Broken Within
Thursday, July 15
Broken Within
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
The other day I dropped a bag containing a new cream purchased from the store. Hoping for the best, that the jar was undamaged, I tentatively removed the container from the bag and was pleased to see that it appeared to have survived the fall unmarked. However, a closer inspection indicated that the contents of the flask were filled with shards of glass rendering the cream not safe for use.
I think this is perhaps a good illustration of how we can be. We can be so good at appearing to others as if all is well, while so often concealing the hidden pain and brokenness we are carrying. We can be very good at being good on the outside, while all the time feeling wretched and worthless on the inside. All may go well for a time, until something happens, or something is said, or we find ourselves in an unfamiliar or insecure environment, which causes us to snap. It may be a word, an action or reaction or an uncharacteristic response, but something which shows that all’s not as well with us as would appear. The good news is that Jesus came to deal with the mess, in fact He specializes in cleaning up our mess and restoring us to the person God originally planned us to be.
Unlike the jar which had to be thrown away, God is into restoration and wants to make us a new person, and does not discard or reject any one. Do not give into doubt, guilt, shame, pain or bitterness. Allow Jesus in and He will do the fixing. After all, that is why He gave His life for us, to bring healing, hope and new life to anyone who reaches out to Him.
Today, acknowledge your need for His healing touch and reach out to Him, then, by His Spirit, He’ll meet us right where we are. He’ll strengthen us and help us to deal with the issues holding us back so that we can become whole on the inside as we appear on the outside.
May we be able to say with the song writer, Bill Gaither, ‘All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but He made something beautiful of my life.’