My wife and I have been studying Did You Consider My Servant? by Brother Asahel Adams, and one question has stayed with me:
Is brokenness a burden, or is it a blessing?
Whenever we suffer, we usually drift toward one of two ditches. We either assume God is punishing us, or we conclude that He is somehow being unfair.
But Scripture paints a different picture.
Sometimes our brokenness comes because we live in a fallen world. At other times, it comes through the painful consequences of our own choices.
King David is a powerful example. After his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, his life unraveled. Yet his brokenness led him to genuine repentance, beautifully expressed in Psalm 51.
What Satan intends for destruction, God, in His sovereignty, redeems for His glory. He takes our brokenness and turns it into a place where His grace is displayed, our faith is refined, and Christ is formed in us.
Looking back over my own life, I can honestly say that what once felt like my greatest burden became one of God’s greatest blessings.
It was through brokenness that Christ renewed my faith in Him.
Brokenness continues to humble me in ways success never could. It has taught me to let go of stubborn beliefs shaped by my culture, my upbringing, and the environment in which I was raised. I grew up believing that a man had to be tough, self-sufficient, and always in control, where survival of the fittest was simply a way of life. But Christ has been patiently teaching me that true strength is found in humility, surrender, and complete dependence upon Him.
Brokenness renewed my love for my wife by teaching me patience and self-sacrifice. Through the strength of the Holy Spirit, I continue to put to death the spirit of anger that had quietly taken root within me for years, hidden beneath what I called “just being honest.” What I defended as honesty was often pride, harshness, and a lack of love. Christ continues to teach me that truth must always be spoken in love, with humility, gentleness, and grace.
Brokenness continues to teach me fatherhood all over again, not according to my own wisdom, but according to God’s heart. There was a time when I believed that providing financially was the completion of fatherhood, and that my job was done. But Christ has shown me that being a provider is only one part of a father’s calling. It must be joined with the equally important responsibilities of discipling, shepherding, encouraging, praying for, and faithfully walking alongside his children.
I’m 55 years old, and I’m learning to be a father all over again, one step at a time. Trust me, it isn’t easy. I ask God every day for wisdom and patience, because more than anything else, I long to see my sons know Christ and faithfully walk with Him.
One of the greatest gifts Christ gave me through my brokenness was a true understanding of the body of Christ.
For years, it was simply a biblical phrase. In my brokenness, it became a living reality. Brothers and sisters in Christ prayed with me, corrected me, encouraged me, bore my burdens, and walked beside me. Through them, I experienced the love of Christ in ways I never had before.
One of the undeserved gifts of God’s grace through our brokenness has been the relationships He has given us. Along the way, many brothers and sisters in Christ have become family. Though we come from different cultures, backgrounds, and walks of life, we are united by His love and bound together by His Spirit. We encourage one another, pray for one another, bear one another’s burdens, and continue growing together into the likeness of Christ.
It was also through my brokenness that Christ opened my eyes to the sacred beauty of baptism and Holy Communion. They became far more than ordinances to observe. They became holy reminders of my union with Christ, His finished work on the cross, and the covenant life I now share with Him and with His body, the church.
As difficult as it is for my flesh, I desire to remain humble and broken before the Lord for the rest of my life. Not because I enjoy suffering, but because I have come to see that a broken and contrite heart is where Christ does His deepest work.
Until the day I see Him face to face, I want to remain a broken man before the Lord, quick to repent, eager to forgive, willing to be corrected, and completely dependent upon His grace.
David understood this when he prayed,
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)
So, is brokenness a burden or a blessing?
For those who belong to Christ, brokenness is never wasted. In the hands of our loving Father, what feels like our greatest burden often becomes His greatest blessing. Through brokenness, Christ doesn’t merely restore us, He transforms us into His likeness.
That’s my 2 cents. Love you all in our Lord’s love.
