Refined by Christ
“I asked God: Why the cutting? Why the shaping? Why the sanding edges smooth? Why the growing and the pruning, and the constant tweak and tune?
Then He answered: There are kingdoms rising, falling full of skewed and blurring lines. I’m not built to fit inside yours; you are made to fit in mine.”
Maybe you can relate to the quote above?
I know personally, there have been times where I feel like I can never catch a break from God; that He is constantly changing or tweaking something in my life. In most cases, I get frustrated, but that is when I lose sight of the reason for why He is doing what he is doing. In reality, this is His refinement for us.
Life is not always full of those mountaintop views or picturesque experiences. However, growth can also happen in the deep valleys. It happens just like vines are constantly cut for the upkeep. God uses the same concept with us humans.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit, he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” - John 15:1-5
He is the vine; we are the branches. Apart from God we can do nothing.
As of now, I would describe my current season with my relationship with the Lord to be one of faith, surrender, and growing. Many times, I want to speed up the growing process, but God has taught me that it cannot be rushed. There are times in life where it's dedicated as stretching and learning time. God has the ability to completely break through one’s life to have us humbled and then recognize that we are deeply flawed sinners in need of his forgiveness and grace. We can't rely on our own strength, but only His alone. “Apart from me, you can do nothing”. I’ve had to listen and respond in obedience to his hands and will for my life, even if it’s painful, or even if I don’t want to. I've learned that sometimes, God's stretching and molding of us can be deeply wounding and painful. But the good news is, is that God never wastes a season even if it’s hard.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28
Every day, we are in the process of what God wants us to be, it's called sanctification. It’s being made more like Christ’s image. God never promised this process to be easy; in fact, it's often painful. And this is a lifetime process, it doesn’t just happen overnight! We’ll never reach his standard of perfection because He is God, but we are called daily to die to self which results in being made more like Him.
There’s a song that I've listened to recently (Refiner by Maverick City Music) and some of the lyrics say: “You’re a fire, the refiner. I want to be consumed. I want to be tried by fire, purified. You take whatever you desire, Lord here’s my life.”
These lyrics were convicting to me because we see a willingness of actually wanting to be refined by Christ. I don’t know about you, but I don’t jump at the fact to pray that God would start refining and pruning parts in my life. But within this prayer, I see someone who is surrendering every part of their life to God.
Even in the refinement, I've learned so much about whom God is and experienced his love and strength in ways I didn't think were possible. He reveals purpose in pain and brokenness as He works right through it and works in us.
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." - James 1:2-3
You see, God is at work on our behalf even when we don’t see it clearly. He has gone out before us, and marked our paths and lives. He is so involved with our lives and is the one who is in control. He desires what’s best for us, even if that means going through the pruning process of extreme difficulties. This is where we learn the lessons and how we can be drawn back to Him. It’s hard to stay focused and depend on God when situations are out of our control. These are the moments where we need to open our hands wide open before God in surrender. God wants our hearts. Even when it feels like He is not there or He has left us, he never has.
Each day, God is preparing and shaping you to be the man or woman he has intended you to be and has placed you in specific experiences in order for growth to occur. Those hard times weren’t a mere incident or accident. When I look back, I see God’s faithful hand through it all. Though the seasons change, I know Christ's love remains constant.
I encourage you to pray a bold prayer: Allowing God to do whatever he wants in your life, and for him to take you wherever: For His will, not yours to be done.
