The Good Kind of Burn

If there is one thing I can walk away with from the past few months, it is that God tests us. God is always testing us, not in a mean way, as if He were trying to stump us. No, God tests us to make us better and in turn more like Him. In my ceramics class, after we fire the clay we glaze it and fire it again at a hotter temperature. The glaze is pretty unimpressive at first, usually it bears little resemblance to the actual color and it’s very dull. But after going through the kiln the color explodes out and becomes bright and shiny and smooth, it is after the second firing the clay truly becomes a work of art. It is similar with us, throughout our lives God is constantly putting us through that second firing, where we transform from a dull caricature to a true masterpiece. Now what if the glaze turned and said “Whoa wait a minute, you’re going to put me through that? Now way Jose, I’m just fine the way I am.” Imagine looking at clay pots covered in a powdery dull paint, having no idea they could be vibrant pieces of art. In our struggles God puts us through a fire to transform us into His own masterpieces; it’s up to us to either follow and let Him or settle for dullness. “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.” Romans 5: 3-4.