Broken

God is looking for broken men who have judged themselves in the light of the cross of Christ. When He wants anything done, He takes up men who have come to the end of themselves, whose confidence is not in themselves, but in God.  Harry Ironside

Have you figured out that we are all broken?  Everyone who reaches the age where we understand right from wrong is broken.  Some brokenness seems worse than others but in reality a little brokenness is the same as a lot of brokenness. In our broken state we are in need of a Savior and God provided that in Christ.  The problem comes when we start to look at another person’s brokenness as worse than our own.

When we begin to understand our spiritual need for God; that is when we fully understand our true brokenness.  If we are not able to see ourselves in the light of our brokenness, we will never be able to show mercy to others.   Mercy is what God gave us when Jesus died on the cross.  If I am unable to look at another person and see the broken person inside, I have failed the test of mercy. 

I think we all have experienced what it feels like to have someone else judge us based on what they think they know about us. Too many times we are quick to jump to conclusions about what we think of another person. 

To deal with our brokenness and have mercy on others, we must start with a contrite heart.  What that means is we don’t seek to rationalize, explain, excuse, defend or justify our sin.  Second, we don’t try to fool God, others or ourselves.  We recognize that God demands truth and honesty and we pursue that above everything else.  It also doesn’t mean we merely feel bad or remorseful about our sin.  Finally, we don’t seek to blame our sinful circumstances and failure on other people or God.  

Owning our sin is the first step and until we do, we will never reach our God given potential. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am broken and I accept responsibility for my brokenness.  I don’t blame it on someone else or You.  I am guilty of sin but I love You and I ask for Your mercy on me.  Help me to see the brokenness in others so that I can help them to know You.  I am like a broken vase, but with Your help the pieces can be glued back together for Your Glory!        

Scripture:  The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:15-18

Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.  Isaiah 66:1-2