Embracing Brokenness

Validated through a study by the Barna Group in 2016, The Christian church has been a cornerstone of American life for centuries but much has changed in the last 30 years. Americans are attending church less, and more people are experiencing and practicing their faith outside of its four walls. Furthermore, After more than 15,000 telephone surveys, George Barna distilled his findings and conclusions in a book, Maximum Faith: Live Like Jesus, revealing a 10-Stop Journey. Sadly, only a small percentage of those individuals that consider themselves Christians have engaged in the majority of the “stops”. Knowing the purpose of the journey is critical. “You’re not likely to experience full transformation if you don’t know what it is and are not devoted to its pursuit,” Barna cautioned. “Most Christians mirror cultural goals, desiring happiness, comfort, security, belonging, and popularity. Surprisingly few are focused on completely cooperating with God to experience the kind of whole-life transformation described in the Bible and made possible only through a partnership with God. The lack of understanding of the goals of a truly Christian life prevents people from making the extraordinary life transition that is possible.”

Every person is on a spiritual journey of some sort. Most people who consider themselves to be Christians, regardless of their level of spiritual maturity, are entangled in more of a circular journey than a consistently progressive route. It seems inevitable, based on the research, that people will encounter the frustration of regressing along the way. Transformation is like a tug of war, where an individual has periods of sustained progress followed by periods of dramatic retreat to levels of lesser maturity and capability. How a person handles each period of regression determines their transformational potential. Barna continues. “An individual cannot transform himself, nor can a church transform a person. That work can only be done by God, through the empowerment and direction of the Holy Spirit. But God is eager to partner with those who will cooperate with Him. Understanding what God seeks to do in our lives is a critical step toward not becoming seduced and sidetracked by mere religious activity. The richness of the journey is found in the experience of progressing through the challenges of the process in the company of God.”

The challenge is to embrace the broken places in ourselves. The wounded and traumatized places where life-altering experiences occurred. Perhaps through the influence of others or through our own choices. Healing from those wounds comes only through a posture of intimacy with God. One that allows Jesus to step into those hurts and re-interpret life from His vantage point, calling out our true identity as Child of God. Wounds that came from failures and adversities in this life have distorted our perception of God. Freedom awaits those willing to take up the mantle of love. We can and must discover the God of Love. The God that walked and talked with us in the Garden. Unadulterated. No sin. No tears. No fear. That same God wants a deeper relationship with us. Built on trust, not deception. Love not fear. “God, I invite your searching gaze into my heart. Examine me through and through; find out everything that may be hidden within me. Put me to the test and sift through all my anxious cares. See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to your glorious, everlasting ways— the path that brings me back to you.” Psalms 139:23-24 (TPT)