Brokenness

 

Brokenness is empty-handedness before God.

 

It has no demands; it makes no requests.

 

It is falling into the embrace of our loving Father and finding Him to be enough.

 

It is not just saying, "God, I need You," but "God, You are all I need."

 

Brokenness is saying "no" to the clamoring voice of our flesh and it is saying "no" to the pride and self-confidence that has made us restless and unhappy for so long.

 

Brokenness is saying "yes" to the longing for God that He has planted deep within the soul of each of us.

 

As we know, before a horse can be useful to its owner, it has to be broken. An unbroken stallion is proud and strong. It will paw and snort and let no one ride it. But then a bit goes in its mouth, a saddle goes on its back, and someone climbs up and hangs on. The stallion immediately starts to buck, because it doesn't want to be broken. But eventually it stops fighting and surrenders to the will of its master.

 

Sometimes we have that same stubborn, rebellious, I-can-do-it spirit within us. God has to break those attitudes because they keep us from experiencing true intimacy with Him. You say, "What exactly is going to be broken?" Here are some of the big ones:

1. Stubbornness – "I am going to do this my way." If we are one of God's children, that attitude is on its way out. We can fight with Him for a long time if we want, but our stubbornness will eventually be broken.

2. Pride – "I know better." God hates pride in the hearts of His children. People who have been greatly used by God have come to grips with the fact that they have to let go of all pride.

3. Willfulness – "You can't make me. You can't tell me. When I am good and ready, I will." If we are one of God's children, He is going to use whatever He has to use to get that out of our heart and life.

4. Independence – "I can make it without You." Nothing will inhibit our intimacy with the Father like an attitude of self-sufficiency. Those who have been used greatly by God have recognized their weakness and relied on His strength.

 

Only true brokenness draws us closer to the feet of God and as we lay down the areas that we hold so tightly to, we will begin to see what it means to have an intimate relationship with God; and will know what it is like to be broken vessels poured out for God's glory.

 

All of the above attitudes keep us from experiencing true intimacy with God. That is why He will do whatever it takes to break us. We say, "Well how does God break us?" God takes what He has meant for good in our lives—the things which we have allowed to become in a sense idols—and will break us in those areas. As we realize and let go of these areas in our lives we become broken before God. We are finally pouring out our all to God and asking Him to fill us up with Him. Besides attitudes here are a few main areas we need to let go of in order to become broken before God: 

 

• Health
• Careers
• Dreams
• Relationships

God uses different circumstances to rid our lives of the things (it could be a number of things not even listed above) that hinder our intimacy with Him. We tend to allow our health, careers, dreams, and relationships become what is most important in our lives and just bring God along for the ride.

 

Some people are like, "I thought God was supposed to be loving? If I was God, I would never allow this or that to take place."

 

Well, you're not God!

 

God's love is not a pampering love; it's a perfecting love. God is trying to produce something in us—the likeness of His Son—and He is going to do whatever it takes to make that happen. That means bringing us to the end of self... being completely broken before Him. Hebrews 12:6 says, "For whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son whom He receives."

 

It is a very simple question, but one that is not taken seriously—brokenness. 

 

We will never experience true intimacy with God until we are able to come before Him in genuine humility, utterly desperate for Him. We need to be broken and once we are we become vessels in which God is able to use for His kingdom.