Brokeness

11-25-2012 by Boyd Bailey The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:17 Brokenness by God is beautiful to Him. It is His passageway to purity. It is His entrance into intimacy. It is His plan for our maturity in the faith. However, it is painful and not always pretty. We can become stubborn and selfish in our way of doing things. We need the tender touch of our Lord to lead us away from a hardening heart to one that is broken before Him. An unbroken heart rivals God. A broken heart aligns with God. Unbroken, we are like a stallion in the wild. We need a “heart whisperer” from heaven to tame our spirit. We need God’s bridle of brokenness to bring us under submission. If we buck the breaking of the Holy Spirit, then we are in for a rougher ride. Why push back with pride when the outcome can be joy and gladness with God? He breaks us to build us up. Some things that are broken are discarded. They are done away with because they are more easily replaced than repaired. We can’t drink any longer from a broken glass. It is useless to its user and discarded. Our heart, on the other hand, is not useful until it is broken. When broken by God the heart can no longer be adamant about doing its own thing. A heart is never at its best until it is broken. Brokenness brings out what is on the inside. It reveals where there is still a rascal in rebellion. It is in our brokenness that divine restoration takes place. A heart becomes whole when it is broken. This is the Lord’s way. He doesn’t break us and leave us to suffer in pain and discomfort. It is out of our brokenness that He pulls us close to His heart in compassion and love. Moreover, brokenness is both an event and a process. Your salvation broke you of unbelief and brought you into a right standing with your Savior. However, the Holy Spirit is still breaking your behavior by conforming you into the image of Christ. It is a process whereby your pride decreases and your humility increases. Do not be gullible in thinking you are over the need for a work of God’s grace. Brokenness is a process of becoming more like Jesus. Your Christian maturity didn’t occur when you were first broken; it only began. Brokenness brings us back to our faith in Him. He tames us to trust Him. Therefore, out of your brokenness, present to your Savior the sacrifice of a contrite heart. It may be financial brokenness, relational brokenness, emotional brokenness, or physical brokenness. Wherever the pain is, present it to Him for healing. He restores broken hearts. Lastly, do not be afraid of brokenness. Invite it as a blessing instead of ignoring it as a burden. It is better to be broken a little along the way than to be broken a lot in one fell swoop. Brokenness is God’s way to blessing and change. He breaks our will and restores us into the wisdom of His will. He breaks our spirit and restores us into the security of His Spirit. He breaks our pride and restores us into His humility. He breaks our stubbornness and restores us into His sensitivity. He breaks our harshness and restores us into His kindness. He breaks our greed and restores us into His generosity. He breaks our lust and restores us into His love. He breaks our disobedience and restores us into His obedience. Brokenness is our transformation by His grace and truth. God breaks us to conform us into the image of His son.