THINK ABOUT IT 12-30-23
BROKENNESS
The following random thoughts on “brokenness” from The Heart
God Revives (Moody Press) by Nancy Leigh DeMoss, 2002 is worthy of our attention.
True brokenness is a lifestyle – a moment-by- moment lifestyle of agreeing with God about the true condition of my heart and life – not as everyone else thinks it is but as He knows it to be.
Brokenness is the shattering of my self-will- the absolute surrender of my will to the will of God. It is saying “Yes, Lord!” – no resistance, no chafing, no stubbornness- simply submitting myself to His direction and will in my life.
Brokenness is the stripping of self-reliance and independence from God. The broken person has no confidence in his own righteousness or his own works, but he is cast in total dependence upon the grace of God working in and through him.
Unbroken people…cannot rejoice over repentant sinner’s. They are consumed with a sense of their own rights and expectations. And if they don’t get the treatment they feel they deserve they throw a pity party for themselves.
Proud people keep others at arm’s length. Broken people are willing to take the risks of getting close to others and loving intimately.
Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit” – contrary to what we would expect, brokenness is the pathway to blessing! There are no alternative routes; there are no short-cuts. The very thing we dread and are tempted to resist is actually the means to God’s greatest blessings in our lives.
The Word, circumstances, and other believers – these can all be tools to show us our need and create opportunities to choose the pathway of brokenness. The Spirit of God is the arm that wields each of these instruments to bring us to a point of brokenness. However, we must respond to His initiative.
Proud people focus on the failures of others and can readily point out those faults. Broken people are more conscious of their own spiritual need than of anyone else’s.
Proud people have a feeling – conscious or subconscious— that “this ministry is privileged to have me and my gifts.” They focus on what they can do for God. Broken people have a heart attitude that says, “I don’t deserve to have any part in this ministry”; they know that they have nothing to offer God except the life of Jesus flowing through their broken lives.THINK ABOUT IT!
David Stone
Lakeway Baptist Church
Humble,Tx
