Broken without being Bitter

[COOPER]

But..........

..........some love the broken image.

They think the more they suffer, fast, get attacked by the devil etc...: they are more spiritual than others.

Some are broken and trial addicts.

Addicted to suffering and the thorn in the side syndrome.

[AGAPE]

"There is a lad here, which hath five barely loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?" (John 6:9)

"And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them: and the two fishes divided he among them all." (Mark 6:41)

"When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, 'Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost'." (John 6:12)

The Blessing includes Brokenness

"Hey mister, mister, look what my mother packed me for lunch!!! She made me 5 loaves of barley and 2 fishes!!! My mother loves me!!! Look at what she fixed me!!!", the young lad joyfully tells Andrew
"Yeah, yeah", mutters Andrew as he tries to listen to Jesus talking about eternal life.
***********
Jesus turns to Philip and asked, "Where are we going to get bread to feed all of these folk?"
Philip answers, "Lord, there is NO WAY that we can feed them. We don't have enough money!!!"
Andrew suddenly remembers the joyful young lad and speaks quickly to Jesus, "There is a lad here, mostly a pest, yet he has 5 barely loaves and two fishes."
"Tell him to come here", Jesus replies.
************************
"Sir? Jesus wants to talk with me? Yes Sir, coming right away".
Joy fills the lads face. JESUS wants to talk with HIM.
"Sir? My lunch? Uhh... Yes sir you can have it"
Jesus takes the lunch from the lad and begins to bless it...
"Ohhhh, Jesus is blessing my lunch, wow!!!"
...and then Jesus begans to break it....
"WHAT IS HE DOING WITH MY LUNCH???"
...and then Jesus begans to bless others, including the lad, with it....
"WOW! What in my hands would have only nourished ME in the hands of Jesus nourished THOUSANDS!"


The point being: When You give all to JESUS you will be broken, but the end result will be the blessing of thousands, including you.

During the moments of breaking we are much like the young lad and question, "WHY LORD", but during the times of blessing we are able to understand that "his ways are above our ways".


"And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:" (Genesis 12:2)
The above is the word of the Lord to Abram, but it was not UNTIL the breaking on Mt. Moriah that Abraham really understood the blessing.

Originally Posted by ManOfWord

This is GREAT Bro.!!!! Thanks!!!

I believe that this is not just AN important lesson to learn as we walk with God, I believe it is the MOST important lesson to learn.

I heard a wise man say, "Don't trust any man of God who doesn't walk with a "limp." If they're not "limping" they've never wrestled with God. EVERYONE needs to wrestle with God at some time in their life. I've had a couple of matches. He always wins, but He lets me score a couple of points before I get "pinned" with the message He is trying to get through to me.

When going through the process of brokenness, the question to ask is not "Why are You doing this, God?" it is, "What are You wanting to show me, Lord?"

MOW,

while I understand the word picture you paint and the significance of the wise comment... I heard a wise man once say that those made truly whole will be limp free. Certainly they must endure the breaking but in this day of fullness of promise and power we should be leaping and running in the power of God... WHOLE... not reliving the brokeness but living the restoration to wholeness after the breaking.

[Sister Alvear]

We just got into the city of Campinas where we are having our minister's seminar. I was in airports where total confusion reigned...I will write about it later tonight...but I am weeping with my friend Stedfast. I too agree. Why hurt each other even when we differ?
I willl post later tonight. Brother Alvear has just left to visit one of our newer works in this area and an old sister that has been in our work many years is at the point of death and Brother Raul Jr and I are going to visit her.
Then I will return and plan to work all night doing some wiring...Yeah I know a strange job for an old woman but I can't lay the bricks any more or lift the heavy pans in the kitchen...so I told Raul Jr let me work on the wires and hang the sockets up to the wire and have it ready by morning to take to the tabernacle.
Anything about work I love...
If we could all realize how much we need each other...
I need you folks...our family and mission work needs you all...Let's all pull together....All these thoughts on brokeness...Only a broken vessel reveals the jewel within.

[RevDWW]

Originally Posted by Steadfast

The one thing that has worked best for me over the years in every time of brokeness is to keep myself busy with God's Kingdom. I have to remember that my calling is bigger than my personal feelings and when I focus on keeping in God's will I'm shielded from a lot of anger and bitterness.

Very wise!

Originally Posted by Steadfast

I wonder what your key is to surviving brokeness?

What you mentioned abouve and Romans 8:28, the story of Joesph, the story of Job, the story of Paul, and mostly the Love of Christ.

[Ron]

Originally Posted by Steadfast

As a Pastor I presently have 19 young men in ministry: 2 retired Pastors call me their 'Shepherd' and 5 are still in the home Church. I have one on foreign soil, some evangelizing and some Pastoring.

Some time ago I had one call me telling me of a vision that God had given him. In the midst a frustrated ministry as he prayed that God would make him in His (God's) image He saw the hands of God reaching for his face and began to twist it, maneuver it and redesign it. Knowing that when God was done he would see a 'new man and new ministry' he was shocked to look in a mirror and see the most horribly ravaged face he'd ever seen!

"God, you've destroyed me!" he cried only to hear God say, "You said you wanted to me like me. If you truly want to be like me you have to learn how to be broken without being bitter."

Why this story today? I have another young man starting a Church in a high crime area, extremely rough area, nearby us. He and his wife have been married for some years and have attempted to have a baby for over 9 years. A few weeks ago they drove back 'home' to tell me that they were now expecting a baby. As you might imagine, we rejoiced with them to know that God was blessing them with their heart's desire.

