Character — Proved by Fire

By Gabriela Galván de Pilger

What if everything you are going through right now is because your character is being refined by His love and presence?

What if you take a moment and just sit with that? Our character — being tested and proved for His Glory. That's what has been happening in my life, and I want to tell you about it.

In 2025, I started to sense a change in the atmosphere — not in the natural, but in the Spirit. I knew change was coming. I tried to be ignorant about it, but it just wouldn't go away. So I started praying, and every time I did, the same theme kept coming up. As I gave more attention to it, God kept redirecting me — not to what He was doing around me, but to what He was doing in me personally. Remember: He is a personal God.

"For we are His workmanship — His own master work, a work of art — created in Christ Jesus, reborn from above, spiritually transformed, renewed, ready to be used for good works, which God prepared for us beforehand, taking paths which He set, so that we would walk in them — living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us."

Ephesians 2:10

He kept reminding me: I am His masterpiece. His work of art. Not the work of art the world tries to put on me. Not the version shaped by past failures, not the identity formed by negative words spoken over me. He reminds me that I was created in Christ Jesus — His masterpiece. He decides what I am, who I am, and what the destiny of my life is.

And the beauty of this? He is specific about what I'm designed for. I am spiritually transformed. I am renewed. I am ready to be used — for good works! And the most amazing part? He already put it all together. He already prepared the path beforehand. Hallelujah! That means I don't have to figure it all out. That path is everything — a good life He prearranged for us.

This verse has been a powerful character-proving verse for me. In 2025, in the middle of the year, there was a turning point where Gabby had to come to a place of total surrender — letting Him direct my life and help me do what only He can do through me. I saw and tasted His goodness. He helped me do what was impossible on my own strength. He opened doors. He gave me the ability to do what in the natural world was impossible.

I was a homeschooling mom — and I became a full-time working woman. And I truly loved it. I was walking in the dream, in the success I had been longing for. I thanked God for it because I knew that success came from Him. Only Him. But something in me was still unsettled… and I couldn't identify it.

Then 2026 came, and things started getting unsteady at our workplace. Now — take this into consideration — Kevin and I are hard workers. Everything we do, we do with excellence, because we love what we do. Our work was the engine bringing provision for our family. We were both working full time, doing more, giving more to our kids. But in the middle of all of it… we were growing weary. Things started shifting. The grace and favor that had once been there was lifting. Where favor had been, it wasn't anymore.

So I started asking God the hard questions: Lord, are we done? Do we move to another place? Where is the connection? How do you want to do this? How long?

But in all of it, I kept hearing Him say:

"Behold, I am making all things new."

Revelation 21:5

"Do not remember the former things, or ponder the things of the past. Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing — now it will spring forth. Will you not be aware of it? I will even put a road in the wilderness, rivers in the desert… The people whom I formed for Myself will make known My praise."

Isaiah 43:18–21

He was reminding me about the workmanship of my character in Him. You know, when things are great in our lives, it's easy to praise Him and go through life happy — because everything is going well, nothing to worry about, nothing to push through. But when the hardship comes? That, my friend, is when the real test comes. That is where the real character is refined and proved. That is where you see the real fruit of it. That's why Jesus said: test it by the fruit.

"You can identify a tree by its fruit. A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit."

Matthew 7:17–18

I know that can sound like a harsh verse, but we're talking about a Godly character being created in us. And the question He brought to me was direct: "You either trust Me or you don't. You either believe or you don't." Gosh — I was frozen. I realized: I have a choice here.

The same word He gave me 8 years ago in 2018 when we were in Michigan in the same kind of place we're in now. The same word He gave me in 2010 when I was truly considering grabbing all my things and going back to Mexico City. And the same word He spoke to me in 2007 when I asked Him if it was okay to leave my country and go to the United States. He said: "Go — and trust in the process. I will help you. I will be with you."

"Trust in the process" — that has been the word shaping my Godly character for nearly 20 years.

Now — why am I telling you all of this? On March 6th, a storm literally touched our lives. A tornado hit our neighborhood and damaged our home. Not broken — but damaged. And we were also shaking spiritually. We were displaced from our home, pressure at work kept building, and I was asking God: "What is going on here? Things are getting more and more uncontrollable!" But all I kept hearing was: Trust in the process.

Then something hit me like a cold bucket of water. In February, I was informed they wanted to cut my hours — from 40 hours a week down to 23 or 24. But the expectations? Everything I had been doing — nothing would change.

That was a big thing for me. One more time, God was working on my character. Was I walking in love? Was I letting God work in me? Yes… but I want to be honest — it was the most painful thing. Because I truly love my job and what I was doing, and watching what I was doing get put in a box… that hurt. But in all of it, He kept saying: "Trust in the process. Do you trust Me?"

So I had to give back to Him the very gift He had given me. The thing I loved most — the thing He gave me the opportunity to have — I had to give it back to Him. But through it all, there was peace. In my soul, I had a peace that surpasses all human understanding.

Then — to make things more interesting — on March 27th, Kevin came home while I was taking a nap. He walked in and said: "Prayer has been answered! My boss let me go. They're making some restructuring in the company and my position is being eliminated."

I could have been freaking out. I could have been mad, scared, resentful. But when he said those words — I was not mad. I was not scared. I was resting in peace. I knew He was bringing us to a place of total surrender. What an amazing place to be.

Now let me be real with you — as I'm writing this, this is still a process for me every single day. Do you think I've had positivity through all of it? Not at all. It has been a total surrender — choosing to trust Him, choosing to believe that He is a promise keeper and He keeps His word.

Earlier this year, Kevin shared something on his blog — a word he received from God at the beginning of 2026: "Money is not going to be an excuse for you anymore." An excuse for what? To do what God calls us to do. His purposes. His plans. And isn't it something — that word came in February, right around the same time I was told my hours were being cut. Then March 6th, the tornado. Then March 27th, Kevin's job eliminated. Do you see the pattern?

I've had people ask me, "What are you going to do?" I've seen the pity in some eyes. I've seen the looks of disbelief — the faces that say, "You're crazy. You have no idea how the economy works. You need a job. You need security." And yes — that is true. We need income. We need to move forward. But what those people don't know is that my God is more than enough to bring it all together. He already prepared the path and the plan beforehand. None of this is a surprise to Him — and it's not a surprise to me, either.

So here's why I'm sharing all of this: I want you to stop for a minute and think. If you're in a season where things look great and plans are going great — let Him work on your character even in the good times. And if you're in the middle of a storm — let Him work on your character there too. All of this, ultimately, is for His glory and for His good works.

Yes, it has not been easy. There are moments where I think I missed it, where my flesh hurts, where my pride has been completely demolished — and the only thing left is humility. I humbled myself before Him. I let Him do what He wants to do in my life. As a human being, this is the part that gets uncomfortable. Because I realize: I am a broken human being and I need Him. I can't accomplish anything on my own — He is the one who gives me the strength, the ideas, the direction.

Let Him be God. Let Him work the masterpiece in your life. Let Him take you to places you never imagined — places He has already destined in His plan.

Do I have everything resolved? Do I have a job? A plan? No — and maybe yes. But this is the beauty of the story: it is still coming together. The plan has already been set in motion. I don't have to perform or strive to make something happen. It has all been prepared beforehand.

For what? For victory. I always win. I always triumph — just because of Him.

So don't wait for things to get better or for circumstances to change before you do the work in Him. Do it in the middle of the testing. Be encouraged — He is God, and He never changes. He is a promise keeper for your life, because that is exactly what He is doing in mine.

This is me, Gabby, sharing my side of the workmanship. Now let the One who is working in you tell you His perspective on how things are going to be.