When you get a gift, you like for it to be something new. In fact, you like new things more than used things. There is just something about the newness that gives you pleasure. You like new clothes, new cars, reading a new book, seeing a new movie, and on it goes. The freshness of new things feels so good.
As you look around you, you find that there are some things that do not follow this logic. God’s ways are not like your ways. What is true in your life, is so often not true of the way that God operates. God uses broken things: broken soil and broken clouds to produce grain: broken grain to produce bread; broken bread to feed our bodies. He wants our stubbornness broken into humble obedience. God will often break your spirit to produce the desired result that He wants to produce in your life.
David knew God well. You will remember David’s words to God after he sinned with Bathsheba, “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). Yes, God uses your brokenness to make you into something He can use for His glory.
When God crushes your spirit, just know that He is in the process of making you into something He can better use for His kingdom’s work. The momentary affliction will result in you being more like Christ. Brokenness always yields you as a better vessel for God to use in serving Him.
Learning to treasure brokenness above new things is a process you learn gradually. Make no mistake about it, though, your brokenness will return heavenly treasures. So, to grown in your relationship with Jesus, meditate on David’s words: “a broken and contrite heart” finds favor with God. God breaks you to remold you into a better you!
