HomeWord - Nov. 8, 2010

Brokenness
This devotional was written by Jim Burns
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. —Matthew 5:3

We have to see our brokenness as a sign of strength, not of weakness. When a person is truly broken of ego and can look at personal issues with a healthy perspective, he or she is ready to become the transitional generation from one of dysfunction to one of health.

A man e-mailed me after hearing me talk about this idea of brokenness on my radio program. He wrote, "Life in my family is miserable. I grew up in a horribly dysfunctional home, and now I realize I have imitating my family. When my mom got desperate to get our attention, she yelled. No I find myself doing the same thing with my kids and my wife. I took your advice and went to a counselor. After two sessions, I can honestly say I feel like I am on the way to a better relationship with my kids and my wife. The counselor asked me to look at my own hurts and deal with them before I tried to fix my family's problems."

This man's life may not necessarily get easier immediately. In fact, it may get harder. Sometimes before freedom comes pain. But by facing his brokenness, he has a chance to bring a brighter future to his family. Someone once said, "If you aren't growing, you're dying." The most genuine, authentic people are those who admit their struggles and seek God's unfailing love and forgiveness.

If you've yet to face your brokenness head-on, take the time to get the help you need to make a difference in your life and in your family.

The first three steps in the twelve-step program for recovering addicts apply to everyone. Here is my personal paraphrase of those three steps:

1. I can't do it on my own. I am broken.

2. Christ can and will help me as I call upon Him.

3. I must relinquish my will to the will of God.

By acknowledging these truths, we will be on our way to facing our brokenness and onto the pathway to recovery and health.¹

1. What areas of your life do you struggle to face your brokenness?

2. What steps are you willing to make today to deal with these areas?

Hebrews 12:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17 

1 Adapted from Jim Burns' book, Confident Parenting, Bethany House Publishers 

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