The Purpose of Pain

UV 1269/10,000 The Purpose of Pain
And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness.
Malachi 3 v 3

This uni-verse uses a metaphor from metallurgy where the Lord sits as a refiner of silver and gold. Believers are to God what precious metals are to a human being. He takes pains to see that we are purified and refined so that we share in His holiness, so that we are blemishless, without wrinkle or spot. Silver is purified in a refining pot and gold in a furnace. Silver is purified seven times to remove the tin, brass and iron that are the dross or impurities in it. Gold is burnt and melted in the furnace to remove its impurities and make it of purest quality. When silver and gold is smelted and purified, it reflects the image of the refiner or goldsmith. Similarly, when we are purified, the image of God is reflected in us, our work and our lives. The image of God in us implies that the purity, the perfection, the greatness, the grace, the power, the mercy, the patience, the love of God, the glory of God are reflected in us and through us. Just as a glass prism splits the white light into its constituent glorious colours of the rainbow, when our character, minds and hearts are refined, we reflect the glory of God.

Believers are “sons of Levi” or priests in the eyes of God and are to be pure in the thoughts we think, the words we speak and the things we do. The Lord purges us through the fire of suffering in this lifetime. Pain tends to straighten the crooked things in our lives. Pain removes stain of character. We become messengers or vessels of gold and silver to carry the message of hope of Christ to the rest of humanity. We become vessels of glory. Suffering also proves our faith. The furnace is meant for gold and silver but suffering is meant to test our faith and to strengthen it. The intense heat applied to precious metals makes it malleable. Similarly, the intensity of the emotions and thoughts involved in human suffering causes us to change for the better. Suffering produces patience and patience supports hope. Just as the crucible of silver leaves a remnant in it at the end of the process of purification and refinement, we will be the remnant that wear the white spotless raiment of salvation.

Suffering equips us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, perfected, acceptable and pleasing to God. It constantly renews the image of God in His children. Our attitude as we go through God-permitted suffering should be to submit and yield. As we yield, God will increase our yield or the value of our sacrifice. We are purged of the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. We will be able to endure, overcome and finish well.

Prateep V Philip