You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver. (Psalms 66:10 NLT)

For every Christian, there is a testing process. Similar to the purification of silver the process involves fire, expressed in our lives as trials.  Though the process is never pleasant, in the end, it produces the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11).

Silver is a beautiful mineral, but in its natural form, comes full of dross.  Dross is foreign material that is considered worthless.  In the smelting process, when heat is applied the impurities rise to the surface.  They are then removed, increasing the beauty and value of the silver.  Something very similar happens in the lives of all true believers.  God allows pressure and heat to be applied to our lives in the form of accusations or other unfair treatment. Most Christians, including myself, don’t recognize or want to admit that we have imperfections in our lives.  When fiery trials come, they bring to the surface areas in our lives hidden from us.  The accusations may even be false, but they bring to the surface other areas that do need our attention.  We can be so concerned with the injustice of the allegations, we miss seeing the impurities and allowing God to deal with them. Therefore, we never shine as God intends.

How do I know so much about this subject, because I have spent too much time dwelling with what others have done, and not enough on my own faults?  As Pogo said in the comic strip with the same name, “We have met the enemy, and he is us.” We can dwell on the surface, who is right, or who is wrong, and miss the underlying purpose of our circumstances: eliminating the dross and bringing about the “peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

I worked for seventeen years as a missionary with Youth With A Mission.  My missionary work has taken me to Mexico, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Bolivia, Spain, and Ukraine.  I hold a Masters of Education in curriculum and instruction from Virginia Commonwealth University.  [email protected]