Purified
"Silver must be purified before it can be used to make something of value.
We are just like silver and we need to be purified. Of what you ask? Well of course the easy answer is sin, but that does not cover the whole picture.
For years after I was molested, I didn't want to think about it nor did I want to issue forgiveness. I had such a distorted picture of both God and the principle of forgiveness that to me, I was justified in my feelings. And in the world view, that is certainly true. However that isn't the way God works is it? As I was renewing my relationship with God (I walked away from him as a child after the molestation, feeling let down, and angry that God had let this happen to me. I spent many years bitterly angry that God would "punish" me this way - like I said I had a very distorted picture of who God is. I didn't return to the fold until my late 20's), I found that this matter kept creeping up. It was always on my mind and no matter how much I struggled to squash it, it kept coming back. WHY? Because God needed me to deal with it. I needed to settle for myself whether I could trust God enough to do what he said. To say that it was hard, is an understatement. I spent months reliving the pain and fear, crying out to God and struggling with the emotions brought on by the memories. But you know what, it does not have the same hold on me that it once did. I was truly able to settle it in my mind and heart once and for all. Now I can speak of it if need be where before, it would send me into rage and depression. I can remember other things that happened during without the taint of fear and anger. I renewed relationships with people whom I had cut off. But most importantly, I learned a lesson in forgiveness. Forgiveness is a choice that I made, but I found that even though I made the choice, it wasn't quite that simple. I still had to deal with my emotions. Jesus' blood purifies us before the father, but we still need to deal with the side effects or consequences of our sins. And unfortunately the side effects of the sins of others. When we can accept that and honestly work with God, we can make something of value out of our lives.
Created 11 months ago
