Evidently I didn't post this from last month...here ya go.
So I have been learning a lot this week about people's brokenness. Or what we think is broken. Not brokenness as in a good thing but broken as in unusable and ready to be chunked in the trash.
I was thinking "what things do we actually use that are "broken?" Here's what I came up with:
broken plates, mirrors, and tiles- can you say mosaic?
pencils
crayons
coffee cups with handles broken off
After a while of thinking I can't come up with much else. At least the US version.
Then I think about going to Uganda or China and all the broken things I have seen repurposed.
And I wonder if our concept of broken=trash bleeds over into our lives?
When I mess up I am useless.
When I don't do what is expected I don't measure up to some preconceived notion of what should be(what I think) then I have failed= useless/broken.
When life turns out different than I imagined= trash it.
I don't say this because that is what I am currently thinking about my life. I have seen it in friends lives this week. In lives of those around me at work. In lives of those in the celebrity world. How people become devalued because they are deemed broken.
The disposable society we live in bleeds over into our hearts and minds.
What a lie. What ridiculousness.
If only we could all see each other as Christ sees us. If we could see the view the Creator, Lover of our souls sees us. If only we could see it and believe it. And treat others like it.
Let's press in to see it how He sees it. And press others to see it how He sees it. That each person has value DESPITE their "brokenness" and because we are broken.
What is amazing to me is the use of the word broken in God's word- it was used with a negative connotation. More uses of "broken" are in the Old Testament than the new. A lot of the references are related to sacrifices that were required. Sacrifices had to be perfect. NO broken bones or any blemishes. The new testament has very few references using "broken" and several of them are in reference to Christ's bones not being broken. It's interesting to me. His sacrifice met the requirements of the numerous references of NOT being broken. It's almost like he wasn't broken so that in life we could be. That it would be allowable that we can come broken to Him.
What is even more amazing is that because we are broken we can be used. Because we can understand another's life. Another person's path. Where they have been. And we can speak truth into their life. That broken things CAN be used. They are priceless and have worth. Because they (we, I) have been bought with a price. (See 1 Cor 6 and 7)
Broken stuff, bought, purchased, redeemed. And worth without a price tag.
Now for us to view, live, and love like we believe it.
For those in my world who share their brokenness, I know I love them more for it. As we live transparently we show ourselves available. Available for truth to be spoken into our lives, to be encouraged and to see redemption played out in "real life." wow.
Comments