I’m really sad today. There are just too much hurts, too many casualties, too many victims. Job’s own reflection was that “man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward” [not really sure I know what the last part means, but the first part is perfectly clear].
We are all citizens of this fallen world. It seems we go through life like a bull in a china shop. We don’t move very gracefully and we break a lot of things just trying to move through it. No matter how hard we try we always make a mess of it. I’d like to think of it as moving through life sideways. We go through life crashing and smashing.
There is no place in the Bible where God promises us a “trouble-free” journey to heaven, a journey without pains, hassles and the problems of life. If you are hearing anything else, I strongly suggest finding another voice to listen to.
“Accepting the reality of our broken, flawed lives is the beginning of spirituality not because the spiritual life will remove our flaws but because we let go of seeking perfection and, instead, seek God, the one who is present in the tangledness of our lives.”
— Michael Yaconelli
We all have flawed lives. Everything gets tangled up and really messy. This is the normal life of being in ministry of some kind.
Our very best efforts give us little hope at resolving these things. We are agitated by our personal failure and we often feel God is angry with us. The really hard part is the incessant voices from the sidelines that announce our failures and flaws to everyone. Satan has a cruel and a vicious ministry of hate targeted at you.
Yet these terrible things are redeemed by the Holy Spirit. He loves failures and weaklings. When we finally realize we are flawed, he then places something real into our hearts. In our weakness we finally become strong. We become authentic. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” (Matthew 5:4).
Be kind to everyone today, to each person you meet. For all of us are fighting a difficult battle. Please, be kind out there.
Broken Believers 
Bulls dont really break everything in china shops, but I understand the message. Thank you for your ministry.
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Yeah, sideways like a crab-walk, I think. When you sit around a campfire, the sparks fly upwards (not down…at least, they shouldn’t fly down)! Lament is a legitimate and reasonable response to hard reality…it seems like we can’t get anything right!
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I’m not sure how you do it, Pastor, but you always seem to make it okay; it being the fact that I know I’ll never be good enough for God. I never have been, never will be. I fail miserably over and over. I’m not really masochistic though, so I don’t hammer myself too, too badly, but enough that it gets really old…
Reading you daily teaches me to stop beating on myself because God really loves me. He’s going to love me, no matter what. I’m His now.. really.
Just wow..pretty unreal, huh? A darn good reason to celebrate another new year. I hope yours is wonderful. God bless you and your family. Thank you for caring about so many.
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You’re incredibly gracious and kind. Be blessed and richly so. Happy New Year!
ybic,
Bryan
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Bryan, Now I know why you came to mind during my prayer time this morning. I prayed you would be comforted. :) This post reminds me of the lyrics of Amazing Grace: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” It is when we realize we are a wretch, that we are broken, that the Holy Spirit comes in and saves us from our own depravity. What is truly sad is that so many people miss this – they think they are basically good and can earn God’s love. I am so thankful that He loves me just the way I am. Peace and Joyous New Year, Linda
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Thanks, just call me, Mr. Sponge, I will soak it all up, lol.
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