Broken

Broken. Broken heart, broken body, break bread, broke a lamp, so many ways to be broken.  When can we be broken?  Who can we be broken with?  What does broken mean to us?  Is it bad to be broken?  If we are broken in our being, then who fixes us and how can we be fixed?  Are broken people allowed in Church?  Is church only for those who walk in perfection or are mended?  These are the questions that have plague my inner thoughts this month.  With so much talk of love in February, I can’t help but think of those of us that walk around broken hearted and just broken.  It doesn’t matter why your broken.  And aren’t we all truly broken  in some way.  Some of us hide our brokenness deep down.  We are scared to show that we do not walk in perfection on our own. We don’t want to lay out broken for all to see.  Other’s of us can’t hide our brokenness.  It may be visible on our face with marks from last nights argument. It may be a belly that has a baby forming in it, the fruit from a relationship that ended when he found out about your precious child.  Maybe brokenness comes from betrayal in your life, betrayal from someone who was supposed to be there forever.  Our brokenness looks different, and we hide it for many reasons.  What I want to expose now is the thought that we cannot be broken in church. That church is only for those that have it all together.  For the church I say loudly and boldly, STOP!  We do not sit in perfection on our own. We are so broken and should not pretend that we aren’t treading water and even drowning in our brokenness.  The truth is that Christ is the only good in us.  He has made us whole, he has washed and cleansed us and it is only through him that we have freedom from our bondage.  Church, my church, your church, the church is full of broken people.  There’s a church here locally that houses one of the most broken people I know.  She comes from a broken home, she stumbled from drunkenness, was tempted into drugs, she was plagued by promiscuity, had a child out of marriage, has hypocritical thoughts, suffers from anger and resentment, she covets what others have and she walks in the shame of a rape that she just can’t shake sometimes.  She is so broken and is so very un-perfect, how dare she sit in this pew with you so filthy and dirty.  I know it’s hard for you to sit next to such a sinful person, but thank you for allowing me to sit next to you, because all these broken pieces would shatter me without Jesus and in this house I worship him for putting me back together.  Because you see church, this broken women I speak of is me.  I have no room to judge for the sins of others, I have no room to separate myself and not make you feel welcome in this church, because it is I who lay face down at the altar of the Lord daily knowing that it is only through his blood that I am healed, that I am seen beautiful.  SO church, open your doors, open your pews, open your hearts and allow us to be broken.  To those who are broken, church is not just full of the healed and the perfected.  We are broken, come be healed with us. There is no judgment here outside of the Lord’s.  Sit next to me. Cry with me.  Heal with me.  Be broken with me.  Be in God’s amazing word with me and let’s shock this nation to its knees!

Scripture says:

Matthew 5:2-12 ESV        

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.


Psalm 34:18 ESV        
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.



Mandisa says it beautifully here in her song Broken Hallelujah:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuuJDs2X4GE#

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, he is near to you and near to me friends. If you do not know the Lord, if you want to know more please reach out to me.  If you need a church body, can I help you find one?  Friends, let's be real in our brokenness and shine the light of our healer for all to see.  You are FEARFULLY, BEAUTIFULLY and WONDERFULLY made by God, who loves you immensely.


Much Love,
Chrystan