Broken is Beautiful
Mark 14:1-10
Psalm 34:18 NIV
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Matthew 14:20 NIV
They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve baskets full of broken pieces that were left over.
These past few weeks I have been dealing with a number of things that became broken. Have you ever had a week like that? For me it involved things that were intentionally broken and things that were accidentally broken.
We have been remodeling our kitchen lately and it has been a difficult time as we destroyed the old to make way for the new. The old kitchen did not have any major problems other than it was old. The drop ceiling had plastic panels that were broken and discolored. The counter tops had been painted but were chipped and showing the previous repairs we had made. The cupboards were plywood and painted with numerous coats of paint and there were not enough of them.
It was time for the kitchen to be broken apart so that it could be remade. For us this was an intentional decision that we had a choice about. We could even plan out how the new kitchen would look.
Many people walk among us today who are like that old kitchen. They appear to have all they need to keep functioning but they are worn out from years of neglect.
The scripture today reminds us how something beautiful can be exposed when we allow it to be broken for God. Jesus was facing a very low time in His ministry and life. Everyone was against him. Even one of his own disciples became a traitor.
Has your life caused you to be worn out and tired like the old kitchen I described? Maybe you are showing some wear and tear from the years of neglect? What is it that you have neglected? Do you feel like Jesus did that day, alone and unappreciated?
God has a plan for your life. Your heavenly Father has drawn up the course of your life to become something beautiful. All it requires is for you to allow God to break you.
Just like the beautiful perfume in the scripture you need to allow God to break the parts of your life that you are using to cover up the beauty that is deep inside you.
When we started our kitchen project we had to sit down and do the math. We had to determine if we could afford the costs of the renovation. Jesus wants you to do the same thing. Jesus wants you to weigh the costs. Is your life just fine the way it is with no major changes? Or could you like me use a little work here and there?
Luke 14:28
28 Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?
The great news about this building project is that Jesus has paid the full price of construction. Jesus wants to take your life and remake it into the beautiful experience you had always hoped it would be.
It does not matter what part of your life is broken. Maybe it is a past relationship or friendship, Jesus can mend it and your heart. Maybe your life is full of broken dreams Jesus can help you dream again with hope of a better life. Maybe the compass of your life has become broken and you have lost your sense of direction? Jesus can put you on the path to salvation.
It will not be easy or comfortable and you will have to make changes. When we tore our kitchen apart we took it down to the bare walls. We were looking at wooden beams that had not seen the light of day since 1915. But what we noticed and what our builder pointed out was the strength of the original construction. The wood was very thick and strong. It had just gotten covered up with layers of weaker materials over the years.
It was not pleasant tearing that room apart. We could not use the sink, the stove or the microwave. It was uncomfortable for awhile. But day by day we saw changes taking place. I did not understand all the reasons why certain things had to be put here or there but my builder knew. He could see the finished product in his minds eye while all I could see were changes I did not understand.
For some of us it is like that when we come to God. We do not know what we are in for or how it will all turn out. We find we no longer see things the way we used to and we find we need to look at the blueprint or sketch to see how things might look when they are finished. For the Christian that blueprint is the bible. It is there we learn how our lives should be measured and fitted together so that we can become new again.
Psalm 51:17
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Well you get the picture, just like rebuilding a room or a house God wants to rebuild us if we will only be broken and pour ourselves on Him.
That is the intentional way be can become broken but I also mentioned that from time to time things get broken unintentionally. It was also my experience this week to find my motorcycle sprung a leak. I had arrived at bible study last week and discovered oil leaking from the engine. How could that be I wondered it was just in the shop? The motorcycle was still in new condition and should not have a problem. Still there it was.
Earlier that week I had been adjusting the mirrors of my bike so I could see what was coming behind me. As I adjusted the mirrors my hand slipped on the wrench and I dropped the tool on my bike. I was afraid I had scratched it or put a ding in it. I thought maybe the wrench hit something that caused the oil to leak out.
I rode it for a couple days but still I had a drip so back to the shop it went. I thought the repair was going to be long and costly and that I had caused irreparable harm to my motorcycle. It turns out the motorcycle needed only a minor tune up and my wrench dropping hands had not damaged it in any way.
This reminded me that as I surrender my life to God he lets me have some control over it. God lets me adjust the mirrors of my life so I can see what is coming up behind me and God gives me the help I need when I think I’m in trouble. I was reminded that when I give my life over to Jesus and trust Him as the Master mechanic of my life there is no problem I can face that is irreparable. Jesus puts everything back together again even if we accidentally break a part of our life while trying to adjust another.
We can trust Jesus to love us and restore us when we allow ourselves to be broken and poured out on Him. We can also trust Him after we have given ourselves to Him even when we make mistakes along the way. With our lives in His hands broken is beautiful.
