Refined, Not Broken

I prayed one day that the Lord would allow me to see myself the way that He sees me.  I wanted to know who God says that I am on a deeper level.  And for years, I have looked at myself as being broken in many, many ways.

The word "Broken" in our carnal minds, means to lose its intended purpose — to be of no further use, garbage to be thrown away.  If you think about a toaster, and if it is broken and can no longer make toast, then it is no longer of any good use and its intended purpose is gone, and you throw it away.  But that's not how God sees our "brokenness."  God sees our assumed brokenness as "refinement."

The bible speaks about, as Christians, the burdens, trials and tribulations we face, God uses to refine us into the image of His Son.

1 Peter 1:7 says:  ...so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

How do I believe that I became broken?  Through trauma, unmet emotional needs, etc., etc.  These things have changed me, yes, but God has used those things that the enemy tried to use to destroy my faith, to make my faith that much stronger.  God used those things to begin shaping and molding me into the image of His Son.

The bible also speaks about His strength being manifested in our weaknesses.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says:  But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then am I strong.

Our greatest weaknesses can be our greatest strength in Christ.  Our greatest testimony of His grace.  The enemy knows this and he tries to use it against us to have us relying on our own personal strength, which never works and then he tells us we're failures, which further pushes his propaganda that our value comes from works rather than God.

So, back to the toaster thing.  What if that broken toaster was never really meant to be a toaster?  What if the person who designed the blueprints and patent for the toaster had something else in mind other than just making toast?

The bible says that ALL things work for our good because we love God and are "called according to His purpose."  Romans 8:28.  Also, in Philippians 1:6, it says: being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ.

We all have a God-given purpose in this life.  If we accept it, that purpose cannot be hindered.  If we are open and accepting of the Holy Spirit working in us to grow us spiritually, we cannot fail in that purpose, because it is God working through us and in us.  We cannot fail because God cannot fail.

The only thing that makes me appear broken is the world's viewpoint on my purpose.

But I am NOT broken... I am being refined.  And my purpose was designed before time.

Love in Christ and still striving to be,

Very Kimberly