20091011
When Christians go through trials, the crux of the matter is not the trial. It is their response to the trial. Many times Christians like non-Christians focus too much on the trials. We act no differently and we ask the same questions – “Why me? Did I do anything wrong? How long more?” Rather the questions we should ask are: “What is God teaching me? There is a greater good coming out of this – what is it? Can we see the fruits of God working in our lives? Are we rejoicing as we bear forth the fruits for His praise and His glory?” Rom. 5:3-4 teach us that “we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope”. It requires a mindset change for us who are undergoing any form of trials to focus on the character building fruitfulness of God’s preeminent purpose in our lives. God called Prophet Jeremiah to endure rejection, hostility, enmity and hardship and started by defining His sovereignty and authority over Jeremiah’s life – “Before I formed you, I knew you; before you were born I set you apart…” (Jer. 1:5a).
It is the same for each of us who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour – our heavenly Father has authority over our “be-ing”. Can we be the person God wants us to be? God the Potter is moulding the clay (Isa. 64:8). The pot has to take its shape from the Potter. It has to be fired, if it is of use as a utility vessel. You cannot put water into unglazed, unfired pots. To be hard and rock-like, clay must be fired in the oven. The minimum oven temperature for firing clay is 700oC and it can go up to 1,300oC, compared with water that boils at 100oC. The intensity of the heat is extremely high and at 1,300oC the white hot flame and heat is very damaging to the naked eye.
Even before we were born, God sets us apart to be crafted into unique persons. Are we able to stay faithful and remain on course? Many faithful ones have gone before us. Let us throw off everything that hinders. Let us persevere and run the race set before us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. The Potter spends most of His time in moulding and firing the pots. Believe this – brothers and sisters who are going through trials – we are in a special place. We are in the precious hands of God the Potter.
