There are so many different analogies that can be used to describe the things we need to do as Christians or how we should be living our lives. In my last blog I talked about different kinds of lights, and how we need to shine in the darkness. Then I read a phrase about how the brilliance of diamonds is determined by its ability to reflect light, and digging deeper into the world of diamonds, I found so many ideas that struck me as relevant to my life and my Christian walk.
First, one of my favorite songs by Hawk Nelson is called “Diamonds.” They sing about the pressure required to make a diamond. God “is refining and in His timing, He’s making diamonds out of us.” We are more beautiful and can reflect Christ more when we keep going through the difficult times. Pressure and a whole lot of heat create beauty. When we go through hard times, we can be assured that there is a reason, though we may not know the reason this side of heaven. Far too often we pray for God to take the struggles away rather than asking for help to learn or grow from them.
Another thing about diamonds is that they have to be cut very precisely to be valuable. The table, the top flat part of the diamond, has to have just the right percentage between it and the total width of the diamond. And each diamond shape requires a different percentage. (I love to learn, and this was very fascinating for me.) We are all unique, and each one of us requires individual attention. What an awesome God we have that He knows exactly what each person needs, and that He gives each of us His undivided attention!
Each diamond must be cut and polished. Brilliance.com says, “For maximum brilliance, every facet of a diamond should be polished after the cutting process. A symmetrical diamond will have well-balanced and properly aligned facets. If the facets are not symmetrical or not optimally shaped, they’ll display less sparkle.” I don’t know about you, but I definitely want to sparkle as much as I possibly can. I want to reflect the light of God so much that people have to ask where it comes from. However, the cutting and the polishing don’t sound like a whole lot of fun. In fact, that sounds pretty painful. The cutting away of our sinful nature is not an easy process.
One of my favorite scenes in C.S. Lewis’ The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is when Aslan is helping Eustace out of his dragon form. If you have not read it, Eustace is a selfish, whiny boy who becomes a dragon when he gets greedy with the gold he finds on an island. Eustace eventually realizes the error of his ways, and Aslan, the lion, none too gently helps him tear off his scales. It is such a profound depiction of how God helps us shed our earthly nature as we seek to be more like Him. It’s not easy, but the results are beautiful. Getting rid of the old is a daily process.
Back to diamonds. The cut of the pavilion, the bottom part of the diamond, makes a huge difference in the amount of light that is reflected through the surface of the diamond. If a diamond is too shallow or too deep, it does not reflect light out of the surface. The light escapes out the sides or bottom where no one can see it. The more perfect the cut, the more light reflected. If we are too shallow in our faith, we are not reflecting anything. The light just goes right through. If we are too deep in our faith and not seeking to reach those around us, we are only showing off ourselves and our knowledge. Also, deep diamonds tend to look smaller than those of the same carat. We look petty and small when we insist we know what is best. We don’t, but God does. We are called to point to Him. We must let God, the Master Craftsman, work on us and give each one of us just the right cut to make us reflect Him brilliantly. Remember, each trial and tribulation is an opportunity to be cut more precisely to reflect God more. We can be thankful in the midst of pain.