Being Strong During the Sifting Process

Through life we are faced with many ups and downs. There are challenges that we must face in life. There are struggles that we go through. But during the struggle. During the challenge. During the heartache God is refining us. There is a sifting occurring. These circumstances are molding us. These challenges are building us up. The heartache we are experiencing is making us stronger. It is during this sifting process that God is trying to use us and make us better. Unfortunately, many of us fall off before the sifting process is finished. We get distressed, bummed out, confused, beat down. We fall into a state of “I give up”. And it is in these moments when we need to lean unto the Heavenly Father even more.

Many of those who bake may be familiar with the sifting process. Sifting is a method used to smooth out the flour before baking. The flour is measured out and placed in a metal sifter with very tiny holes in it. The sifter is held over a large bowl. The flour is poured into the sifter and movement is made to sift the flour through the tiny holes. This removes all the lumps and clumps. Whatever is remaining in the sifter is discarded. What is in the bottom of the bowl is a consistency so smooth to be used however needed. You are the flour and God is the sifter. He’s trying to build you up and make you stronger, even through your circumstances.

Let’s look at three important points of the spiritual sifting process:

1. You must be willing to go through the fire.

God is wanting to use you, but you must be strong. You must be willing to be sifted and refined. You must be willing to go through the fire. Holding onto the faith that your Heavenly Father will see you through. Jeremiah 29:11 says For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Many of us do not want to stay on the course. The road gets too bumpy, and we want to pull off on the side of the road or escape onto the next exit. But you can’t, you must keep going. No matter how rough it may be, you must keep going. There is a testimony in your story.  A testimony that you need to share so God can get the glory. You are not the only one going through. You are not the only one going through the sifting process. You are not the only one going through a financial struggle. You are not the only one experiencing trouble in your marriage. You are not the only experiencing heartache, experiencing grief. You are not the only one. Your journey may be unique to you but how you overcome is vital to the spiritual well-being of yourself and others. When they see how you made it over. When they see how you tackled the lion and won. When they see how you tackled your goliath and won. It gives them the hope they were looking for in knowing they can make it through as well. You have to be willing to go through the fire and stand through the sifting process.

2. Sifting requires or involves change.

Change is hard. It’s hard because quite frankly we do not like change. We like being comfortable. We do not like anything that is out of the norm, out of our normal routine. We do not like anything that takes us out of our comfort zone. God wants us to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. For the sifting to work you must be willing to change. You must be willing to adapt. You must be willing to allow God to use you. We get so lost in our own emotions and our own way of doing things that we turn the blinders off to what God is really showing us. Because we want to do it our way. We do not want to let go. Our trust in God wavers. You must let go and let God. You must have faith that He’s got you. You must believe that He desires better for you.

Psalms 37:4 says Delight thyself also in the Lord: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. We go to God and ask Him for help. We give Him these long lists of things we want. We read this passage, and we think it is carte blanche. God will give us the desires of our heart. That is true our Heavenly Father desires to give us the desires of our heart. But it may require some changes on our part. It may require some sifting.  There may be some conditions that we have to adhere to. We are like uhm Lord can’t you just bless me with what I want. I don’t want to do that. I don’t want to have to change.  

We only see the last half of that powerful scripture…he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.  That scripture is twofold. There is responsibility for both parts. God is true to His promises to us. The first half is our responsibility, delighting ourselves in the Lord. That is reading His Word. Spreading the goodness of God to all. Going to church. Attending Bible Study. Hiding His Word in our heart. Following His commandments. Walking by faith and not by sight. Trusting the Lord. The willingness to do whatever God ask of us, to help build His Kingdom.

Delighting ourselves in the Lord. We sort of forget that part and go straight to wanting Him to answer our prayers. Hear our cry, Lord. Sitting waiting for our desires to be met. During this waiting period God is refining us, sifting, smoothing us out. He is making changes in our lives. This condition of change is one we simply do not want. There are many things that we want God to do for us, but we don’t want to make the change for Him. We buck at the first moment of the sifting process. We may even say Lord that is not what I asked for. I didn’t ask for this to happen. I didn’t want to be changed. It may just be what the God needs to happen for your prayer to be answered. Change is good. Sifting is good. God is removing all the parts that are not of Him so the good can burst forth. It’s time to be comfortable being uncomfortable.

3. Sifting requires patience.

We cry out to the Lord, and we expect it to happen right at that very moment. We will say that we are willing to go through the fire. We are willing to do whatever it takes Lord, just do it for me. It’s that waiting period that we have trouble with. And it’s also not knowing what to do during the waiting period that gives us trouble too. So, first and foremost God does hear your cry. He hears you in the early morning. He hears you at the noon day. He hears you late at night. He hears your every cry out to Him. Having faith and trust believing that God is going to answer your prayer is the part many individuals struggle with. Even those devout Christians. They know God is going to do it, but they have a hard time waiting. There is a song by Juanita Bynum called I Don’t Mind Waiting. In the chorus it says I don’t mind waiting on you, Lord. We must put ourselves in that frame of mind. Where you don’t mind waiting on the Lord. He hears us. But like with all things there is a process. It is during this time that your faith may be tested. It is during this time that He wants you to trust Him. It is during this time that he must move some things around. It is during this time that he may have to do some work on you…the sifting. He needs to sift you to get you to your next blessing. He must sift you to get you to your next answered prayer. He needs to refine you. You may not be where you need to be to receive that blessing. You may not be where you need to be to make that next move you want to make. He must sift away the old and reveal the new. He must remove some of those people from within your circle so you can stand out. He needs to remove those hindrances that are holding you back. He needs to sift you. While this sifting is going on you must be patient.

We must be in the frame of mind where we don’t mind waiting on the Lord. There are several scriptures on patience to encourage you during the sifting process.

Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Psalms 37:7-9 “⁷Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. ⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil. ⁹ For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.”

Romans 12:12 “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Romans 8:25 “But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”

During the spiritual sifting process, be willing to go through the fire. Have an openness to change and be patient. God only wants the best for us. Sometimes a little sifting is all we need to get through.