In my previous post, I shared about how I have been asking God to teach me more about what Paul meant when he said he would rather glory in his infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon him.  One thing I have been reminded of recently in I Peter 3:7 is that the trial of our faith should be found unto peace, honor, and glory.  I am also reminded that I should allow God to use my trials, my difficult circumstances, as a means to remove impurities in my heart in the same manner a fire would remove dross from gold.  So, what impurities am I asking God to remove in this trial of my faith?

1. My lack of trust.  I am specifically speaking of not trusting that what He is doing and allowing to happen in my life is the best thing possible for me. I am referring to thinking that I did not deserve this or that or that I deserve something better than what I have.  Often I fail to rest in the many promises He’s given me about how much He loves me and how He desires only good things for me and how he works ALL things for my good. In a trial I should look to who He is, what He has promised and what He has already done.  I should be drawn to my knees in prayer asking Him to remove the distrust in my heart.
2. My sinful reactions.  As dross rises to the top, as gold is refined in the fire, I often see very ugly sinful reactions come to the surface of my heart.  Discontentment, irritability, impatience with my husband, children and others, anger, victim mentality and discouragement are just a few of the nasty things that come out.  As those things rise up, I confess them for what they are – sin – and ask Him to remove them.  It’s not a once-and-it’s-done-thing.  It’s a continual process and I am confident He will one day finish the process.  He has promised me I will be like Him.  Instead of getting down because I don’t handle the trial right, I can confess to Him and rejoice in knowing that He is removing those things that don’t honor Him.

We can rejoice knowing that our trials, though not pleasant in the least, are growing and maturing us.  We have His promise that our faith will be found with praise, honor and glory at His appearing.  Let’s not focus on the trials at hand.  Instead let’s look to what God will accomplish as a result of allowing Him to work in our lives.