Broken without being Bitter

[Rhoni]

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!

Pianoman,

People who have been through the fire come out changed. They realize that we are all levelled at the foot of the cross. Others think they would have done things different, handled things better, but one never knows until one is faced with things.

I do believe that you are a better man, not that you weren't before, but we all make poor choices when we are young and foolish, and then some of us make poor choices until we die. One can only hope that one can learn from past mistakes and never travel down the road that breaks one again.

You know, I always thought I was of good moral character and that I was above average in the Godly/spiritual area of my life. But I learned my righteousness was just like everyone else's...like filthy rags. Through my brokenness I realized my younger self was Phariseeical...I had to be broken to be shown who I was.

Broken, I am a more caring, more compassionate, and less judgmental than I ever have been. Not that I am not arrogant, self-righteous and judgmental at times...but I realize that spirit now...and humble myself so God don't have to break me again.

Just my thoughts...
Rhoni

[revrandy]

Funny how your view of other folks change once you've gone thru the fire yourself...

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by DividedThigh

amen sis, wow that was beautiful, dt

Thank-you kind person.

Blessings, Rhoni

[StillStanding]

Originally Posted by Rhoni

Pianoman,

People who have been through the fire come out changed. They realize that we are all levelled at the foot of the cross. Others think they would have done things different, handled things better, but one never knows until one is faced with things.

I do believe that you are a better man, not that you weren't before, but we all make poor choices when we are young and foolish, and then some of us make poor choices until we die. One can only hope that one can learn from past mistakes and never travel down the road that breaks one again.

You know, I always thought I was of good moral character and that I was above average in the Godly/spiritual area of my life. But I learned my righteousness was just like everyone else's...like filthy rags. Through my brokenness I realized my younger self was Phariseeical...I had to be broken to be shown who I was.

Broken, I am a more caring, more compassionate, and less judgmental than I ever have been. Not that I am not arrogant, self-righteous and judgmental at times...but I realize that spirit now...and humble myself so God don't have to break me again.

Just my thoughts...
Rhoni

Your thoughts on this thread have been great!

[Rhoni]

Originally Posted by Pianoman

Your thoughts on this thread have been great!

Reading this makes me want to cry...only one who has been through the fire can understand the tears.

Thank-you my friend, Rhoni

Everyone is going to experience some bitterness at some point. The question is, can you be broken?

[Jack Shephard]

I think David Fuller said it best. We all have "wounds that never heal."

Originally Posted by Rhoni

Reading this makes me want to cry...only one who has been through the fire can understand the tears.

This is very true, Rhoni.

I don't think that there is a truly born again child of God that has not experienced hurt of some sort while making pilgrim's progress. It is a matter of what will they do with it. Will it destroy them or will it make them better?

You and I want to be better.

[Falla39]

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?"

This is so uncanny. My sister in law was just telling me yesterday

that my brother is having a lot of trouble with his hip. I said he may

be fixing to get his "limp". I mentioned how my grandmother who was

the first of our family to obey the Apostolic message. In later years

she developed a limp which continued as long as she lived. My mother

and father both developed the same in their latter years. From time to

time I have trouble with my right hip and it will cause me to "limp" for

a while. I have thought about Jacob. Jacob received his blessing when

he wrestled with the angel of the Lord until daybreak. But he was left

with a 'limp" for life. But with it came a new identity. No longer Jacob,

deceiver/cheat but a new name (identity)Israel (Prince with God). What's

a limp if you have found favor with Almighty God.

I may have mentioned this before but I saw a film several years ago

about the story of Joseph. The end of the story showed this old man

with white hair, LIMPING, leaning on a staff, face lined with age, eyes

squinting as he came up out of the valley to meet his son, Joseph, for

the first time since he found out from Joseph's step-brothers that he

was still alive. Old Jacob is leading the children of Israel as they come

up to where Joseph is waiting with his two little sons, Ephraim and

Manassah. That scene is etched in my mind.That long line of Jacob's

children (The children of Israel)coming out. He brought them out that

He might bring them in. God brought them out of the wilderness that He

might take them to the Promised Land. (Judah was only one of his sons.

He had eleven more).

Many have been as Christ's disciples were! Blessed, broken and

given out. Representing the Bread of Life. Jesus Body broken in many

pieces to be given out to the hungry. His Blood given for the thristy

souls of mankind.

Blessings,

Falla39

You'll Make It Thru
Joy comes in the morning
After a long hard night
Weeping is finally over
Everything will be all right
Conflict that was raging
Seems to dim with the first dawn
Hold on my weary brother
Morning's coming on

You'll make it thru
I can see the sun now rising
Darkness must give way to heaven's light
Walk on into the brand new day
That He's prepared for you
His joy will give you strength to make it thru

It won't last forever
This night of tears and pain
Although it may seem it will never end
This trial won't be in vain
The fact remains the morning comes
After every dark midnight
If you'll keep pressing on you'll see
The sun is shining bright

http://www.firsttimothyministries.com/

This song written by my brother and sister-n-law, Tim and Lana Chandler, helped me tremendously during one of the most bitter times of my life. To know that when you feel like there is no one who understands what you are going thru, absolutely no one, to be reminded that there is One who truely does understand does help. I think sometimes that when we are in the midde of a dark time and deeply wounded, we want God to come thru and speak in a thunderous voice, do a wild miraculous victory, cause a great big thing to happen, yet a lot of times when He does come thru for us it is thru a little song, a small part of a Bible verse, message preached that perhaps we have heard many times but this time it is different. And, somehow our perception is changed and we start to crawl out of the great big cave we have been in. God is so awesome, and we sometimes have to be reminded just how awesome He is.