September 4, 2018

Refined by Fire

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. – 1 Peter 1:6-7

Deepening your faith is a little bit like baking a cake. If you do it right, you’ll love the end result. If you do it wrong you’ll end up with a big mess.

Our recipe book is the Bible. It tells us exactly what to do in most any situation. Don’t let others tell you it isn’t relevant in today’s world. The only ones who say that are the ones who don’t read it. It’s amazing how many things we think of as being of this time are actually repeats of long ago.

Once you decide on a recipe, you have to make sure you’ve got all the ingredients. You need salvation, prayer, the fruit of the Spirit, an open heart (where you pour the “batter”), an open hand (to let go of things) and a willing Spirit (to be open to what God calls you to).

What do you do with all the ingredients? You mix them together. Do you sometimes get flour on the floor? Do you ever drip anything on the counter? Probably so. That’s how life is. We’re heading straight to where we believe God has called us to go and we’re making a mess along the way. And that’s okay. Fortunately, God never leaves us to navigate life on our own.

Does the cake always come out like you planned? Probably not. Sometimes you think something is going to taste wonderful and it just doesn’t. And sometimes you don’t have a lot of faith in what you’re baking but it turns out better than you could have imagined. That’s how it is when you follow Jesus. Things rarely turn out the way you planned but it’s amazing what happens when we turn it over to Him.

Of course, you’ve got to pour the batter into a pan and bake it. Heat turns the batter into something new, something wonderful to eat. It’s that way with our faith. Our faith isn’t about standing on the sidelines. It’s about getting into the game of life and trying.

How do you know when the cake is done? It smells good, doesn’t it? My Mother taught me to use a wooden toothpick to stick in the center. If it comes out clean, that means the cake is done. If not, the cake goes back into the oven.

I wonder if that’s what God does with us. We go through a trial and we reach the other side. If it has truly changed our hearts, we’re done. If it hasn’t, back into the fire we go. God is patient. He will send us back to the fire however many times it takes for us to become more like His Son.

When the cake is finally done, does it resemble the batter you put into the oven? No. The ingredients are the same but the cake looks and tastes different, doesn’t it? Just like we’re different after we’ve been through the fire.

What changes? Maybe we’re a little more compassionate. Maybe we have more confidence that God truly is in control and everything will be okay. Maybe we’re a little kinder. Maybe we have more mercy for those who don’t quite meet our standards.

Of course, the fire destroys some people. Their hearts harden and they turn away from God. They failed to understand that bad is part of life and the only thing, the only One, who can carry us and turn it to good is Jesus.

Have you been through the fire? Did you come out changed for the better or for the worse? Think about it.

Monday, February 7, 2011

Crisis Changes You Forever

"For I am being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure."

-- 2 Timothy 4:6

Paul was near the end of his life. He looked forward to a race finished and a heavenly crown as he entered the presence of Jesus. We focus on that rather than the words "drink offering." We'd rather not remember that Paul suffered for his faith. Truly suffered.

Somehow we've come to believe that following Jesus should be easy. We'll do our bit -- got to church, give a little money, volunteer a time or two -- and life will go by orderly and without great disaster. Then when we are poured into the fire of crisis, to a place when no other can offer help and hope, we feel abandoned and broken. It is at that point where we find God waiting.

Oswald Chambers wrote that after the crisis, life changes forever. "When the crises arises, you realize that things cannot touch you as they used to," he writes. Truth that can only be realized on the other side of the crisis. Priorities change. Things that were once so important, no longer matter. They are put into the context of eternity. And, really, who cares about all the little aggravations of life?

We do, of course, or we wouldn't call them aggravating. We focus on the daily struggles, high points and low points, of our lives. We get bogged down and lose sight of the distant destination that will come at the end. Yet, when is the end? As Pastor Meghan said, none of us have any guarantee of even the next breath. That kind of puts it all in perspective.

The fire isn't an easy place to be. Been there, done that, don't ever want to go back. I've got enough souvenirs, thank you very much. But I also know I wouldn't be where I am on this journey without ever having gone through the fire. It drew me closer to my God. It made me lay down at Jesus' feet in a way I'd never even contemplated. It filled with me the Holy Spirit and gave new meaning to a life destroyed by circumstances beyond my control.

Are you ready for the fire? Are you willing to walk the difficult path that draws you closer to God? Are you willing to suffer as Paul did so that in the end you will know that you fought the good fight for Christ? The journey isn't easy but it is worth the price.