I think about brokenness a lot. I am sure it seems like a strange subject to focus on, but it is an accurate desription of much of my life. I know that as a child of God, I don’t have to wallow in my brokenness, yet somehow I find myself there, living defeated. Unfortunately, I doubt that I am the only one who finds themselves stuck there. Do you ever find yourself in this same situation, where you feel heartbroken and alone? It is so easy for me to feel overwhelmed, downhearted, discouraged, and completely broken. Do these feelings scratch and claw thier way into your life like they do mine? Here is the question I find myself constantly asking…Why? Why do I feel this way? For me, it comes from many different things: guilt, stress, feelings of inadequacy, failure, fear, feeling unloved and unloveable, loss, disappointment, and pain. When I feel this way, I feel like I am drowning in my brokenness. These times make me want to run far, far away. I want to grab that pint, no make it a gallon of ice cream to drown my sorrows in. They also make me want to hide and disappear, to climb under the covers and never come out. Does any of this sound familiar?
In my heart, I know that God does not want His children to live their lives as despondant, broken people. He wants us to live abundant, joyful lives in Him. He wants us to live in the light of His grace. He does allow us to go through these times of hardship for a reason. If we believe God’s Word to be true, and we trust in His faithfulness, then we know that He is working all things out for our good, even when life doesn’t feel good. Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. He uses the hard times in our lives to teach us, to help us grow in our walk with Christ, to cause us to trust Him more, and to become more like Jesus. So, what do we do when life is overwhelming, when the waves come crashing down, when we are knocked over, and tossed to and fro? We run! We run as hard and as fast as we can! Wait, what? Yes, we run…straight into the arms of Jesus! We aren’t running away from our problems, but we are running to the One who can and will help us carry them. We are running to the One, who can make something beautiful out of our broken pieces. We are running to the One who loves us just the way we are. When our pain is unbearable, when our problems are crushing, when we can’t see a way, we must run to our Rock! Psalm 61: 2 From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 91:4 He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
While we may not be able to change our circumstances, our view of our situation will change, when we are standing on the Rock and sheltered under His wings. He will carry the weight of our burdens on His own shoulders if we will just trust Him. He desires for us to give our problems over to Him. Ps 55: 22 Cast your burden on the Lordand He will sustain you; He will never permit the righteous to be moved. When we realize that the strength to overcome this brokenness is not our own, but His, we will gain the perspective, the peace, and the joy that comes from Him. He will keep us from giving up, giving in, and falling apart. Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Proverbs 18:10 The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
Our refuge in Him is not an escape from our problems, but a shelter and a firm foundation on which to stand.
So, when you feel like running…Go ahead…RUN…straight into the arms of Jesus.
Trusting Through Brokenness 