Thursday, April 6, 2017

Broken to Beautiful

Have you ever felt completely broken and you don't know what to do or who to turn to? You feel like you will never be yourself again, or even worse, that God won't be able to use you because you can't get it together. I've been there and got that T-shirt. I can honestly admit that I have struggled the past few months trying to find my place in a life that does not seem to fit me anymore. I have had moments where I thought to myself, I would never get back to the person that I used to be. However, Jesus steps right in and said, “No! You will come out of this brokenness stronger and better.” In the book, Uninvited, by Lysa Terkeurst, she says, “Heartbreaking seasons can certainly grow me, but were never meant to define me.” That is when it finally hit me! I cannot let my brokenness define who I am. Maybe my brokenness is changing me. Maybe God doesn’t want me to be the way I used to be. Maybe He is making me into a more useable vessel through this brokenness.

Did you know that in Japan broken objects are oftentimes repaired with gold? Their flaw is seen in a unique and positive way, instead of a mistake. This gold adds to the beauty of the broken object. I think that is what Jesus does for us. The broken pieces of us, He added something different, unique. He doesn't want us to live the broken life we think we have. He does not want us to feel defined or defeated by our circumstances. He wants us to grow. Have you ever heard the saying, “He is making beauty from these ashes?”  It is from Isaiah 61:3 …”and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.”

In Biblical times, when people were in times of difficulty or mourning, they would lay their ashes down. This paints a not so pretty picture, but that is the point. God can take the brokenness inside of you and turn it into something beautiful. I encourage you to pray for God to use your brokenness to make you beautiful. We must remember, in the end, we are victorious through Christ.




No comments:

Post a Comment