Fired to Shine
I’m sure you’ve heard the beautiful metaphor about humans being clay, spinning on the pottery wheel, in the hands of the Master Potter. We are pressed and stretched while our Creator works out the impurities and shapes us. With every spin of the wheel, we’re being formed into beautiful vessels. Then, just when we breathe a sigh of relief that we have survived the pressure of that spinning wheel, we are placed in the kiln.
A kiln, though, is no cozy campfire. It’s a fiery furnace in which the clay molecules bond together, becoming strong and permanent. The fire changes everything. Unfired clay will crumble if held too firmly or melt away in water. But fired clay is solid and ready for use.
It is not simply being in the fire that creates a vessel though. It is about the temps. The hotter the fire, the finer the vessel.
The strongest and most valuable of ceramics is porcelain. But to make this clay a truly fine piece of pottery, it must endure up to 2700 degrees Fahrenheit.
To produce the highest quality pieces, the heat must be extreme. When porcelain emerges from that heat it can’t be scratched by steel, doesn’t lose its shape, is used in engineering as an insulator, can withstand immense pressure without breaking, and, my favorite, actually sings when struck.
The feature of porcelain that makes it the most valuable, though, is its translucence. Light is able to pass through it. Equally delicate and strong, yet it’s luminous enough to offer light to the world around it. That’s the goal for us too.
Jesus said, “You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world… I’m putting you on a light stand… Shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14–16).
Pastor Jay spoke of the consuming fire of God’s love that burns up everything that doesn’t look like Him and isn’t good for us. Then, when we emerge from that heat, we don’t just survive, we shine.
The same fire that purifies us also equips us to be a cultivating fire for others. When we’ve been through the heat, we can offer a safe light to help others see God. We know what it is like to be shaped and refined by a loving God, and even to have endured some high temps, so we can offer space for others who are just getting onto that pottery wheel.
When that porcelain starts to sing, like when life hits hard, it is because we have learned to resonate with God (remember Paul and Silas in jail?). Christians are meant to be living porcelain, able to love under pressure, allow God’s light to shine through us to dark places, and sing when struck.
So if you are feeling life’s temperatures getting a bit higher, don’t panic. The Potter knows exactly how much heat you can take. He isn’t trying to break you. He’s transforming you into something with strength that will shine and even sing for His glory, and for the good of your neighbors.
You’re in the fire to become finer. And when the world feels cold, you can be the one who carries the warmth.
Reflection Questions:
• What parts of your life might God be refining in the “kiln” right now, even if the heat feels uncomfortable?
• How has God’s light shone through you in ways that surprised you or encouraged others?
• In what ways can you be a “cultivating fire” for your neighbors, offering warmth, light, or encouragement from what you’ve already endured?
Watch Pastor Jay’s Sermon here
