Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog: Shaped for Higher Purpose

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Henry Ward Beecher, the famous 19th century preacher, said, "We are always on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things."

We're not too familiar with anvils today, but surely Beecher's understanding led him to imply certain characteristics of the anvils of God.

Anvils come in a variety of shapes and sizes for a multitude of purposes. We think of the traditional, general purpose blacksmith anvil, if we have any image of an anvil at all. But other anvils include farrier anvils for making horseshoes; specialized anvils for weaponry such as blades and armor; anvils for making chains or saws; even tiny anvils for shaping jewelry.

Metaphorically speaking, God has numerous anvils - shaping mechanisms, trials of many kinds - to prepare us for higher purpose. Perhaps some of us need to feel a sturdy whack to get us to change, while others may just need some fine-tuning and redirection. God knows which anvil is best suited for our next adjustment.

The Letter of James tells us that we should rejoice during our time on the anvil. The testing of our faith strengthens our perseverance, leading to a more mature and complete faith. Indeed, that's something to celebrate!

Personally, I'd prefer for a better faith to be handed to me. But I also know my nature. None of us changes willingly, just like that pictured horseshoe won't fit perfectly on its own. We need to be transformed to fit the tasks to which we are called.

The ways of God are mysterious. Yet it makes sense that God bends us away from our comfort zones into trust zones of greater faith and higher purpose.

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