✨ The Sandpaper: How God Shapes Us
According to Google, sandpaper is produced in a range of grit sizes and is used to remove material from surfaces—whether to smooth them, remove layers, or even roughen them.
The grit comes in different types: coarse, medium, fine, and extra fine.
Coarse grit is used to roughen or shape materials.
Medium grit is for final shaping or smoothing.
Fine and extra fine grit are used to refine and finish surfaces.
Just like sandpaper works on wood or metal, our lives are shaped by different tools — experiences, people, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit. Each one plays a role in refining us into who God has called us to be.
We are all works in progress.
Our character is shaped by our past, our pain, our environment, and most importantly, God’s hand. But growth doesn’t happen in isolation. We need connection — first with God, and second with the people He places in our lives.
There are parts of us that can only be changed when we allow the “sandpaper” moments to do their work.
🪓 Coarse Grit: Tough Love and Correction
Sometimes, we need coarse grit — those moments of tough love and truth that reveal what we can’t see in ourselves.
In 2 Samuel 11, King David fell into deep sin. He desired Bathsheba, another man’s wife, and went as far as arranging her husband Uriah’s death to cover it up. The Bible says, “the Lord was displeased with David.”
In the next chapter, 2 Samuel 12, God sends Nathan the prophet to confront David. Nathan shares a story that mirrors David’s own sin, and in that moment, David sees himself clearly for the first time.
Sometimes, we need a Nathan — someone who loves us enough to speak the hard truth. These moments might sting, but they smooth the rough edges of pride, sin, or selfishness. They reveal what’s hidden so God can heal what’s broken.
💬 “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.” — Proverbs 27:6
Correction isn’t rejection — it’s refinement.
📖 Medium Grit: The Word of God
The Word is God’s ultimate shaping tool.
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” — John 1:1
“For the Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword…” — Hebrews 4:12
If we never open our Bible, we miss the very tool designed to teach, guide, and transform us. Scripture is medium grit — it forms us, teaches us truth, and aligns our hearts with God’s will.
A few years ago, I realized I couldn’t claim to follow Christ while ignoring His Word. Reading it isn’t just a routine — it’s a relationship. It shapes how we love, forgive, lead, and respond to life’s challenges.
The Bible is not just information — it’s transformation.
🌬 Fine Grit: The Holy Spirit
Finally, there’s the fine grit — the Holy Spirit.
From the beginning, the Spirit of God hovered over the waters (Genesis 1:2). He has always been present — guiding, empowering, and refining creation.
Jesus promised the Spirit as our Helper in John 14:26:
“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit… will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have said to you.”
The Holy Spirit whispers truth, convicts us gently, and shapes us in the quiet places where no one else can reach. He’s the finishing touch in God’s shaping process — smoothing our rough edges with grace.
💡 Without the Spirit, we may change our behavior.
With the Spirit, God transforms our hearts.
🛠 Becoming Refined
Spiritual shaping isn’t easy. It requires humility, openness, and surrender. Sometimes, God uses:
People to challenge us
His Word to convict and instruct us
The Holy Spirit to guide and sustain us
If we resist these tools, we stay rough and unfinished. But when we yield, we become vessels that reflect His glory — living epistles of His grace.
And sometimes, God will ask you to be the sandpaper for someone else — to lovingly speak truth or walk beside them as they grow.
🌾 Reflection:
Who has been “sandpaper” in your life lately?
Where might God be calling you to submit to shaping?
How can you open your heart more to His Word and Spirit this week?
Let God smooth what’s rough, refine what’s hidden, and shape you into the masterpiece He’s always seen in you.