But who may abide the day of his coming?
and who shall stand when he appeareth?
for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers 'soap:
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 3:2-3
Gold, Silver and Diamonds are all made beautiful by a process involving fire, and water. They are never thrown into the fire as though worthless; instead they are taken through the fire because they are priceless. In this respect; your presence in the fire of a trial is an indication of your worth and not of your worthlessness. You were never thrown into a firey trial instead you were taken through it by someone who knows your true value and seeks to maximize your impact on the world.
Your experiences, circumstances and adverse episodes must never define you because they are only meant to refine you. The fires of life cannot consume you and therefore should never be allowed to characterize you. Your true wealth and worth will only ever be seen, known and celebrated after the refiner has finished purifying, molding and positioning you. You are therefore a work in progress and must not be judged on where you are in the process. The novice may mistake you for a worthless lump, but the discerning eye will see the diamond or gold that you are.
Where you are in life right now doesn’t tell anyone who you are. Your temporary address doesn’t equal your permanent identity. Your circumstances are not you! They are only the circle in which you are currently standing.
This is a mystery and a secret of the kingdom. The path to total prosperity is only open to those who value the self in spite of the circumstance. When you draw a distinction between your precious self and your painful circumstance, you will be able to translate the painful experience into a priceless education. You no longer take losses; you take lessons! You reject the failure and embrace the feedback. Failure is an event and not a person. Successful people fail all the time! The difference is that the experience refines them but is not allowed to define them.
The real secret of success is the ability to translate:
Those who can translate and interpret life will never lose their enthusiasm for living and will never give up on their goals.
Many blessings
Bishop Wayne Malcolm
