The Gift of Brokenness — A LifeWords Devotion

Oh, if I am going to boast, let me boast of the things which have shown up my weakness! (JBP)

None of us likes being weak or broken. We would rather be on top of things, eager to share with others the great victories being won, the prayers answered, the sickness healed, the ministries bearing fruit.

And we can be thankful there are such times and such testimonies. It is much harder to be thankful for the other times, when all we can witness to is brokenness. And yet this is what Paul repeatedly did as he wrote to the Corinthian church which was obsessed with power and ‘success’.

While brokenness is not pleasant or comfortable, it has the great ability to drive us deeper into the strong arms of God. Paul even sees it as some sort of gift or offering to others. It is a reminder of our need to depend utterly on the resources of our God. It is a reminder that we always stand in need of grace.

And brokenness is what marked Jesus’ ministry. Amidst the triumphs of healing and welcoming people into the family of God, there was the brokenness of the cross. The greatest gift Jesus gave us was his broken body and shed blood.

Our brokenness is a result of our estrangement from God, but it can work two ways. If being broken drives us to despair and self-loathing, it is a curse. If being broken drives us to embrace the grace of God it can be a blessing and also the beginning of being put back together again.

Blessings
David