Oct 4 . . . to those who are . . . called to be saints . . . —1 Corinthians 1:2

We have seen what we are not, and what God wants us to be, but are we willing to be battered into the shape of the vision to be used by God?
Most of us aren't.  While it's popular nowadays to espouse "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger," most of us aren't willing to endure the fire to acquire the tempering.  At the same time, we hold in high regard those who have been through extreme circumstances and we respect them for their endurance and the greater character with which they emerged.  Somehow we don't see that without trials and testing, character is not built beyond however much we were given at birth.  As much as we hate the pain of trying circumstances, would we really prefer to remain immature and undeveloped, a child's psyche inside an adult body?  The obvious answer to these rhetorical questions is "no!"  But yet we are still loathe to shoulder our burdens and endure our trials when they come our way.  The author of the book of James expressed what seems an unattainable goal:

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

I think this is right up there with loving your enemy:  it's a great concept and we recognize the importance of it but we don't know where we'll ever get the wherewithal to actually do so.  Or maybe I should say "I" rather than "we" because I know I feel this way. 

The beatings will always come in the most common, everyday ways and through common, everyday people.

The forge of the Lord looks common and ordinary.  Maybe if He announced to us ahead of time "I'm about to send you through some trials, I just wanted you to know ahead of time so you could go into it with a positive, can-do attitude.  I'm trying to build your character, but it will take your cooperation to do so."  Unfortunately, it never happens that way.  Instead, it comes as your kid getting arrested, a relative suffering a stroke, the loss of a job and so on.  So to Chambers' discussion of "vision," I would also add "attitude."  We have to have the right attitude in order to receive the benefits the Lord has in mind for us, otherwise we're just suffering along in this sinful and broken world.  Suffering along, while we admire those who are growing stronger from their trials as we groan and complain about our own.