Brokenness

If you are anything like me, you’re reminded every day of your own stupidity. I can’t tell you how many times each day that I get frustrated over something as small as forgetting to bring my shoes upstairs or something much larger such as forgetting to turn in my health forms for my missions trip (true story). I can just imagine the feeling of frustration so easily because I experience it on a day-to-day basis. Is that a good thing? No. However it’s the truth. It’s something I struggle with. I just really struggle to be self controlled over some of the smallest inconveniences and it’s not healthy for me as a follower of Christ. I use this example to bring your attention to my flaws. Now I want you to think of some flaws you have. It could be something very minimal or it could be something that you’d consider to be a bigger flaw. I’m hoping that while trying to think of things you struggle/battle with every day, that you’d have too many to think of one specific thing off of the top of your head. I know I did that. Being frustrated surely is not the only thing I struggle with; it’s just one of countless things. As I was thinking through my difficulties, I started to get a slightly clearer picture of how broken I really am. I started to think, “oh shoot. I really am a broken person”. Not that I didn’t think I was a broken sinner before, but because I just never really dwelled on it too much anytime recently. Something I have realized to be true in my life, is that the more broken and burdened I feel, the more I feel the need for a Saviour. It’s almost like God created us in that way? Oh wait, He did. You see, the most powerful position we can be as Christians is at the end of ourselves. When we begin to understand how broken, hurting, and helpless we are, we are then able to clearly see the Saviour of our heart transforming us from the inside out. Matthew 11:29-30 states, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (ESV)”. What Jesus means when He speaks of a yoke is an instrument used to bind two oxen together in order to tend the fields and be used for transportation. The way it worked is they would take a big, strong, mature ox and bind it together with a small, weak, younger ox using a yoke. The yoke would fix their postures and positions together by linking the instrument around each ox’s neck. The point of this was to force the smaller ox to do the work of the stronger ox. It was too expensive to buy two strong oxen, so why not buy one strong one if it does the same work as two? The picture in this text is pointing to Jesus in relation to us. When we put on His yoke, we are saying, “Jesus I am weak. Please carry me.”, and because of the yoke, Jesus is able to carry us. This whole picture I’m drawing is to point you to the fact that vulnerability is a gift. It’s a gift that keeps on giving. Vulnerability causes more vulnerability. In your recognition of your sin and nothingness, may you recognize your need for a perfect, beautiful Saviour to step in and hand you His yoke. Sometimes when I’m practicing this in my own life, I’ll try to act more weak than I feel. Or I’ll try to remind myself of my weakness, when in reality, I just AM weak! I don’t have to act weak, I don’t have to remember I’m weak, I just am. And so are you. We are all weak and less than enough in our own works. Romans 3:23 tells us, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. FOR ALL have sinned. FOR ALL have fallen short of God’s glorious standards. We are all weak and we are all less than what Jesus was and what God wants of us. The beautiful part of this whole message is that God doesn’t see your sin. The flaws and weaknesses you were thinking of earlier in this blog aren’t seen by God. Because of Jesus’ work on the cross, God sees the sacrifice and fulfillment of His Sons work on the cross, not our sin. That doesn’t mean He doesn’t know what we do and have done. Oh no, trust me He knows just how broken you are. It’s that He chooses to look at the finished work of His Son rather than the “not enoughness” we offer. Ultimately, we all need a Saviour. This Salvation is a one time acceptance, but is something we need daily. Reminding yourself of the need you have for Jesus each day is something that will change your outlook on life. It will give you a new perspective of who you are and who God is. Trust me, I’m walking through this right now. Don’t you forget that in your brokenness, God is glorified. How beautiful is that?

-Jack Hilsher

‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:23‬ ‭(ESV‬‬)

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”