BROKENNESS AND WEAKNESS, THE TRUE PATH OF CHRISTIAN GROWTH

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

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. " 2 Corinthians 4:7

What makes for a strong Christian? What is the secret of being mightily used of God? What kind of person does God use? What makes for an authentic minister? Too many people say, "I'm so ordinary, so average and undistinguished. I can't do anything significant." 2 Corinthians 4:7 shows that this argument is wrong and why. It says, "We have this treasure in jars of clay(or clay pots!) to show us that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us."

God's concept of ministry is so different from the world's concept. The world stresses the classy container. It emphasizes power and strength that come from physical beauty, brains, success, togetherness, acquired wealth, accomplishments,popularity, reputation, admiration, education,and brilliance; but God sees His glory in human weakness. God's purpose is to make sure that we see that the surpassing power belongs to Him and not to us. How does he do it? He puts the treasure of His grace, power, gifts,and His gospel in fragile, damaged, imperfect, broken, and cracked clay pots like you and me. Your ordinariness,weakness, and brokenness is not a liability; it is an asset, if you really want God to get the glory in your life. No one is too poor, too weak, too shy, too inarticulate, too disabled, too sinful, and too broken to do what God wants you to do with you and through you.

For Paul, weakness was his badge of apostleship and authority from God. Listen to his words:

"So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. " (2 Corinthians 12:7-10 ESV)

Paul argues for the authenticity of his ministry by appealing, not to his visions and revelations nor to his successes and gifts, but instead to his weakness! He attributed all of his ministry to his brokenness, neediness, and weakness. That is the ground by which the power and glory of Jesus flowed through him. It was in that lowly place of utter dependency that God moved in his life.

I have discovered that brokenness is the design and will of God for our lives. The Psalmist writes that "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise" (Psalm 51:17 ESV). God finds pleasure in us when we are in the place of brokenness, humility, poverty of spirit, and neediness. These places of brokenness and weakness are not desired in this world. Nobody wants to be known as weak, needy, poor, or inadequate. Paul sure didn't! He asked the Lord repeatedly to take away whatever it was that handicapped him.He did not want to have to live and serve God in this lowly state. The Lord, refused."Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Paul came to see that this weakness, this brokenness, this neediness was indeed a precious gift from God. This was the place that released the true flow of God's power, strength, and grace in his life and ministry and it will be the same for you. God knows where His power and glory thrive and where it is diminished.

What are your weaknesses and handicaps that God has given you? Every one of us is united in this reality whether we realize it or not. In my own life I have struggled with fear, insecurity, drivenness, loneliness, depression, and relational difficulties. I am coming to see that God wants to have me serve him out of those. He is not looking for a few good men. He is looking for broken, humble, and contrite clay pots to fill with His heavenly treasure.

Paul's growth as a Christian is remarkable in that his growth increased as his own sense of his weakness and sinfulness increased. In 1 Corinthians 15:9, Paul calls himself "the least of the apostles." Five years later, in Ephesians 3:8 he calls himself "the least of all God's people." Finally, two years before his he calls himself after walking with Jesus for thirty years, "The worst of all sinners" in 1 Timothy 1:15. For Paul, the way up in God's kingdom was down! The less he saw of Himself, the more he saw of Christ. The greater awareness of his brokeneness and sinfulness before God, the more he was amazed by God's gift of grace towards someone like him. He became stronger by becoming weaker. He became rich by becoming poor. He became successful by becoming a failure. Oh dear reader, do not despise those gifts.

That is what Paul boasted about in his life. He was not afraid to speak truth about himself and truth about Jesus. I will boast about my failings, weaknesses, struggles, and inadequacies because when I am weak I am strong. We are great sinners and Jesus is a great savior! No wonder why Peter tells us that the key to ministry is speaking the oracles of God and serving in the strength that God provides so that in all things GOD GETS THE GLORY! (1 Peter 4;10-11).

I encourage all of you to begin living at the foot of the cross and seeing yourself in truth as sinners, broken, poor, helpless, and needy before God. Then receive His sufficient grace and love for every weakness as a gift that He takes pleasure in giving to you. In the light of that truth, be willing to freely share with other Christians your weakness and speak often of God's love, grace, and mercy. Watch what begins happening among you when you are all free to be ordinary, flawed, and broken together instead of pretending to be what you are not. There will be such freedom, such transparency, such honesty and openness, such safety and security, and such healing when all are humbly living together out of failure and pain at the foot of the cross of Jesus. There you will begin to see the healing power of the Holy Spirit work as God takes weak people like you and me, clay pots, and then fills them up with His strength and the gift of his heavenly treasure, adequately equipped by Him for His use and glory.

The only kind of people who God uses are those who depend not on their own gifts and resources. You can only become a strong Christian when you finally admit to the fact that you are weak. You can only become whole by being broken and vulnerable before God and others. Let this prayer encourage you my fellow broken ones.

“I asked God for strength that I might achieve. I was made weak that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health that I might do greater things. I was given infirmity that I might do better things.
I asked for riches that I might be happy. I was given poverty that I might be wise.
I asked for power that I might have the praise of men. I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things that I might enjoy life. I was given life that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered. I am, among all men, most richly blessed.”

Learning more and more to cherish the gift of brokenness,
Pastor Bill