the need for brokenness...

I sometimes read this daily devotional online called Soul Journey and today's was about brokenness and I felt like sharing it with the rest of you.

We are taught as kids to hate broken things—broken toys, broken bones, broken promises. But that’s not the way God looks at it. God delights in brokenness, because it is in our brokenness that He can begin to do in our lives all the things He longs to do.

Have you ever been broken? Brokenness says not only “God, I need You,” but also “God, You are all I need.” Brokenness is having desperation for Him. It’s empty-handedness before God. It has no demands, and makes no requests. Brokenness is falling into the embrace of your loving Father and finding Him to be enough. Brokenness is saying no to the clamoring voice of your flesh, no to the pride and self-confidence that has made you so restless and unhappy for so long, and saying yes to the longing for God that is deep within every person’s soul.

If I want God to work in me, what exactly must be broken?

My independence. “I can make it without You, God.”
My willfulness. “You can’t make me. You can’t tell me.”
My stubbornness. “I’m going to do this my way.”
My pride. “I will protect my interests, my reputation, my position.”

All of these attitudes keep God from showing up in our lives, so they’re the things He will seek to remove. He uses tools like broken health, broken careers, broken dreams, broken relationships, broken promises, and broken hearts.

The purpose of brokenness is to bring us to the point where we can say to God, “Not only do I need You, but You are all I need.” —James MacDonald

bottom line: Brokenness is a route to wholeness.

Psalm 51:10-17
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners will turn back to You. Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.

What area of pride is the Lord highlighting in my heart right now? I’ll get a piece of paper and pen and get alone with God, and ask Him to identify areas of my will that need to be broken.