Refiner’s Fire

Vulnerable post. Hang with me.

This morning, I kept having the word “refine” come across my mind. I heard it in a song. I saw a picture in my mind.

I know a lot of people who have felt like they’re in a refining process because of things they are walking through relationally, physically, emotionally, professionally, financially and Spiritually. I can identify in many ways.

So, I did a little research.

Refining happens in stages. I’ll specifically speak to the refining process of gold.

In the first stage of refining, the big debris is removed first.

In the second stage, cloudiness is then filtered out.

In the third stage, dissolved substances are separated chemically.

In the fourth and final stage, the microscopic contaminants are removed, a process called “ultra-purification.”

One statement about this process literally leapt off the page at me: “Refining precious metals (like gold, silver, and platinum) is essentially about progressively removing impurities based on how reactive or stable they are.” Just pause and soak that statement in for a moment.

Now, let’s turn this process to ourselves….to our hearts.

The first stage, removing “big debris,” is what’s easiest to identify (because it’s so evident) and attempt to remove.
What is that for you?
One of mine would be people pleasing (also known as Fear of Man).

The second stage, filtering out the cloudiness, becomes a little bit harder. The heat has to get a little bit hotter….because this one may not be as easy as the big debris to spot.
What is that for you?
One of mine would be responding to situations and people because of past – and unhealed – hurts/offenses.

The third stage, things that have been dissolved have to be separated chemically. Think about sugar dissolving in coffee or tea. When it dissolves, it becomes a part of whatever substance it’s in. Hard to see. Hard to break up.
What is that for you?
One of mine would be unhealthy – and often untrue – patterns of thought, especially about myself. You can’t see them – but they’ve made their way into being a part of me.

The last level is called ultra-purification and is the hardest level to accomplish. The description of this level absolutely blew my mind. This level is the hardest because “The less reactive a metal is, the harder it is to remove.”
These are the things that are deep, deep, deep.
I’ll leave that there.

Now, in the hands of Jesus, refining can take on a whole different approach. Back to that last level of ultra-purification. These are the hardest things to remove because they “look the most like what the target is.”

Lord, would You give us the courage to let You refine us? To remove the big debris. Then the cloudiness. Then the dissolved things. Then any other thing…..so that, through the process, our ultra-purification actually reveals that we look the most like You?

Selah.

“These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ NLT‬‬