This is how transformation happens.

We will accept and live in the identity Satan crafts for us—unless we surrender our lives to Jesus. Once in the Potter’s hands, He begins His work.

As a new believer, we don’t immediately recognize all of the things we do that are offensive to God. We don’t know we have to make changes until God confronts us on each one. He graciously shows us that He wants us to change our old habits, to get rid of the ungodly stuff in our lives. God wants to remove every influence that interferes with our relationship with Him.

Since God is gentle, I believe He initially makes changes that are safe for us to handle—external behaviors. This includes things such as drinking alcohol, swearing, excessive accumulation of luxury items, how we dress, sexual immorality and the like. God makes it easy to change. I’ve heard people tell of their instant deliverance from alcohol and drugs—things they’ve tried for years to quit on their own. For me, what I had previously enjoyed just no longer appealed to me, and in the case of television and alcohol, I developed a strong aversion to both.

Depending on the person and the number of behaviors that need to be changed, God’s work in us can take some time, even years. A problem develops though when we think God has finished His work in us, when indeed He hasn’t. We think we are all cleaned up because the external stuff, the most obvious offenses are gone. But we are looking only at our behaviors. Many of us have no idea that our hearts are badly wounded and scarred. Even so, we are not so damaged that God can’t repair our injuries. Like a skillful surgeon, He will gently cleanse and mend our wounded hearts. However, for our hearts to heal, we have to allow God to put us into His refining fire.

According to Merriam-Webster, refine means “to reduce to a pure state, to improve by pruning or polishing, or to become free from what is coarse or vulgar.” When gold is refined, fire is used to remove the impurities within it. This process is repetitive and time consuming, but the end product is pure gold. Just like that, God wants to use His godly fire and refine us into the purest gold. Malachi 3:3 says, “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver.”

We go through the first firing process when God transforms our behaviors. But remember, Satan has likely used our family, our culture, and even the Church to tarnish our hearts and the hidden effects of those things still need to be burned away.

I don’t believe refinement takes place through sermons or Bible studies. I think God uses our difficult situations and afflictions to draw us into His refining fire. When we seek Him in hard times, our hearts are open and vulnerable in ways not otherwise possible. That is when God removes the dross from our hearts and replaces it with His truths. And little by little wounds are healed and we are changed back to His original design for us.

Some questions to ask yourself: Can anyone go through life and not have their heart wounded and scared? Do you want God’s holy fire to purify your heart? Are you willing to submit to it even if it’s painful or unpleasant?

I encourage you to spend some time in the next week on some introspection.

Peace and joy to you,

Denise