"He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.  Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness."  Malachi 3:3

I don't know if you have ever experienced a period of refinement or purification in your faith or life.  Often these are painful times of change and stripping away or separating the old (perhaps comfortable) self from that which God designs and desires to be left.

The strong imagery of the Lord "sitting as a refiner and purifier of silver" from the verse above speaks volumes of encouragement in what would otherwise be a dicey and uncertain process.  A refiner sits and observes the melting metal, waits for the correct, proper time to pour it out and separate the impurities.  I love the idea of God sitting, watching and waiting, very much in control of the situation and a master of his method; it implies such wonderful care, patience and grace.  So even though the method is by fire, the end is for good - and throughout the process, God's loving and watchful care ensure that the only loss is that which is not ultimately good for his people.

I have been thinking of this image in relation to my airline recently as it seems in many ways to be going through the fire.  As Christians in the workplace we need to continually lift our colleagues and companies before God in prayer.  Also, we must not be too discouraged when it is clear that our airline is feeling the heat - it is all too easy to forget who is in control.  Now on the face of it, a corporate entity like an airline is surely rather different from the 'people of God'.  Indeed we could think so, but we are the people of God in those places and I think that part of what we are called to do is to be witnesses in the midst of fire - to be encouragers of colleagues, authentic in joy and sorrows; proclaimers of the truth of God's love and salvation in Jesus - being, as we do all that, just like the little yeast that works through the whole loaf.  In this respect it is absolutely right that we see our workplaces as works in progress, where God's great divine plans are worked out in the details of our refining and purifying.

Keep praying for your airline and colleagues, and keep witnessing even when it's tough or it seems that you are being burned.  God has his loving hand on us and will aid us as we look to him.  As we trust him in this we will see our lives and companies changed for his glory.

James Fraser