Many times, we think of this imagery of being refined, or perhaps the clay being molded by the Potter, as something beautiful. However, it is a tedious process, and in itself, there are learning points as to how God molds our character.

1. Remove the Shape

Can anything useful be made from silver ore directly? It is not easy to work with the ore, because the silver is trapped in layers of rock and other impurities. Neither can a smith use a chisel and chip away the other substances, because the silver is physically merged with the impurities.

In the same way, when God saves us, we are like a silver ore, with something within us that God desires to bring out, but it is trapped within rock and impurities such as other priorities, sin, distractions, and etc. The first thing that a smith needs to do is to subject the ore to extreme heat, and melt it so as to separate the silver from the dross. Likewise, I think the process of being refined by God is a painful but rewarding one. To be smelted by God is to be put under ‘high heat’, which is probably the various trials in our life.

Essentially, the silver ore needs to lose its own distinct shape, such that the smith can work with it. Likewise, on our part, we need to reach the end of ourselves and surrender, being prepared to be changed, so that God can work with us, and God will surely have to break us first.

2. Refine the Silver

This is the long process where the smith subjects the silver to the hottest parts of the flame to burn away the impurities, and to remove the dross.

God’s devotion to us is the continuous refining process. A silversmith working on the silver cannot afford to lose sight of the silver, because it can easily be consumed by the high temperature. That too is our assurance, in that God watches over us throughout the entire process. The heating process needs to be repeated many times so that the impurities can be totally removed.

Likewise, when God changes us, He does not do so drastically; He gently and gradually changes us one aspect at a time. He puts us through the refiner’s fire every now and then to remove some impurities and dross a bit, because He knows we will be unable to take it if He were to do something extreme.

3. Reflect the Smith

The beauty of the metaphor of refining silver is that the whole process is complete when the smith can see his own image reflected in the silver. How apt a description! As the silver becomes more and more pure, and the impurities are removed, the silver will be able to be very reflective, which is the innate property of silver. Mirrors, for instance, essentially are just pieces of glass with a thin film of silver coated onto the back. Likewise, God refines us till He can bring out our latent good properties or nature, and His objective is to see His image in us, which means that people around us will be able to see Jesus reflected in us.

Further Reflections