Sadly, we live in a broken world, and because we do, brokenness invades the spaces of our lives.
From the moment sin entered the world when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, brokenness infiltrated our world. No matter how much we try to avoid it or what we do or don’t do, brokenness will be a part of life this side of eternity.
Well, that’s encouraging, isn’t it?!
If we had the choice, we’d each probably prefer to pass on the helping of brokenness. We’d rather not experience it. But, the thing is, brokenness is one of the few things you and I and the people in our lives all have in common. If we’re breathing, we have broken places in our lives.
Broken relationships, broken bones, broken hearts.
Brokenness caused by the actions or words of others or ourselves.
We have broken dreams, plans, and hopes.
Death and grief and loneliness carry brokenness with them.
And, some of us today might feel completely shattered and broken. Some of us are buying into the belief this is the way life will always be and we’re beyond repair. We’re feeling hopeless and helpless and we’re too much of a mess for God’s use.
Friend, if this is you, you are not alone. We’re in this together. We might not have the exact same broken places, but we all have them.
Friend, what are the broken places in your life?
I have plenty. Some are:
Broken relationships… with people whom I’ve hurt and with some who have hurt me
My past sins… as if out of nowhere they sometimes plague me and my thoughts. How could God ever love someone like me who has made such mistakes in life?
Sometimes I get insecure, I get fearful, I rely on my own strength instead of God’s. And some days I’m quick to judge and slow to forgive.
It’s not always fun to look at the broken places, but God can use them for good.
Dictionary.com describes brokenness as fragmented, torn, fractured, not functioning properly, changing direction abruptly, incomplete, infringed or violated, disconnected, weakened in strength or spirit.
No wonder we don’t like to talk about our broken places! Who wants to be known as fragmented or incomplete? No thank you.
But, how does God view brokenness?
How does He see the broken places of our lives?
Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and he saves those whose spirits have been crushed. NCV
Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. NCV
Psalm 73:26 My body and my heart may grow weak. God, you give strength to my heart. You are everything I will ever need. NIRV
Psalm 51:17 The greatest sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. God, you will gladly accept a heart that is broken because of sadness over sin. NIRV
Matthew 5:3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. NIV
It appears God sees our brokenness differently. He sees it in the light of eternity. Not only does He meet us in our brokenness, but He uses it.
He uses it for our growth, for the good of others, and for His glory.
Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. NIV
We’ll continue this discussion tomorrow as we look at a real-life example of how God used a broken person and situation for growth, for the good of others, and for His glory. Stop back to read “the rest of the story.”
In the meantime, how could God be using the broken places in your life?
Much love,
Some of this material was first shared at our Bring Your Own Bible and Beverage event, Beyond Brokenness, on October 29, 2018.
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As I look back over my teaching career it amazes me how God was able to help me use the experience of my parents’ divorce to help the students in my class who were going through the same thing! He took what shattered my heart to help mend a child’s. I think it helped fill cracks in my heart, too.
Wow, what an amazing example of how God uses our broken places. Thanks so much for sharing this, Cindy. God uses it all for His glory, for the good of others and for our growth. Much love to you!