2 Timothy 2:21
Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.
This was the foundation for my blog when I first created it. I remember doing a Beth Moore study and one of the lessons was on being a beautiful vessel, so I thought, to keep my mind focused on this truth, I would name my blog after that lesson. Skip forward 6 years or so and just last week I was reading a book in which the author stated "Beautiful people don't just happen" And lastly, over the past 6 months to a year I have been praying for God to make me into a Proverbs 31 woman...Man, be careful what you pray for, right?!?!
All that to say, when I read the "beautiful people don't just happen" statement it made me realize that being a beautiful vessel isn't just following God, reading His Word, and doing good in all situations. It's going through the fire and coming out refined, like gold. "Beautiful people" are those that have hurt, suffered, doubted, submitted, and loved through all circumstances. They cling to God when there is nothing else left to cling to. And when the trial moves on, God has created something new, something beautiful, because it is more like His image.
It never occured to me that we HAVE to go through the fire. There is no set preparation to getting around it if you are truly seeking Him and wanting to be made in His image. To be honest, I thought if I lived right, followed Him, and served others He would pave the way smooth, so my first instinct in all of this was to tell others of my mistakes so they could avoid the same pain, but that it false. We all have to go through the fire. I think you can spot true Christians, ones that are stepping on Satan's toes, by those that have gone through the trials and come out on the other side more like Christ. I don't think I would have ever been able to be a Proverbs 31 woman without going through this ordeal that I am currently struggling with. And, make no mistake, I am no where near that woman yet, but I can see glimpses of her at my weakest state and know that God is truly creating me into that Beautiful Vessel that I started a blog about so many years ago.
2 comments:
Wow I got chills reading this. I think you are exactly right that our trials are a refining process to make us more like God. I absolutely believe that God has done that through my marriage too. Has it been easy, no? Will it ever be easy? Probably not. But will I look more like God? Yes! If I allow it of course. I think you are being refined like gold ad you are dazzling!
No pun intended, but that was BEAUTIFUL!!! And so are you!
Post a Comment