The Proverbs :: A Guidebook for Menनमूना

Time after time in the Old Testament, “testing” is likened to the refinement of precious metals, the extracting of impurities through intense heat. Here in Proverbs 17, Solomon makes a note that just as with silver or gold, our human hearts also need to be, and will be, tested by the Lord.

Heat, pressure, hammer, and fire were and still can be the tools used to separate the pure, refined metal from the cloud of dross that would otherwise dirty the precious metals, making them not only weaker than their perfect counterparts but considerably less valuable. No one batted an eye at this process and asked themselves if it was worth all of the trouble.

Refinement was necessary. Testing was critical.

Remember back to Proverbs 12:1 for a moment; Solomon went straight to the heart:

“Whoever loves disciple loves knowledge, but whoever hates correction is stupid.”

Sanctification is a word that you may hear around Jesus' followers. It can be defined literally as “the action or process of being freed from sin or purified.” In other words, as you pursue Jesus in your life, He will make you more and more like Him. The impurities, the dross in your own life, have to be taken away so that you can more clearly reflect the heart and character of God to the world around you.

To be more like Jesus is an outcome we all desire. It’s something we pray for and sing about. It’s at the heart of most messages we listen to, and it’s scrawled across the pages of our journals. Jesus, we want to be more like you.

And yet…

Are we willing to go through the process? Are we willing to endure the refinement and embrace the testing?

Reading the rest of Proverbs 17 plays out like an either/or list, a series of blessings or follies that result from our obedience or obstinance in the face of rebuke and refinement. When someone approaches you with a wise word of counsel, if a trusted leader has a rebuke, or if a friend has the courage to approach you with a concern, do you listen? Are you willing to pray about their comment and see if God is trying to work something out in your character through it? This is not easy; it is, at times, a crucible, but if we surround ourselves with godly men who have permission to speak into our lives, we need to be open and welcoming to what God might say through them.

Show yourself grace today. Don’t beat yourself up for the times you have failed at this in the past. You have the opportunity right now to invite this kind of wisdom and feedback from a few trusted men. Pray about who they are in your life, and then reach out. Let Jesus use them to make you look more and more like Him, and in time He may use you to do the same in someone else’s life.

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God, I acknowledge my imperfections. As a sinful creation, there are foreign pieces within my soul. These impurities keep me from the fullness You have created me for, so I ask that You help me get rid of them. Help me to shed the things that I don’t even recognize are there. Help me find others willing to help in that process, and help me have the courage to let them in and see the mess. I desire to be more like You. Amen.