The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy near the end of his life and said, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7).
Once Paul had been called into a relationship with the Father, he had to endure all manner of difficulty and trials. He chronicles some of the difficulties he encountered in the letter he wrote to the brethren at Corinth (2 Corinthians 11:23-28). While most of us have never been beaten with whips and rods, shipwrecked, or encountered most of the other difficulties Paul did, we all have and will continue to face struggles, difficulties, and trials in this life.
Crucible Experiences
Our struggles, especially the most difficult ones, are often “crucible experiences.” A crucible is a ceramic or metal container in which metals are placed and then subjected to very high temperatures. The process of subjecting metals to high temperatures is generally used to separate the valuable metals from the slag or dross. It is also used to melt metals so the heated metals can be poured into a mold to create something new or different.
Crucible experiences then are defined as “a transformative experience through which an individual comes to a new or an altered sense of identity.” (Bennis, Thomas, “Crucibles of Leadership,” Harvard Business Review, September 2002). Our life’s journey, when we are called into a relationship with our Father, should be focused on stripping away our identity to become a pure reflection of our Father. We strip away what is not valuable to become what is valuable. Crucible experiences are a critical to this process, though generally not enjoyable, because they force us to consider the reality of who we are apart from God.
Seeking Comfort
As human beings, we naturally seek out what makes us comfortable, and we seek routine in our life. For us to have the opportunity to change and grow, we need crucible experiences that help us break out of the routine and comfort of our life to see the reality of our situation from our Father’s perspective. James encourages us to consider our trials and difficulties as joy, not because they are fun, but because they are critical in helping us see and make changes so we can become a more pure reflection of our Father in heaven (James 1:2-4).
Paul’s focus was on the crown of life that is promised to those who endure and overcome (James 1:12). Likewise, our focus should be firmly set on the future that our Father has in store for each one of us. Let’s be encouraged as we grow and mature, even in difficult trials, because our Father is guiding our lives toward that future. His desire and pleasure is to give each one a crown of life in His Kingdom.
Matt King