~By: Krista Steuber~
The motif of ‘being broken’ has been all around me as of late. Many of those close to me have been walking through seasons of brokenness. Each situation looks a little different. Some have experienced heartbreak, relationships have crumbled, circumstances have drastically changed, or some have temporarily lost sight of their identity as a child of God. Some have even been specifically praying that they allow God to break them so that they can surrender all to Him. That is not an easy prayer to pray, but so much can come from that. Although the situations are all unique in their own way, the theme is the same - breaking, crushing.
Being broken is the hardest thing you’ll ever go through. But, there are always reasons and a purpose for what takes place. God is at work in every situation; nothing is wasted. We may have to be broken in order for God to begin a newness in our life; that’s the only way it will come about.
That’s something I’ve been reflecting on in my own life. Three years ago I went through a period of being broken physically and mentally. I was at the end of myself. Now that I can look back on what I went through, I can see that God took me through that because it was the only way I could be transformed into who He created me to be. In essence, I was living in bondage before that because I was blind to the fact of who I really am as a daughter of God and co-heir with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:14-17). It was a journey that I had to go through. My brokenness led to the beginning of my real relationship with Jesus Christ and was the start of my mission of co-laboring with Him in order to help others. (I shared my story here.)
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, “and will bring you back from captivity.” Jeremiah 29:11-14a NIV
Being broken is actually a beautiful thing, although it feels the furthest from that when it happens to you. But God works mightily through what is broken. His mending and restoration piece things back together in a way that only He can, where things become more beautiful because they have been broken.
...We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4 NIV
Friend, if you are walking through a season of brokenness, I want to encourage you. Be assured that God is at work in your life in a powerful way. He is working to bring about newness and transformation. He may be calling out to you to draw you back to Him. He may be working to shift your perspective. He may be strengthening your faith and your trust in Him. He may be developing the fruit of the Spirit in you (Galatians 5:22-23). He may be breaking down walls and releasing you from the entrapment of lies that you have believed. He may be revealing idols in your life that you have placed before Him and need to lay down. Whatever the reason, it is all for good - for your good, the good of those around you, and for His glory (Romans 8:28).
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19 NIV
Through your brokenness, others will find healing. Your restoration and what you overcome not only benefits you, but will help others to find freedom. Your journey is not only meant for you, but also for those around you. “Sometimes surrendering to God means that you surrender to Him even if the reason for your surrender has nothing to do with you. Your surrender affects the surrender of everyone around you. Sometimes what God allows in you is for the benefit of another person.” (Wendy Fitzgerald)
When we surrender all that He is asking us to lay down, God is able to use us the way that He wants to - to help move people closer to Jesus. This is what it means to truly co-labor with Christ; to minister to those through the experiences of what we have battled and conquered by the power and grace of God. When we do this, we are sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ through our stories.
Friend, if you are battling at this moment, I pray that you allow God to work in you and through you and that through His Spirit, you learn and grow during the process. I pray that you emerge more beautiful than before on the other side and that others see the radiance of Jesus Christ through you.
But all of us who reflect the Lord’s glory with an unveiled face are being transformed into his own image, from one degree of glory to another. This too is from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 EHV
