Tag Archive for: refining

Sifting

“Would you like a hot chocolate?”

That’s a favourite phrase I use when missionaries arrive at the mission home for an overnight stay.

Each cup of hot chocolate is made with all the usual ingredients, but above all, it is filled with lots of love.

The most delicate part of the process is the 𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 of the chocolate powder, for the final touches, to make it perfect.

To 𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐭: “put a fine or loose substance through a sieve so as to remove lumps or large particles.”

“To make a close examination of all the parts of something in order to find something or to separate what is useful from what is not.”

At zone conferences last week, I commented on how we are all being “𝒔𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒅.”

In Luke 22:31-32, at the Last Supper, calling him by his given name, Jesus said…

31. “…Simon, Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may 𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐭 you as wheat.”

To 𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐭 as wheat means to sperate the good grain from the chaff.

In other words, “You’re going to be run through the 𝒔𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 Peter. Indeed, you’re going to find out what’s in you Peter.”

In essence, you’re going to be shaken up and bounced around and go through a tough ordeal.

Like Peter, that is especially true in the mission field, where we are all 𝒔𝒊𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒅 as wheat – daily!

The 𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 is done to refine us, and, in the process, we find out what we are made of, by discovering our many weaknesses.

Before that night was out, Peter had denied Christ three times.

32. “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou are converted, strengthen thy brethren.”

As Christ prayed for Peter, likewise many, many others pray on our behalf every single day, “that thy faith fail not.”

For example – mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, grandparents, church members and leaders, missionary companions, and many others of other faiths too, pray every day for you.

Throughout life, all of us will be 𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 and refined.

You will be shaken, stirred and cleansed to make the perfect you.

Yet, like Peter, I know that by following Jesus Christ, you will not fail.

How are you being 𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝?