I am working on a book titled “Broken, Yet Destined To Be Healed.” The cover art on this book is inspired by the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. When this is done the repaired pottery is much more beautiful than it was before. The major lesson in this process is that brokenness can make us more beautiful.
I am also working on a podcast entitle “Healing Time Podcast,” which focuses on the issue of brokeness. The main aim of this podcast is to show that a broken place is not necessarily bad for us. It is often from a broken place that we develop the most spiritual muscles. When we past through a broken place we learn two important lessons;
- Brokenness is not necessarily bad for us
- Brokenness can make us more beautiful.
As we walk with God, this might seem farthest from reality. Yet it is not what ‘seems as if’, but it is ‘what is’. Much like how a sculpturer chisels his raw material, we often become exposed in the healing hands of God. When this happens we become quite vulnerable. We’ll also learn the power of acceptance by accepting the things we cannot change.
We have to become less to be more
It is when we become nothing that we become most valuable in the hands of our great God. This is because brokenness can make us quite vulnerable, yet it will put us in the most fluid of positions to be changes. Consider the complexity of a broken place. We are often so crushed that we are not self dependent. Yet when we can’t rely on ourselves we can trust in our God who raises the dead.
In this blog post I want to share with you 7 reasons why brokenness can make us more beautiful. Be assured that when you pass through the fires God will be with you, and that the rivers wont overflow you as you put your trust in Him. Let’s delve in.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.
7 Reasons Why Brokenness Can Be Beautiful
1. Brokenness Will Make Us Most Exposed to The Healing Hands of God
We might think that becoming more vulnerable is a bad thing. Yet it is when we become vulnerable that God can be most at work in us. As we are broken we become exposed to the cowardly attacks of Satan, yet we are also most exposed to the healing hands of God. Them Bible says that God won’t despise a broken heart.
Are you broken with no sense of direction? Is you pillow filled with the residue of your tears? Be encouraged and never give up because this is a great place to be. In the midst of the fires of life we learn to trust God more. The truth is that fire purifies. Consider the purification of the fire of God. Job knows this very well. As Job passed through his own brokenness he realized that he would be processed into fine gold. You too must realize that you are being sculptures into the masterpiece of God.
2. Brokenness Rids Self
Brokenness often brings us to the end of ourselves. It is when we realize that we can’t trust in ourselves that we get to trust in God. In our brokenness we’ll identify with our need. The fact that we are broken tells that we can’t do it on our own.
You job is to recognize with this position you are in. This also gives you the opportunity to trust in the God with all your heart and not in your own understanding. Paul the Apostle knows this very well. When we look at the beginning of Paul’s life we see that it differs greatly from his ending. Paul was once a very lofty and boastful person who persecuted the early Christians. I believe that this is because Paul lacked the experience of a broken place.
We see a big difference aften Paul met the Lord on the road to Damascus. The Bible records that God blinded Paul’s eyes and tells how humble he became. Pauls brokenness humbled him and placed him in the hands of the Almighty God. We see what became of Paul as he rested in His hands. Paul became much more valuable because of his broken way.
Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.
3. Brokenness Brings us to our knees
When we are broken and our backs are against the wall we learn to stay on our knees. For one we are most in need of prayer in this time. In my own experience, it is when I am most broken that I pray the most. Perhaps it is because I realize it these moments that God is my only help and the way to reach God is through the sessions of prayer.
We must dwell in constant prayer as we travel our broken roads. We should praise and worship no matter the circumstance. What better place to pray than in the vicinity of a broken place.
4. Brokenness Causes us to seek help
Consider our great need when we are broken. This is often a place when Satan attacks us the most. Not only that but this is a place when we are at our weakest point and most in need of help. This is an opportune moment. Maybe the culmination of our brokenness is divine help.
We should never be afraid to seek help when we need to. When we are broken we should also be very prompt to seek out the resources that can help us. A very tiny problem can result in a humongous life crippling one when we do not seek the necessary help we need.
Once I needed help but didn’t seek it. At that time I was going through a little problem. This same little problem later became a very big one that made such a huge impact on my life that I have realized it is better to seek help earlier than later. Don’t be afraid to seek help when you need to.
5. Brokenness Can Bring Out The Best In Us
Our difficulties can mine fields of gold from us. A broken place is like an oil press that presses out our power. The tension from a broken place can catapult us further than any other thing can do. Most often the people who become most valuable in life are people that have been most broken.
Brokenness has the capacity to greatly build us, or destroy us. We must be mindful of this and operate in faith when we are broken. We must know that this thing that utterly wants to break us can be our greatest source of strength as we believe and trust God.
When we lack the experience of a broken place we lack the source of our power. In my own experience I can attest the value of brokenness. Even this blog that you are reading had to be pressed out of me. Men seldom grow in comfortable situations. Yet our pain procures power.
God Often Stirs Our Nests
Consider the mama eagle as she deals with her young one. When the eaglet is of age it must learn how to fly. In order to initiate the process the mother eagle must create an uncomfortable situation that will force the eaglet out of its nest. When this happens the eaglet has no other alternative but to learn how to fly. The good news is that flying is innate the the eagle. It is a part of its DNA. This means that the ability to fly is something to be discovered from within the eagle. God made it that way.
This is the same with us as we endure our broken places. Sometimes God has to stir our nest to bring out the best out of us. This process can seem like we are being broken but the reality is that we are been built into someone much more valuable. We must evolve and this most often happens through brokenness.
6. God loves a broken and a contrite heart
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
One good thing about a broken place is that God won’t neglect us in these times. When we are broken God is close. I mentioned the eaglet earlier. One thing I didn’t mention is that as the mother eagle stirs the young one’s nest it will have no choice but to get out and fly. When this happens the mother eagle watches the young one with great precision. If it ever falls in danger the mother will be there to rescue it.
This is the same with God as He deals with us. If we are ever in danger He will be there to rescue us. The scripture in Psalm 51:17 tells us how God won’t despise a broken and a contrite heart.
When you experience your own brokenness never forget that God is right there with you and He will never leave you or forsake you – as long as you continue to walk with Him and trust Him.
7. Brokenness Prunes Us
One advantage of brokenness is that it prunes us. I once worked as an Agriculture Extension Officer where I was exposed to a lot of farming practices. One of the very important practices in farming is pruning. The advantage of pruning is that unwanted branches are removed in order to encourage new and healthy growth. The reason for this is that there are branches that will affect the growth and development of the plant in question.
The Bible says in John 15:2 that every branch that does not bear fruit will be pruned that it may bring forth more fruit. This means that pruning makes us more fruitful.
Many times when are are being pruned we become utterly broken. Yet pruning will remove the unnecessary areas of our lives in order to push us further into God’s purpose. What we view as brokenness might be God’s wisdom at work. This is the reason why we walk by faith and not by sight. Faith will show us that God is up to something good. Won’t you trust Him in your brokenness.
Concluding Thoughts
We have learned that brokenness can be beautiful. This is true amidst the great difficulties we often have to endure. Many times God just wants to make a miracle out of us. Our job is to walk by faith by trusting God. We must look beyond our present pain and see that God is working all things out for His good.
God is good. There is a song that says “Your goodness is running after, is running after me.” This is our reality, that the goodness of God constantly haunts us. We have to be open enough to receive it.
Don’t ever be discouraged. As you walk your broken way never lose hope because as sure as the sunshine’s ray, God will shine His goodness upon you. Don’t be broken, be built. May God bless you.
