Part One: The Value of the “Heat” in Our Lives. The Blacksmith’s Forge

When the “heat” is on me, I don’t like it.  That is another way of saying, “I don’t like high stress”.  Frankly I am not all that excited about situations that are difficult, and anything that causes me soul suffering.In this western culture, my “suffering” is wimpy.  I struggle with difficult relationships, while my brothers and sisters in the third world countries are losing their families through persecution or they are forced to share a prison cell with their enemies.  I struggle with tooth aches or arthritis, while brothers and sisters are dying from injuries due to gun fire or torture or untreatable disease.   I recognize this reality.Nevertheless, my “suffering” still bothers me, sometimes to the point of my screaming or crying. (I hate to admit that.)  But I have asked the LORD “why?”  What is our Heavenly Father doing by putting me through seasons of suffering?He has given me some good answers.Here is one:  Suffering is God’s method of “tempering” us.  That is a term that comes from the world of the blacksmithing. A blacksmith is the person who makes steel tools out of raw metal.  Consider the following process:For a blacksmith to take a raw piece of metal and make it a functional tool, a process called “tempering” must take place. It means working that chunk of metal by applying increasing levels of heat, cooling it in water, hammering it, and  then reapplying heat.  During the process, the blacksmith’s goals is to decrease the brittleness of the metal and increase its toughness. He wants to shape that iron into the tool he desires.    His short-term goal is to have steel that is pliable under his hammer.  His long-term goal is to create a utensil (e.g. wheel, spear, pot) that is able to bear a load and last a long time.If the unshaped metal can’t be “tempered” and continues to be brittle after several heat treatments, the blacksmith throws that metal on the scrap pile.  But if the heat-treated metal is tempered and becomes malleable, it can be shaped easily into a tool. Then the blacksmith will keep it and work it until it becomes the utensil he desires.  The value of iron is directly related to its capacity to be worked and shaped while going through the forging at high temperatures.   For a moment, reflect on your attitude in the midst of “heat”.  Using the metaphor of your being a piece of metal in the Divine Blacksmith’s shop, how are you going to make it through the “fire?”  Are you going to be unwilling to be tempered by the heat.  Are you going to remain brittle, breakable, and inflexible?  Are you going to be so rigid, so resistant that the Heavenly Blacksmith will try you in a fire once or twice, but then say you can’t be worked or tempered.  Will He throw you on the scrap pile because of your attitude?Or  can you yield to Him?  Can you say “yes” to the fire? Will you permit the Blacksmith to put you through the fire, not once or twice, but as many times as is needed in order to become the malleable, well-tempered piece of steel that He desires?  If you want to be shaped by Him, you must allow Him to do His heat-treatment on you.   If you want to be used by Him for heavy service over years, you will need to accept the fire of the forge.We are requested in Scripture to give thanks in all circumstances. (1 Thes.5:18). Perhaps this illustration will help you to be thankful when the “heat” is on.  The fires in your life are being used by your Divine Blacksmith to make you all that He desires you to be.  You are His Masterpiece. (Eph. 2:10.)  He is using the forge to make you and keep you that way.  Be thankful for the heat. In Christ,