WE ARE AT OUR BEST BROKEN

The church suffers from leprosy. It cannot feel; its heart has grown numb. Instead of passion for the unruly and sinful, resentment for their actions builds. The style of Jesus extending a hand and kind word of hope to the most aggressive rebels is desperately needed among us today.

We are at our best when we are broken. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, Oh God, Thou wilt not despise." (Psalm 51:17)

When we are broken we are free to move without thought of fear. What worse could happen to us if already broken? We are free to love; we won't be caught off guard. We are free to imagine for nothing can embarrass us. We work at our best from the pit of thorough brokenness.

Henri Nouwen wrote, "What keeps us from opening ourselves to the reality of the world? Could it be that we cannot accept our powerlessness and are only willing to see those wounds that we can heal? Could it be that we do not want to give up our illusion that we are masters over our world and, therefore, create our own Disneyland where we can make ourselves believe that all events of life are safely under control? Could it be that our blindness and deafness are signs of our own resistance to acknowledging that we are not the Lord of the Universe? It is hard to allow these questions to go beyond the level of rhetoric and to really sense in our innermost self how much we resent our powerlessness."

Yet, powerlessness (due to brokenness) thrusts us to the platform of being at our best. Jesus' most masterful move was when he was in the grave powerless and the Power of the Holy Spirit quickened him. We are at our best in our most dreaded state; our worst.

Be encouraged. When you feel beaten, battered, and broken, you are just getting started in the grand scheme of kingdom productivity. This is why we must never, never give up. Take the hits, endure the slams, hold up under disappointment. All of it is for the world's benefit.....through the crucified you.