我們要繼續來研究這個問題：為甚麼神要使用不潔的器皿來完成一個神聖的目的？或者說：為甚麼神要使用我們的非基督徒親戚、同伴或同事來譴責和糾正我們？無論甚麼時候，接受神的管教都會令人感到極其卑微，而如果管教是來自品格和聲譽都不及我們的人的時候，這種感覺便尤其明顯了。

當我還在當機械學徒的時候，我曾經跟一個令我討厭的人一起工作了一段時間。那個人粗俗、無禮、滿口謬論、粗野、傲慢。有一天我感到實在沒有辦法再繼續容忍他的行為，我於是走到一個安靜的地方禱告。我說：「主啊，您為甚麼將我放在這種位置上？這個人令我很厭煩，更嚴重的是，他喜歡妄稱您的名。求您叫他遠離我，或者讓我遠離他；或者讓我知道您為甚麼要讓我經歷這種事情。」

我等了整整十二個月以後，我的這個禱告才有答案。那段時間我一直祈求神以正面的方式來回應我的要求。我有時候因為神讓我一直在等候回答而對祂感到憤怒，以致拒絕閱讀祂的話。直到一年後神終於給我回應，而當答案來到的時候，神讓我看到原來祂利用那段等候的時間來修剪我，糾正我凡事都要偏行己路的這種傾向。你知道嗎，那一年的經驗所給我的益處遠超過我所付出的代價。

We continue pursuing the question: Why does God use an impure instrument to accomplish a holy purpose? Or to apply it more personally: Why does God use our non-Christian relatives, acquaintances or workmates to reprove and correct us? It is extremely humbling to be on the receiving end of God's discipline at any time, but more so when it is brought to us by someone whom we regard as being below us in character and integrity.

In the days when I was an engineering apprentice, I worked for a while alongside a man who became my pet hate. He was coarse, rude, loud-mouthed, boorish and blasphemous. One day I felt I could not put up with his behaviour any longer and went to a quiet place to pray. I said: "Lord, why have You put me in this position? This man greatly irritates me, and what is more - he delights in taking Your Name in vain. Get him away from me - or get me away from him. Or give me some explanation of why You are letting me go through this."

I had to wait twelve whole months for an answer. During that time I prayed that God would respond in a positive way to my request. Sometimes I would get so angry with God because He kept me waiting for a reply that I would refuse to read His Word. A year later the answer finally came, and when it did, God showed me that He had used the waiting time to prune me of a tendency to want my own way in everything. Believe me, the experience of that year yielded far more than it cost.