Like Silver

When silver is refined it is called smelting. In this smelting process, the silver is heated in a furnace until it reaches a certain temperature at which point the other metals in the silver melt away leaving only pure silver. The other metals melt away because they can not stand the heat that the silver can. To reach the point of having pure silver, the temperature must be hot enough to melt away anything else attached.  

One of the most dreaded weeks by an athlete's standard is conditioning week. This week, typically in the heat of summer, pushes players to the brink of exhaustion. From a coach's standpoint, conditioning week allows them to see who can handle the intensity of competition and who will melt away.  

Refinement on your skills, conditioning, mental game and attitude is not for the weak. Refining means placing yourself in an environment where the intensity separates the strong from the weak. Whether the intensity is mental, physical or emotional, the goal by the end is to have a refined and polished player like pure silver. 

God also refines us in our faith. The Christian walk was never promised to be easy. In fact, in John 16:33, we are told that we will have trials in this world. Some of these trials are meant to refine us and melt away any impurities that have attached themselves to us. The furnace you might be in will be tough, but the result, if you allow yourself to be refined, will bring out a stronger you than you ever thought possible. 

Remember, you are never alone. Christ is right there, in the fire next to you, guiding you through the good and the bad times. Just as you never thought you would survive conditioning week, Friday always comes and you came out polished and ready to compete.