Wednesday, August 14, 2013

By: Rachelle Hitt Bilbo

Reflecting the Refiner

1 Peter 3:4 But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.

When my husband and I moved into our first house, I purchased a full-length mirror to display at the end of the hallway.  This was the primary mirror that I used each day. What didn't make sense to me was that my clothes were getting tighter and my scale was going up YET when I looked in this mirror, I still felt like I looked the same...maybe even thinner!

One night while staying in a hotel, I got dressed as usual and then went to the hotel mirror for my final "once over" before leaving the room. WHOA!!! That was the day that I discovered that my mirror at home was a NICE mirror, but it sure was a LYING one - lol.

Obviously, I had bought and regularly used a skewed mirror...resulting in an inaccurate reflection of my outer appearance. While this was frustrating, I understood that my outer appearance is really not the most important reflection of my life. Instead, the greatest reflection of our true self is found on the INSIDE.

We should always use God's Word as a "mirror" to obtain an ACCURATE reflection of who we are.

Just as our physical bodies change and grow, our inner selves should strengthen and improve as we draw closer to God. We should always invite Him to work on and through our lives. Malachi 3:3 states that God "shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver..."

Know that when you allow God to refine your life, He will be WITH you throughout the entire process. Even when you feel like the fires of life are too HOT, He is there. A good refiner will NOT walk away from the precious metal that is being refined. Doing so can result in damaged metal if allowed to be heated the slightest degree too long.

Interestingly, a refiner's test of when the metal is completely refined is when he can finally see his own REFLECTION in that metal.

I challenge you today to stand firm in your faith. Even when times are difficult know that God is working something out in you that is both VALUABLE AND PRECIOUS! You are HIS reflection. Rather than trying to find your value and reflection in what the world offers, always allow the Word of God to refine and reflect who you are in Him.

Dear Lord, Thank You for always showing me the truth about who I am and who You have called me to be. Thank You for never leaving me and never giving up on me.

I thank You, my Jesus, for dying for me. I believe that You are Lord and that God raised You from the grave so that I can have eternal life.