Broken

I wrote this a while back and for some reason it never got posted.  This week in Ladies Bible study, we talked about making disciples and some of the reasons why we feel unqualified and unable.  A lot of times, our own brokenness makes us feel like we could never show anyone else the way.  But as we talked, I felt the Lord impress upon me that instead of our mistakes and imperfections being stumbling blocks, we need to see and use them as open doors to reach others who are just as damaged and broken as we are.  It's as if our failing natures can make us more relatable.  We show our own need for a Savior, and our ability to face and admit our shortcomings makes us not look so "holier than thou."  You know, people can see us and say, "If  God loves them and saves them in all their mess, maybe He can love and save me in mine too!"  Praying this helps you see yourself as totally usable by God!

I feel so broken, so often.  I want to please God, be a good witness, but my "flesh" gets in the way.  Pride, emotions, selfishness, tiredness all seem to compete with the God trusting, faith sharing, Jesus reflecting Christian I want to be.  I get frustrated and discouraged, but then I hear a song and God reminds me....broken is just fine with Him!

David, adulterer, murderer, didn't want to deal with family issues....A man after God's own heart. and writer of some of the most beautiful and encouraging words in the Bible, sharer of God's heart for us.  Paul, persecutor, party (at best) to murder of Christians, hater of God's people, wrote most of the New Testament, God's greatest evangelist to the Gentiles....Peter, big mouth, blustery, over confident, denier, turned into a powerhouse for the Gospel....Mary Magdaline, delivered from seven demons, God's first evangelist!  On and on, the list of imperfect, broken vessels, God uses.  And that gives me hope!

 Paul had some sort of struggle, something he couldn't overcome.  In 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 he tells us,  Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away.  Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.  That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 4:7   We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

Father thank You for the grace that You give.  Thank You for loving and using broken, damaged, imperfect people like us.  Shine through our imperfections and go beyond our rough edges.  You are our strength, and our light.  Thank You for forgiveness.  And thank You for seeing the desires of our hearts beneath all the junk that sometimes buries the light we want to show.  Help us to live fully and faithfully for You.  In Jesus most precious Name.  Amen.

Thank God for your weaknesses today.