Have you ever felt broken inside?
People are broken
Fragile, yet hardened by circumstances
Stitched up on the outside with a fake smile
Just enough to put up a wall
Separating themselves from what hurts the most
Won't let their guard down to allow the one person they need the most
Someone who cares no matter what
Someone who sees beauty in the brokenness
Someone who can heal and restore
Jesus understands broken people
Because He was one of us
They broke His body, His spirit, His heart
He knows what it's like to be torn apart
You know what the best part of this story is? Jesus didn't remain broken. He rose from the dead and by His stripes, now we can be healed. He was broken but what a beautiful story came from His brokenness. We can receive salvation because of His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection.
I'm sure it's hard to imagine that anything good can come from brokenness. You've been disappointed, hurt, criticized, betrayed, and the list goes on. Life doesn't seem fair. It feels like God has forgotten and forsaken you. You don't think you're good enough. You don't believe you're worthy of love. You want to give up because what's the point, anyway? How could God possibly love someone who has so much pain and baggage? Friend, I've been there. I still have those moments in my life when I feel completely broken inside and I don't think I can face God this way. I always believed I couldn't come to God unless my life was in good shape. This is a lie. You don't need to hide your brokenness from Jesus. Like I said, He experienced it. He knows what it's like and He can bring beauty out of your brokenness. Don't believe me?
Look at the life of David: a shepherd boy who became a king. A man who failed God and sinned many times. He had a man killed and took his wife for himself. David was well-known and well-respected, despite his past failures. He was known as a "man after God's heart." He wrote the book of Psalm.
Look at the life of Paul: a persecutor of Christians. This was a man whose job was to torture and kill Christians. He was blinded on the road to Damascus and called by God. He became a preacher. He wrote several books in the Bible. He was thrown in prison multiple times. Thousands of people gave their lives to Jesus because of Paul's ministry. He was a martyr for the gospel.
Look at the life of Esther: an orphan girl who was destined for something greater than her background. She became a wife to King Ahasuerus, the queen of Persia. With the fate of the Jews in her hands, she chose to disobey the king's orders knowing full well the consequence of her disobedience. Instead of death, she found favor and ultimately, saved her people from destruction.
Look at the life of Joseph: the favorite child scorned by his brothers. Thrown into a pit and left for dead. Found and enslaved, he was taken to Egypt where he became a ruler. Then he was cast into prison for a crime he did not commit. After spending several years in prison, he was released and once again rose to power in Egypt. He forgave his brothers after everything they did to him.
These stories inspire hope and each one of them is true. God took what was broken and turned it into something beautiful. He didn't allow each of these people to become broken for no reason. He didn't expect them to hide their brokenness and He knew the pain it would cause them. From ashes to beauty, He raised up leaders and influencers for His kingdom. They served Jesus and He exchanged their brokenness for beauty. He can do the same in your life. Whatever part of yourself you believe is too broken for God to fix, it's not. Stop believing that lie. Jesus understands your brokenness and He may not make it go away, but He will cause something good to come from it. Don't ever underestimate the value of your life's story. Do not be ashamed of your brokenness. There is beauty in the broken.