Refining Fire
I’ve been thinking about the process of refinement – in other words taking something tainted or faulty and making it better and more valuable through the removal of impurities or flaws. The best example in a practical sense is the process used to take raw gold from the earth which is often co-mingled with a variety of less desirable material and, through a series of steps involving intense heat, transforming it into a the lustrous metal you and I see in our jewelry or valuables. Usually, the process requires multiple evolutions of heating the gold until it reaches a molten state, then skimming the unwanted material (called dross) that collects at the top of the melted gold until all impurities are removed. The quality of the finished product is measured in karats – a karat is one part out of 24. By this measurement, then, pure gold would be 24 karats. Anything less than 24 karats, is mixed with some other metal alloy – usually designed to make the gold more functional.
I think we as a country, as businesses, as families, or even as individuals are in the midst of a type of refinement process. We are being exposed to intense “heat” in the form of a global pandemic and economic shutdown that is revealing a lot of “dross” in our lives. As a country, we are seeing weaknesses and flaws in our supply chain. Maybe in our families, we’re seeing how the lives we used to lead were squeezing out precious moments of quality time and meaningful conversations. As a person, maybe I’m seeing that my life had become filled with work and activity, but nothing of lasting value. Or perhaps as business leaders, we are recognizing the dross that is being exposed in our companies and looking to scrape off some inefficiencies or refine our focus and values. For each of us its different – but the question remains: What has been exposed in my world that needs to be refined?
Whatever your application may be, one thing about refinement by fire is certain – its not a fun process to go through, but the results are worth it. One other certainty – the degree to which you are refined is directly proportional to the amount of impurity you allow to be removed. Less face it, challenges and trials are part of life – the key is taking advantage of the refinement to get better. “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.” Isaiah 48:10
