Brokenness - Part 6 of 6

Recognizing Brokenness

The following are some evidences of brokenness. They are worth thinking about, one by one, not for the purpose of being discouraged because we fall short, but for the purpose of humbling ourselves before the Lord, that He may lift us up.

Dealing with issues of brokenness should never distract us from our wonderful Savior, and should never cause us to try to earn His love and favor by our Performance. He loves us unconditionally. He loves us because He chose to love us, even while we were His enemies.

Nothing can separate us from His love, including our lack of brokenness!

And while that wonderful thought alone might help us desire brokenness and surrender to Him, I repeat that His love and favor for us are not dependent on that love and brokenness.

Having said that, here are some evidences of brokenness:

1. All rights surrendered

2. Willing to be rejected

3. Transparent - willing to share weakness

4. Vulnerable - willing to share failures

5. A sense of total inadequacy in self strength - 2 Cor. 3:5, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God..."

6. A sense of adequacy in Christ through His strength - Phil. 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." 2 Cor. 3:6, "...who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

7. Trusting God whatever - resting even with external turmoil

8. Obedience out of a love motive because I want to, not because I have to

9. Recognizing the power in weakness

10. Willing to be weak

11. Willing to fail

12. A readiness to let others receive credit

13. Genuine humility

10. Placing value upon those who have little or no value to yourself

15. A readiness to affirm (build up) others

16. Teachable

17. Willing to be out of control

18. Willing to be misunderstood

Another phrase for "brokenness" is "dying to self". I wrote the following in my Bible in 1985. I regret I don't remember who to give credit to, but it has been a great blessing to me over these many years:

WHEN you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely provoked, and you don't sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ – that's dying to self.

WHEN your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take it all in patient, loving silence – that's dying to self.

WHEN you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any impunctuality, any annoyance; when you stand face-to-face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility – and endure it as Jesus endured – that's dying to self.

WHEN you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any people, any raiment, any interruption – that's dying to self.

WHEN you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your own good words, when you are uncomfortable with commendations, when you can truly love to be unknown – that's dying to self.

WHEN you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances – that's dying to self.

WHEN you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart – that's dying to self.

Part 1