我们要继续来研究这个问题：为甚么神要使用不洁的器皿来完成一个神圣的目的？或者说：为甚么神要使用我们的非基督徒亲戚、同伴或同事来谴责和纠正我们？无论甚么时候，接受神的管教都会令人感到极其卑微，而如果管教是来自品格和声誉都不及我们的人的时候，这种感觉便尤其明显了。

当我还在当机械学徒的时候，我曾经跟一个令我讨厌的人一起工作了一段时间。那个人粗俗、无礼、满口谬论、粗野、傲慢。有一天我感到实在没有办法再继续容忍他的行为，我于是走到一个安静的地方祷告。我说：「主啊，您为甚么将我放在这种位置上？这个人令我很厌烦，更严重的是，他喜欢妄称您的名。求您叫他远离我，或者让我远离他；或者让我知道您为甚么要让我经历这种事情。」

我等了整整十二个月以后，我的这个祷告才有答案。那段时间我一直祈求神以正面的方式来回应我的要求。我有时候因为神让我一直在等候回答而对祂感到愤怒，以致拒绝阅读祂的话。直到一年后神终于给我回应，而当答案来到的时候，神让我看到原来祂利用那段等候的时间来修剪我，纠正我凡事都要偏行己路的这种倾向。你知道吗，那一年的经验所给我的益处远超过我所付出的代价。

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.