‘It’s hard? Good’

-Jocko Willink

Buried deep within the earth, are the raw elements needed to produce powerful instruments capable of great purpose. 

But found in their final form, they are not. 

Be it iron or carbon, flesh or bone; The mining of minerals and of man is merely the first of many steps required to reach their final desired form.

Dug from the dirt, these crude ‘lumps of coal’ in and of themselves will easily be passed over. Yet in the eyes of the Miner, our Maker, we are irreplaceable and invaluable. 

Pulled from the earth

Placed into the furnace

Pounded on the anvil

Purged in the water

Purposed for His will

It is a streneous, mysterious journey with many strides and setbacks along the way; two steps forward, one step back… repeat.

If transforming raw material into excellence requires undivided focus, how much greater does the transformative work of a man’s heart demand.

From stale stone to sharpened splendor, we are no longer of this world, but refurbished by way of supernatural conversion. 

To rephrase Romans 12:2, do not be formed by the mold of this world; instead be transformed by Him who will reveal our true purpose.

Iron against iron; we must be sharpened and chiselled against the Truth.

Through fire and through water, we will pass; from death to life and darkness to light… Divinely protected, held tight.

Consumed by the fire, putting to death the old; Relieved by the water, bringing to life the new. 

Transformation repeating itself as often as necessary. With each vice we fall to, we are taken back to the furnace to rid us of our transgressions; so we can receive healing and forgiveness in the water, everlasting.

This is hard, but it is Good

And it is right; Let thy will be done

We must allow, even embrace, this transformative work to cycle over and over again within us; Confident in the conviction that comfort and complacency will not bring completion. 

So then…

If you are on fire? Good

If you are under pressure? Good

If you are on the brink of breaking? Good

Because we are valued, and not discarded; we must say, GOOD!

For in the end, regardless of what we accomplish or how far we come, we ought lay ourselves back down at the Maker’s reach, for we are His work; and He is so Good. 

This being, the ultimate show of our…

Core Fortitude