Heart Held High

BROKEN THINGS

Many of us are broken at one time or another. We are sometimes broken in
spirit, sometimes broken in body, sometimes broken in relationships and
sometimes broken by the death of a loved one or even the loss of a job. We
often struggle to find a reason for this happening, but we just as often
struggle for a reason to go on, to have some purpose in our lives. We want
to cry out, "What's the use?" "Why should I even try." "No one cares, no one
sees me."

It may be that you are hurting, lonely, feeling dejected, useless or
abandoned. broken. I understand how hard that is to deal with in your life
right not, but remember that God always has a use for you, always has love
for you, even when you feel unlovable and unloved.

I recently found a quote from "Heart Held High," that reminds us of some
amazing things about God. The author wrote, "We are now his broken things.
But remember how he used broken things. The broken pitcher of Gideon's
little army. The broken roof, through which the crippled man was lowered,
and the broken alabaster box, which shed its fragrance over the broken body
of our Savior."

Have you been broken? Maybe that is not the "end of life as you know it".
Maybe God does have more for you to do and be for him.

Don't get caught up in holding on to things so dearly here on this earth,
that the loss of them breaks you beyond use or recovery. The apostle Paul
had the right idea about holding onto things. He shared his philosophy
regarding t his in Philippians 3:7-11.

"I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them
worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless
when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For
His sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so
that I could gain Christ and become one with Him. I no longer count on my
own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous
through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with Himself
depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that
raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death,
so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the
dead!" (NLT)

What are you holding on to? What gives you the ability to stand strong when
your world crumbles around you? Paul also wrote these words in 2
Thessalonians 2:15, "With all these things in mind, dear brothers and
sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to
you both in person and by letter."

You see the key is to "stand firm and keep a strong grip on" God's word. You
may be broken now or may be yet in the future, but remember to let go of the
world and stand firm in the Word of God. Because, even broken things can be
used by Him.

Russ Lawson