Beauty in Brokenness!

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word ‘broken’ as:

-damaged

-altered

-made weak

-imperfect

-not full or complete

While some of those definitions can be true when describing certain things, how do you think the word ‘broken’ should be defined as it pertains to YOU?

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I have learned that there is a beauty in being broken.

Have you ever seen those murals or artwork that is made from broken pieces of glass? They are so BEAUTIFUL!

I love seeing artwork like that and being reminded of what those pieces looked like before someone delicately pieced them together creating such a beautiful picture. If you think about it… those broken pieces could have been from a glass vase that once laid shattered on the floor because no one thought to see the beauty in its brokenness. It took the right person to come along and piece it together to create something even more beautiful that it was before.

You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you

Song of Solomon 4:7

Brokenness in people can take many forms. It might be feelings of anger, exhaustion, loneliness, or fear. Or maybe even appear in relationships, illness, addiction, loss, etc.

Though we cannot repair ourselves any more than a shattered vase can repair itself, there is light at the end of the tunnel because we have a savior that seeks out the broken.

And His name is Jesus!

He is on the lookout to give comfort, healing, and restoration. He is the artist who sees the brokenness, picks up the pieces, and turns them into beautiful masterpieces. Every time we suffer another break, God fills in the cracks with His love. Only He can make us whole again. We need Jesus to come into our lives, scoop up those broken pieces, and put us back together. Only God can restore us. He is the only one who has the power and knowledge of how to fix what is broken within us.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, and I know that full well.

Psalm 139:14

There is a beauty in being broken. See God does not care about your outward appearance or how broken you may appear, but more about what lies within! He made you fearfully and wonderfully, in His image. The Creator of the Heavens and the earth created You to be uniquely and wonderfully YOU! Yes, you are His masterpiece and his most precious creation, and I hope you all learn to see yourself like Jesus does. (a little excerpt from my very first blog post... go check it out if you haven't already!)

The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 34:18

Jesus is the ultimate example of brokenness. He experienced every feeling that you may be feeling in your own brokenness. Jesus knows what it is like to feel broken, rejected, and alone. He lived an earthly life full of it. Maybe that is why he feels so close to the brokenhearted.

Throughout the Bible we see God using imperfect people for the sake of His mission and His purpose. He didn’t call on the popular, rich, or successful to further His ministry, but rather, the poor, broken, and faithful. Possibly because they were a team of imperfect people with nothing to lose but everything to gain with God. Jesus uses all people for the good of His will.

Hannah was broken down with her infertility. Moses was a murderer and exile. Joseph was abused. Peter denied Jesus three times and ran away in shame and fear.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28

You can see that God uses broken, hurting people to bring His hope into the world. He holds them close, heals their hurts, and turns their brokenness into beautiful masterpieces. If you ever feel like you aren’t worthy enough to be used by God, just remember that He used flawed and broken people to share His word with a flawed and broken world. Jesus didn’t call the equipped, He equipped the called. (How powerful is that!) And no matter what you have been through or what broken pieces of yours lie shattered on the floor, just remember that the same power and strength that conquered the grave lies within each of you. God takes our brokenness and brings forth beautiful results!