“We can be certain of one thing: transformation into God’s image and God’s purpose requires that we pass through God’s refining fire. Being made holy is not a one-time deal; it is an ongoing process that continues until we are fully reconciled with Christ….The key idea to remember is that we pass ‘through’ and do not remain in the fire.” Okoro, Enuma. Silence and Other Surprising Invitations of Advent. Nashville: Upper Room, 2012. 65.
It is a powerful metaphor to liken God to a refiner. Refinement is the process of removing impurities from a substance so that it increases in value. While we know that God loves us as we are and there is nothing we can do about it, we also know that there is much that prevents us from expressing that love for ourselves and others. Maybe the process of “refinement” is one which increases our ability to feel love and to share love.
How might you be passing through the fire and power of God’s love today? How is your witness of the ways in which God loves you refining who you are? What would it look like to take that same love and share it with another person that you meet?