We have been in Nicaragua for about three weeks and I’m still not used to the heat. I probably sweat every minute of the day from the time I wake up until I go to sleep… and then some. On top of that, our ministry this month is cooking. So if it wasn’t hot enough before, we spend most of our days either over the gas stove in the kitchen, or the outdoor wood-fire stove cooking for 80 street kids, and cooking our own meals.
It’s really interesting that we are in such a hot place this month. Here’s why. At the beginning of the month, we spent a couple of days in Managua at a mini-debrief with the entire squad. I asked the Lord what He wanted out of this month for us, and he very specifically said that He wanted to refine all of us. The Lord, as usual, has been true to His word and has spent this month refining Team Hephzibah. If you will indulge me, I would like to spend the rest of this blog talking about refinement, because I don’t know if it’s something that a lot of people are receptive to when the Lord does it- or rather they don’t recognize it for what it is.
Let’s look at a definition of refinement first. According to Merriam Webster, to refine means, “to free from impurities or unwanted material; to free from moral imperfection.” This is not a particularly fun or easy process. With gold and many other materials, refinement is achieved by placing this object into a fire or oven for an extended period of time. How interesting that our refinement month would be in the heat of Nicaragua. God’s funny like that.
Let’s also look at what the Bible says about refinement. In John 15:2, Jesus says, “[God] cuts off every branch that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” Ok, so this is a slightly different metaphor, but it still works. In order to be fruitful, that is, in order to live the life God has planned for us, we need to get rid of some stuff.
Now let’s get really honest. Most people realize that they are not perfect, and those who don’t will come to this realization eventually. However, as humans we like being comfortable, especially in America. That’s the whole point of the American Dream, right? To have a comfortable home, a comfortable job, a comfortable family, and a comfortable amount of money. I think that the great lie of the Enemy is to subtly lull people into comfortability, into lukewarm Christianity, into thinking everything is ok if they just go through the motions of their faith.
Here’s the truth. We will never reach perfection until we get to heaven. We will be struggling with Sin and our own selfishness our entire lives. Here’s where refinement comes in. God isn’t content to let us live stagnant in our Sin, because Sin is death and He wants us to have life. So he refines us. He lets stuff happen that is hard to understand, and even harder to deal with. He’s not punishing us; he is shaping us into the people He created us to be, the people we have all been incapable of being since the Fall. He sends us situations that lay our hearts bare and expose the lies we believe that our Father wants to free us from. Whether the lie is fear, or insecurity, or that we can’t trust God, it separates us from the One we were created to be with, and God loves us too much to let that stand. It’s also never something we can deal with adequately on our own. We become very aware of our need for a Savior. John 15:4 phrases it like this, “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”
You might ask, “Why does it have to be that way? Isn’t there an easier way to teach us?” I’m telling you, if there were, He would do it. But we are pretty stubborn, and we have an enemy that wants to keep us slaves to the lies we believe. So yes, it’s hard. But it’s necessary. See, if we are completely honest with ourselves, we know that we need refining- for our relationship with the Creator, for our relationships with other people, and for the brokenness that infects our world. So my challenge is to ASK for refinement. Be honest. God sees what is messed up about us anyways, so why bother hiding it? We were created for life and for freedom, and the Lord wants to give us those things. God loves us so much that he will do ANYTHING to draw us into more intimate relationship with Him. If that means bringing up stuff that you would rather not deal with, then He will. Because He loves you.
Don’t let this freak you out. God wants to refine us because we need it. But He also promises to be with us. Always. Read the Psalms if you want proof of this. David was consistently refined, but the Lord was always there. Even if you don’t feel like He’s there, He promises that He will be. Because He loves you.
Isaiah 41:10- So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand
