Christianity Is Like a Rock Tumbler

When I was a kid, I had one of those old-school rock tumblers. You remember the kind—noisy, clunky, and always humming in the garage. I'd take these dull, jagged rocks I found in the yard, toss them in the barrel with some grit and water, seal the lid tight, and let it spin for weeks. And when I finally cracked it open, I was always amazed. What went in rough and ordinary came out smooth and beautiful, shaped by time, friction, and a whole lot of tumbling.

Looking back, I think that little machine taught me more about the Christian life than I realized at the time.

Because following Jesus isn’t always shiny on the surface, it’s not about being polished up from day one. It starts with raw material—a regular, broken, sinful life. Just like those rocks, we come to Christ jagged, imperfect, and covered in the dust of the world. But the moment we’re placed in the "tumbler" of grace, He begins His work on us.

The Grit of Grace
In that tumbler, grit is essential. It’s rough. It grinds. It presses into every edge. And that’s exactly what sanctification feels like. The Lord uses His Word, trials, correction, accountability, the Holy Spirit, and the people around us to grind off the rough spots. It's not comfortable—but it’s holy.

Hebrews 12:10-11 (LSB) reminds us:

“But He disciplines us for our benefit, so that we may share His holiness. And all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful, yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

That process is slow, just like that rock tumbler spinning for weeks on end. Sometimes it feels like we’re stuck in the same place, bumping up against the same struggles, same people, same old sins. But God is doing something deep in us—shaping us into the image of Christ.

Friction with Purpose
Here's the thing: those rocks don’t get polished alone. They tumble together. And it's the friction between them that smooths them out.

In the Christian life, God uses people to do that. Your spouse. Your kids. Your church family. Your coworkers. The people who test your patience or challenge your thinking. And yes, even the ones that annoy you to no end.

Proverbs 27:17 says:

“Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

That sharpening isn’t always pleasant. But it's always purposeful. God places people in our lives not to make us comfortable, but to make us Christlike. Just like those rocks, we bump and grind and wrestle—but in the process, we're being refined. We're being humbled. We’re learning grace, forgiveness, and sacrificial love.

The Finished Product
Now here’s what I love most about that old rock tumbler. I never really knew what those rocks would look like until the end. What started dull and dirty often turned out vibrant and striking—colors I couldn’t see before were suddenly clear. That’s how God sees us.
He doesn’t just see what we are now—He sees what He’s shaping us to become.

Philippians 1:6 (LSB) says:

“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.”

You're still in the tumbler. I am too. Life might feel messy and loud. It might feel like you're spinning in circles or constantly running into things that wear you down. But hear me—God is polishing you. He’s removing the things that don’t reflect Him and revealing the beauty He planted inside you when He saved you.

So don’t jump out. Don’t quit. Don’t resent the process. Embrace the tumbler.
Because what comes out isn’t just a better version of you. it’s the image of Christ in you. And that’s a masterpiece worth the tumbling.

In Love,

Pastor Jody