go out of my way to pursue challenging moments, but I have come to recognize their value in shaping my life. In reality, it’s not really the trials that make us who we are, but rather how we respond to them. It’s in those moments that we need to stop and ask ourselves “How will I let this situation impact my life? Where is God in this and what does He want to do in my life right now?” Just like He appeared in the fire when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were thrown into the furnace, He is present in our troubles and will bring us out to His glory, if we but let Him.