Before one can be mightily used of the Lord, they must be B.R.O.K.E.N.! It is when we are stripped of ourselves that we can be the canvas upon which God can paint a divinely inspired mosaic. The raw material from which God creates a great servant is one who is first broken. We see this illustrated on our own kitchen counters. Bread is made from wheat, but the kernels have to be stripped of its skin and then ground into powder. This flour is used along with other ingredients to make the dough. When placed into the oven, the bread comes forth. Our lives as believers are no different!
Recreation Or Brokenness…
Much of the time we would rather amuse ourselves or let our minds escape into the imaginary. Rather than soberly fighting the good fight, we play at it like kids play Cowboys and Indians. Sometimes the Cowboys win, sometimes the Indians win. Know this: brokenness will not be attained in the recreation’s coliseum. We must walk with God and guard against this. Consider what Richard Baxter says:
“Recreation to a minister must be as whetting is with the mower – that is, to be used only as far as is necessary for his work. May a physician in plaque-time take any more relaxation or recreation than is necessary for his life, when so many are expecting his help in a case of life and death? Will you stand by and see sinners gasping under the pangs of death, and say: “God doth not require me to make myself a drudge to save them?” Is this the voice of ministerial or Christian compassion or rather of sensual laziness and diabolical cruelty?” – Richard Baxter
We Must Be Broken!
The Apostle Paul wrote about this in his letters to the Church at Corinth. Consider the following:
(1 Corinthians 4:9) “For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels, and to men.” (KJV)
(2 Corinthians 4:10-11) “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” (KJV)
When one uses the word “mightily” we do not necessarily mean a feat of magnificence. Many so-called great things have been accomplished by famous Christians, but that does not mean they were mighty. The flesh can bring about big victories, but they cannot truly be characterized as mighty. To be “mightily used of the Lord” is going to mean giving your all: all of you and all you have. When we have this kind of surrender, then we can begin to prosper from the afflictions God is breaking us with. This is a daily battle for the believer.
The Question Is… Are You Broken As A Hard Working Pastor?
I ask you… “Are you broken?” No, it is not desirable, or easily entreated. What I have described is not some “deeper life” prescription, but what the early church practiced. I am finding that it is better to not fight against my circumstances from a rebellious teenager attitude, but rather, accept them from a loving Heavenly Father as a trusting toddler. Being a good steward of our trials, burdens, and afflictions is paramount if we are to be a servant of the Lord. Will you quit kicking and screaming and let God break you? It is for your good and His glory. As with Job, you too can be far better off after the furnace of affliction by coming through it God’s way!
Ask God To Break You!
Brokenness is what makes the fragrance of a rose smell so good. Many Christians do not have the sweet odor of brokenness in their lives. Instead, they have the gall of bitterness. Invite God to be thorough with you. Ask Him to break you. Ask Him to give you the faith to trust Him with this in your life. In coming days, I feel like the only ones who will endure the persecution are the ones who have been willing to enter the seminary of brokenness. Enroll today! Start the pathway to brokenness, and you will be much better material from which God can develop a mighty servant from.
Please Share An Event, Or Circumstance Where You Can See How God Broke You For A Specific Purpose!
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With Christ in the School of Prayer, Revised Edition
By Andrew Murray / Bridge-logos Publishing Prepare yourself for one of the church’s most important ministries—intercessory prayer. Using Jesus’ teaching on prayer as a model, Murray begins at the elementary level and then leads you step-by-step deeper into the holiness of God. This special revised edition includes a timeline tracing Christian and secular history, and an illustrated biography of Murray. Note: while other editions of this book show 31 lessons, the first lesson in these other editions is the Prologue in this edition. Thus, even though the Table of Contents of this edition only shows 30 lessons, no material has been omitted. |
