Few people predict the turbulence and pain that life will inevitably bring. Lives that are filled with joy today can suddenly become bumpy and hard tomorrow, but few people make plans that consider the difficult roads that are sure to come.
Understanding the Refining Process Through Pain
As the moon smiled down on my head that night so long ago when I gave the reigns of my life over to God, little could I have predicted the sin that would continue to plague me and the scars that would one day distinguish me as a follower of Jesus Christ. But most of all, I could not have predicted the pain of Christ’s call. No one plans on a journey through pain, yet pain is often the road that God chooses to purify His children and bring us closer to Himself.
You see, when a person answers the call of the Savior, it is by far the best decision in the world, but also the hardest. Answering the call of Jesus of Nazareth means following the example of the One who poured Himself out for our sake. When we are laid bare in obedience and suffering like Him, we are more useful to the King. It is this stripping that distinguishes the true saint from the casual observer and that allows us to finally reach a place of abundance in Christ.
Biblical Foundations of Refinement
Psalm 66:10–12 says it best: “For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.”
The Journey of Spiritual Transformation
I felt as if, surely, the worst of life was behind me. I was no longer a beginner Christian. My life for Him was about to begin. I would finally reap the richness of a life completely dedicated to the risen Jesus; I dreamed of the joys of serving Him full-time. I wondered how God would take an ER doctor and transform her into His full-time servant. I could almost taste the fullness of joy that lay ahead.
Lessons from Psalm 66
I’d forgotten, though, that God cares less about our titles and our jobs and more about our hearts and character. I’d lost sight of the fact that the Christian walk is one of refinement, leading to the total transformation of the man and woman for Christ. In other words, like all the patients who say the same to me: I didn’t see it coming. It wouldn’t take long for my enthusiastic Yes! to become Why me, Lord? Why did you choose me? Why is this happening to me?
Personal Reflections on God’s Refining Work
The next ten years would stretch me and push me to the brink of my faith. At times it felt as if my soul was being defibrillated as God continued to strip layer after layer of gruff and self and carnality from my life. At one point, I didn’t even think I’d survive. But deep in my soul was the quiet certitude that I was held by the One who loves me so deeply that He had given His own life for me.
Embracing the Process
In Proverbs 25:4 God says, “Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel.” I had asked to be the kind of vessel that God could use for His purposes, and God was answering my prayers.
Adapted from Still Standing by Lina Abujamra (© 2024). Published by Moody Publishers. Used by permission