Last night I got an email from him telling me about the 'worst best day of my life'. It seems that they got to hear their baby's heartbeat for the first time yesterday morning. He said their dreams all began to explode; "I'm taking him fishing! You're going to dress her up in frilly dresses! I'm going to play ball with him!" It was the best day of their life.

But it was the 'worst best day'. Last night he stood in the Emergency Room with a miscarried baby and a broken heart.

Today is my own wedding anniversary; I'll now leave in moments to gladly spend these mourning hours with this family and share with them a shattered heart. In the midst of their building a Church in a desperately needed - but desperately dangerous - area with all the pressures that come from a Home Missions work... they now have to deal with being crushed. Broken.

It happens to us all... we're all broken at one time or another, in one way or another. We all deal with it differently.

I've watched some on this forum get caught up in so many miniscule battles spouting venom over past problems. In the end, I suspect that some of our problems from our 'past' did little more than hurt our 'feelings'.

Ultimately, I guess the real question those of us who want to be like God should be asking ourselves is this;

Can we be Broken without being Bitter?

Maybe that's the purest sign of maturity there is after all.

Selah.

Steadfast,

While what has happened in the above post is not good, the message is.
Thank you once again for taking the time to share what you did.

Your scope of ministry goes farther than you think.

God Bless!

Ron

Originally Posted by Pianoman

Steadfast, I spent 45 minutes writing about my broken road, but lost it when I tried to post it!

All I'll say is that God has always been my friend. When others judged me because they didn't know my situation, I didn't get bitter because I knew why they did what they did.

Today I am much less judgmental of anyone that is struggling. Since then, God has smiled on me continuously! Today I am a better man because of being broken!

Wow... I'm sorry to hear that. I would like to have read your story.

God is good.... all the time!

Originally Posted by ManOfWord

This is GREAT Bro.!!!! Thanks!!!

I believe that this is not just AN important lesson to learn as we walk with God, I believe it is the MOST important lesson to learn.

I heard a wise man say, "Don't trust any man of God who doesn't walk with a "limp." If they're not "limping" they've never wrestled with God. EVERYONE needs to wrestle with God at some time in their life. I've had a couple of matches. He always wins, but He lets me score a couple of points before I get "pinned" with the message He is trying to get through to me.

When going through the process of brokenness, the question to ask is not "Why are You doing this, God?" it is, "What are You wanting to show me, Lord?"

Wonderful.

Originally Posted by Rhoni

Can we be Broken without being Bitter?

I think it depends on how we are broken. If we are loved throught he process, and find a place of refuge it is easier.

When I went through some of the most difficult times in my life, i would pray that God would keep me tender and pliable. I would ask God to not let me get bitter...I saw "bitter" on others and it isn't pretty.

I think that the process of getting broken is due to grief and loss. Grief and loss is a process: denial, hurt, anger, and then acceptance. I stayed stuck in the anger for about 7 years. When I came out of it, I was softened through forgiveness. When I forgive then I went through a period of time I was so soft that I was easily hurt and brought to tears.

I continue to be vulnerable to hurt because my heart is soft. God answered my prayer and the devil has attempted to put things in my path to get me to react the way I reacted back in the day, but I refuse to. I care but I refuse to be angry. I am able to hold more appropriate boundaries so the hurt does not affect my daily functioning, and when I give the hurt to God...I leave it there.

Just my opinions.
Rhoni

Lots of good stuff there...

Originally Posted by AGAPE

"There is a lad here, which hath five barely loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?" (John 6:9)

"And when he had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and brake the loaves, and gave them to his disciples to set before them: and the two fishes divided he among them all." (Mark 6:41)

"When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, 'Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost'." (John 6:12)

The Blessing includes Brokenness

"Hey mister, mister, look what my mother packed me for lunch!!! She made me 5 loaves of barley and 2 fishes!!! My mother loves me!!! Look at what she fixed me!!!", the young lad joyfully tells Andrew
"Yeah, yeah", mutters Andrew as he tries to listen to Jesus talking about eternal life.
***********
Jesus turns to Philip and asked, "Where are we going to get bread to feed all of these folk?"
Philip answers, "Lord, there is NO WAY that we can feed them. We don't have enough money!!!"
Andrew suddenly remembers the joyful young lad and speaks quickly to Jesus, "There is a lad here, mostly a pest, yet he has 5 barely loaves and two fishes."
"Tell him to come here", Jesus replies.
************************
"Sir? Jesus wants to talk with me? Yes Sir, coming right away".
Joy fills the lads face. JESUS wants to talk with HIM.
"Sir? My lunch? Uhh... Yes sir you can have it"
Jesus takes the lunch from the lad and begins to bless it...
"Ohhhh, Jesus is blessing my lunch, wow!!!"
...and then Jesus begans to break it....
"WHAT IS HE DOING WITH MY LUNCH???"
...and then Jesus begans to bless others, including the lad, with it....
"WOW! What in my hands would have only nourished ME in the hands of Jesus nourished THOUSANDS!"


The point being: When You give all to JESUS you will be broken, but the end result will be the blessing of thousands, including you.

During the moments of breaking we are much like the young lad and question, "WHY LORD", but during the times of blessing we are able to understand that "his ways are above our ways".


"And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:" (Genesis 12:2)
The above is the word of the Lord to Abram, but it was not UNTIL the breaking on Mt. Moriah that Abraham really understood the blessing.

I presume this has crawled out of a heart and over a pulpit before?

I like it...