“John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire: Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable” (Luke 3:16-17, KJV).
Burn Impediments
Bad trading habits die hard. They seem to be interwoven into the personality structure. The threads used in the weaving may be greed and/or fear. Other intense emotions may tie your mind into knots. How do you untangle these emotional threads? Untangling all the threads may be impossible. Let God burn them away—especially, the threads that impede your character development.
God’s Dark Side
“There is no room in a true religion for any sentimental ideas about God. God is not an overly tolerant parent who puts up with childishness and egocentricity on the part of his children, but is a Creator who expects creativity from us. This aspect of the Deity is what can be called ‘the dark side of God.’ God’s dark side destroys everything in us that is not fit to exist” (Mystical Christianity: A Psychological Commentary on the Gospel of John by John A. Sanford, p.282).
Spiritual Maturity
The market like life does not coddle you. You need to reach a level of spiritual maturity to contend with each of them. Certain obstacles that God places in your path are meant to be overcome. Other obstacles are to be let go of or to be burnt away. Be ready to have your chaff burned. You will be left with what’s essential . . . your diamond, soul-body.