Brokenness

Brokenness is not an exciting word. We live in a day and age where the primary goal of our culture is "Happiness", being "self-fulfilled," being "content."

All of those things are good in and of themselves.

God wants us to be happy.

God wants us to be self-fulfilled.

God wants us to be content.

The difference comes from the process we following in achieving those goals.

For example, for a Christian:

Happiness comes from brokenness. Jesus was broken on the cross. He lived his suffering and death, not as something to avoid at all costs, but as a mission and purpose to be embrace.

In the same way, we also, are to be broken. We live with broken bodies, broken hearts, broken minds or even broken spirits. We suffer in the midst of broken relationships.

We must embrace our brokenness rather than avoiding it. Hurt and pain is a part of life. Being truly happy comes from using our pain for the greater good: the good of others and ultimately the good of our own lives.

God wants us to be self-fulfilled by being God-filled. A great self-image comes from having the right "God-image." And the image that God has of me is one of being his child...a son....created by Him to do works of righteousness.

God wants us to be content. The way we become content is by becoming content with what we have in God. By being being thankful, not for what we don't have but for what we do have.

Do you want what you have? Look at what you already possess. Does that make you happy? Fulfilled? Content? What would happen if that one "thing" were taken away from you? How would you respond?

Interesting thoughts.

May you be happy, self-filled and content this day.