I will describe brokenness as a life of remorse from unfaithfulness, insufficiency, helplessness, resulting in forsaking all and follow the master’s lead. The realization of our inability draws the Christian to His presence and tap the needed strength from Him every day. We then get consumed by the knowledge of His ability, love, and grace leading to an ultimate surrender to His will.
The individual’s power or might does not achieve brokenness; it comes through a daily walk with the Savior in divine illumination or revelation through reading the Word and praying to God. You may refer to my book on Amazon, “I Heard about You, and Now I Know You,” on the section, Living the new life.
We cannot experience the best from the Holy God with a life full of flesh, except by living lives in the Holy Spirit that breaks the flesh in us and moves every faction of our being into submission to His leading. Any kind of living outside of brokenness (a full surrender) to the Holy Spirit does not achieve the life of intimacy designed by God for the Christian.
Different Analogies for The Need for Brokenness Depicted in The Bible
Seven things God hates These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren (Proverbs 6:16-19).
Where does brokenness start?
- While Jesus was on His cross, two robbers were also on either side of His cross. One of the robbers accused and ridiculed Jesus vehemently. The second robber rebuked the accuser telling him they sentenced them because of their wrong, but Jesus is an innocent man, and this robber requested Jesus to remember him when he gets to His Kingdom. Jesus, straight away, offered him the hand of salvation. This other thief on the cross realized his sin, acknowledged Jesus as the son of God, believed, and asked Jesus to remember Him when he gets to His kingdom. Jesus embraced him by granting his request.
- Jesus was having a conversation with a Samaritan woman at the well of Samaria and asked her to call the husband. The woman said she has no husband, and Jesus said,” Right you are when you said, ’I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the man you are living with now is not your husband, you said truthfully!” The Samaritan woman exhibited brokenness by presenting herself as she is before Jesus. According to the account in the Bible, she surrendered her whole life to the service of the savior, and spread the good news of salvation throughout her environment.
- David committed adultery that led to pregnancy, and the murder of the woman’s husband to mask the adultery. The Lord sent a prophet to expose David’s sin. As soon as the prophet told David’s sin to him, he showed penitence and prayed for forgiveness. King David didn’t deny his sin and errors. He broke down in confessing his sins. Psalm 51, a Psalm of David, was David’s prayer of confession. The Psalm is useful today among many Christians as a prayer guide for the confession of sins. The Lord forgave David, and he devoted his life to the service of God. The Lord named David “a man after His heart.”
- I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service (Romans 12:1).
- Brokenness is surrendering all about our past and follow the Lord in intimacy. The Lord demands our brokenness to enjoy intimacy with Him.
- Intimacy starts at the cross when we surrender to the Lord Jesus, forsake our past in repentance, obtain His forgiveness, and submit to the Lord in newness of life.
- The new life in Jesus is the life that follows the master’s leading, in submission to Him and resigning from self.
- The new birth is a translation from the life of the flesh to the energy in the spirit, from the camp of the enemy to the Lord’s side. There is then a force from the enemy that may detract us from our full potential in the Lord, wanting us to continue in our old habits, “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-22).
- The Lord knew about this, and He filled us with the Holy Spirit at conversion; the only requirement is to follow His leading all the way. We grieve the Holy Spirit with sin and unfaithfulness to the Lord; “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such, there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5: 22-26).
- Brokenness then is living a life sold out to Jesus through living a life in the Spirit.
The Benefits of Brokenness
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Anyone who abides in Me, and I in the person, bears much fruit; without Me, you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:4-6).
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is more fabulous than all; and no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hand. My Father and I are one.” (John 10:27-30).
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant, does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:14-15).
Admonition on Returning to The Life of Brokenness
Some individuals grew up in Church or are saved, possessed the gift of the Holy Spirit and blessings of the Almighty God, unfortunately, went on to mingle with the world just like the prodigal son, squandered their excellent gifts of God with lives wasted, some exhibited brokenness and experienced restoration, with a renewed walk with the Lord.
If any has wandered far away, there is still room for restitution,” (The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). ”Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Psalm 11:28-29).
“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1John2:1).
Jesus found the man He healed at the gate of Bethesda and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (John 5:14).
The day we invited the Lord to our lives, we received access to live broken lives. The life that says, as Jesus said ’not my will but yours be done’ is in total surrender to the Lord (brokenness).
Enjoy the link to YouTube – the song,
“O for a heart to praise my God.”