Brokenness

Why Brokenness is Beautiful

Why brokenness is beautiful?

The reason brokenness is beautiful is because of how God can use it in our lives. It is something that can draw us near to Him. Brokenness can make room for a contrite heart and repentance to bring us back into fellowship with Him when we have miserably failed.

The beauty in spiritual brokenness is found in where it brings us.

Why do we have to be broken again and again.? Just to be put back together to be broken all over again?

He wants spiritual brokenness, the kind of brokenness He can use. He wants godly sorrow that leads to repentance. And out of the desperation, out of grief and the hurt of a fractured heart over sin, God longs to produce humility in us. It is humility that allows us to recognize who God is and who we are in comparison with him.

We are the Clay, You are the Potter

I think of the scripture where it speaks of God being the potter, we are the clay.

But now, O LORD You are our Father; we are the clay, and You our potter; And all we are the work of your hand. Is 64:8

It seems in my experiences when I am broken God can use me more. There is a humbleness, meekness, all my strength is in Him, and in the brokenness, I become pliable, molded, and shaped into a broken vessel poured out like an offering for His Glory.

What does a Potter do with Clay?

What does a potter do with clay?

Potters form items from the balls of clay that they spin on potter’s wheels, most potters use an electric wheel to create pots. Others use a treadle wheel that they pump with their feet. Potters adjust the speed of wheels as the clay responds to their movements. Potters use their hands and fingers to shape the clay into items. They also use wooden tools to shape objects, so they are straight. They use pieces of wire to cut off extra clay. Potters sometimes mix clays to get a certain texture of plasticity. Each type of clay gives a different appearance to pottery.

Next potters place the item into a kiln to be dried. Potters monitor the kiln temperature during the drying process to make sure it does not vary much. And even temperature helps diminish breakage, melting, or cracks.

Is It Necessary to Stay Broken?

There are 3 main stages of firing clay. the first stage is the drying process. Clay needs to be bone dry before it’s fired. The second stage is bisque firing. During the bisque fire soluble greenware clay is transformed into ceramic material. the third stage is the glaze fire. Ceramics must be fired to make them durable.

God uses the analogy of us being the clay, and He is the Potter.

So, is it necessary to be broken for His plan and purpose in our lives?

Do we need to stay in a state of brokenness for God to use us? To realize it is his power nothing of our doing. He tells us to stay humble. We are to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift us up. The scripture tells us in Corinthians.

But we have this treasure in clay jars so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 2nd Cor 4:7

Teach Us to Desire Humility

He will work with us when we desire humility, but the development of humility will be painful. Despite the discomfort, we find an added measure of grace to sustain us as we suffer through the refining process.

• The first step in humbling ourselves is to challenge our motives for the things we do. Whenever we see that our actions are geared to elicit favorable opinions from others, we should bring it to the Lord. Am I desiring to give you Praise or keep some for myself? It’s not always wrong to want to make a good impression, but when we make the majority of our choices based on pleasing people, we may have a pride problem.
• Another step-in humbling ourselves is to evaluate our response when we are slighted, overlooked, or underappreciated. We admit to ourselves and to God that the sting of self-pity we feel is pride demanding to defend itself. Rather than give in to it, we instead choose to embrace the opportunity to learn humility.
• Learning to be more humble involves capturing prideful moments and bringing them to the Lord so they cannot grow. We allow Him to turn something harmful into something beneficial for our growth. Recognizing areas of pride is a critical part of defeating it. so we must be prepared to agree with the Lord when He points them out to us. In my article loving yourself instead of loving the Idea of other people loving you I speak about different kinds of prides

A Broken and Contrite Heart

When there is true brokenness and sorrowful heart to turn away from sin that is where God wants us to walk. Learning to humble ourselves and being under submission of whatever He tells us to do or wherever he tells us to go. We will humbly follow after His leadership. I looked up the word brokenness in the Strongs Concordance referring to Psalms 51:17 the definition is to break, break in pieces, to burst, crush, destroy, hurt, quench.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart These, O God you will not despise. Psalm 51:17

The word brokenness refers to the state of surrender and defeat we experience when hardship comes into our usually steady and painless life. Sometimes brokenness before God is the result of sin, our own sin or someone else’s. And other times it is the result of circumstances. No one enjoys the feeling of brokenness, but the powerful benefits it brings to our spiritual growth are immense.

Brokenness before God reminds us to center on Christ.