17 August 2017

Are You Broken?

A friend asked me to write about the question, “What if I stopped trying so hard to hide my brokenness? What if we all did?”

Good questions, both. Why are they good?

Let me ask, why are you trying so hard? Is it a shame to be broken by life, by hardship, by circumstances?

Here’s an answer you won’t expect: “Yes, it is.” We’re not called to be under the circumstances. We are more than conquerors in (and through, and because of) Christ Jesus! (Romans 8:37) We supposed to be ABOVE the circumstances!

But of course we’re broken, because humanity is broken! That’s why we need Jesus so badly. God’s love, given so freely through our acceptance of Him as our savior, is available. He Himself will fix our brokenness.

What does the Bible say about it? I’m glad you asked:
"Are you hurting? Pray. Do you feel great? Sing. Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven—healed inside and out.
"Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again. (James 5:13-18, MSG)

So why do we try to cover our brokenness? Why do we pretend to each other that we’re okay? Because we’re ashamed or embarrassed that we can’t control all the circumstances of our lives?

Who can?

God the Father, and His Son, Jesus – that’s who. Our brokenness is proof positive that we need Him. Let His healing of you, both inside and outside, be proof that we don’t need to be broken … and proof that we don’t need to pretend to each other.

7 comments:

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Reverend, I think part of the issue as well may be how we think others will handle our brokenness. Too often brokenness is perceived as a weakness, something to either take advantage of or pile on to exploit the feelings even further. Perhaps sadly, I am very discreet in who I demonstrate it too- I have been burned too many times to be anything other than cautious.

Rev. Paul said...

That's a good point, and one I had in mind when I drafted this. Obviously, I left it out, so that's a good catch on your part. Thank you - and for the record, I think James believed that his admonition to confess our faults to one another would be to trusted brothers and sisters. They're not quite as easy to come by, these days, and require a great deal of prayerful discernment on our part.

Ed Bonderenka said...

I was broken, but I'm under repair.
The indwelling Holy Spirit of God is doing a work in me.
And others.
Brokenness also seems to have two meanings. The primary one I always thought was that we humble ourselves before God, like a horse broken in.
Then there's the other concept which I believe you are alluding to, which is our need for a Savior.

Rev. Paul said...

Ed, the latter meaning is the primary one, but our need for repair - inside and out - is the focus here. Thank you.

Toirdhealbheach Beucail said...

Agreed, Reverend. Nowhere do I see anywhere that demands we confess our faults to any and all comers. And yes, they seem to be as rare as a hen's tooth these days.

drjim said...

I was very broken for some years. Then I accepted my Higher Power, turned my life over to Him, and I began to get better.

Life is a journey, and sometimes we get lost. If we're lucky we get found.

I was lucky, and ready.

Rev. Paul said...

TB, you're right, and that deeply saddens me. Not you being right, but about the scarcity of sincere & committed Christians. There must be a large degree of trust in another before we can unburden ourselves to them. Relationships & commitment are too shallow to allow that, in many cases.

Jim, I couldn't say it better. Thank you.