Used

Used has so many meanings.  Used can seem degrading and a negative connotative theme.  Already has been used.  What do feel about "second hand?"  "Owned!"  Think of it in another way.  To be re-applied.  To be re-incorporated.  To be reinstated.  When was the last time you felt used? Being used can be both, BUT you get to chose to be used.  You allow yourself to used.  When was the last time you chose to allow God to USE you?

God has given you your youth only for short time.  He has only given you this one life.  He has only placed in your care His kids in His house until they chose to let Him use them. He has placed relationships for your usage to be effective in His calling.  For such a time as this you can be used.  Be used.

Leading in maturity

Leading and maturity these days do not seem to go hand in hand.  There are many who feel that they are mature but fail to lead.  There are others who lead but are not mature.  Look at what maturity is and does.  A lot of times we feel that we are mature and believe it is an automatic gift of something.  What do is we think that we are mature enough to handle a certain responsibility?  We tell our kids that we are the grown ups and can do certain things because of it but what our attitude is saying the whole time is our child inside screaming at our kids "nana nana boo boo!"  Although we are not saying that, THAT is what our kids are hearing.  Why is it that we wonder why our culture is falling apart?  What are we doing by leading with maturity?  

What is leading?  It is not simply a status or position.  Leading is qualities of a personality that others want to immulate.  What qualities are there that you would define as being leadership material?  There have been times that people believe they are leading but turned around to see that no one is following.  It's been said that those people are just on a long lonely walk.  Let's look at it another way.  When you are sick there are symptoms.  What are the symptoms of a mature person AND don't immediately say age!  Symptoms are not always negative.  What are the symptoms of a leader?  Think deeply about this.

Don't respond right away?  Ever heard of being the bigger person?  That's easy for me as I am a large person, BUT that is not what that means?  You must step beyond your situation or as many will call it "the helicopter view," to see it from a different perspective and respond positively in a better way!  Don't be quick to retaliation.  Be quick to a gentle loving response even when that goes against all your being.  We are to be Christ-like is our "life style" as to reflect the love that God has for us!  When you dream of your kids future, what do you see?  Are you dreaming GOD dreams for your kids, or run of the mill every day doldrums of a meaningless livelihood?  We all want our children to surpass us in our lifestyle.  Now go lead them to it by being the example!  Lead with maturity because you have maturity in decisions, not just because you are the adult.   Lead with maturity as it is more than just you.   

Refiners fire

What is a refiners fire?  To purify an an impure material.  It sounds like a process. When have you ever refined something?  Are you happy just to have completed it?  When building a house do you just start hammering and mixing cement?  It too is a process. Developing systems for proper work flow. Developing systems for proper cash flow, I think that is called a budget.  Blue prints for building are very detailed.  The entire structure is built on paper before any material is purchased.  Child birth, is a process.  Developing people is a process.  

A refiners fire is taking the impure material burning it down to purify it.  An act of reduction of the whole impure material.  What do you do when you drop food on the ground?  Some people have a 5 second rule. I don't observe those kinds of rules, but people will blow or wipe it off and eat it. As we live our lives we interact with an impure world, culture and relationships.  We rub off on each other. This is like getting dirty each day and each day taking a shower to freshen up.  However, in life we don't have a process that cleans off all the interaction we have conducted.  

If the fire is reducing the original material to its purest state then you are making room for pure additions.  A jeweler will add diamonds, and other gems to accent the metals.  God has the ability of accenting what he already has planted within you. Go deeper, scrape away the chaff, burn away all the things you think are important and let God accent your purest form!