Brokenness that Blesses
His back is hunched, and he walks with a cane, but his six decades of spiritual shepherding are evidence that he leans on God—the source of his strength. In 1993, the Reverend William Barber was diagnosed with a debilitating disease that causes the vertebrae of the spine to fuse together. In a not-so-subtle way he was told, “Barber, you probably gonna need to figure out another thing to do besides pastoring, because the church ain’t gonna want [someone disabled] to be their pastor.” But Barber overcame that hurtful comment. God has not only used him as a pastor, but he’s also been a powerful, respected voice for underserved and marginalized people.
Though the world may not fully know what to do with those with disabilities, God does. Those who value beauty and brawn and things that money can buy can miss the good that accompanies uninvited brokenness. The rhetorical question of James and the principle underneath it are worth considering: “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5). When health or strength or other things are reduced, one’s faith needn’t follow suit. By God’s strength, it can be the opposite. Our lack can be a catalyst to trust God. Our brokenness, as was the case with Jesus, can be used of Him to bring good to our world.
Renewing Our Strength
A pair of eagles built a giant nest in a tree a few miles away from my house. Before long, the enormous birds had eaglets. They cared for their hatchlings together until one of the adult eagles was tragically struck and killed by a car. For several days, the surviving eagle flew up and down a nearby river, as if searching for the lost mate. Finally, the eagle returned to the nest and assumed the full responsibility of raising the offspring.
In any situation, single parenting can be challenging. The delight a child brings combined with possible financial and emotional pressure can create a broad range of experiences. But there’s hope for those who have this important role, and for anyone trying to manage a situation that feels overwhelming.
God is with us when we feel exhausted and discouraged. Because He’s omnipotent—all powerful—and doesn’t change, His strength won’t ever expire. We can trust what the Bible says, “Those who hope in [Him] will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31). Coming up against our own limits won’t determine what happens to us because we can depend on God to supernaturally recharge us. Hoping in Him allows us to walk and not faint, and to soar on wings like eagles (v. 31).
From Age to Age
Two grandmothers from Texas became media sensations recently for completing a journey around the world in eighty days at the age of eighty-one. The globetrotting best friends of twenty-three years traveled to all seven continents. They started in Antarctica, tangoed in Argentina, rode camels in Egypt, and took a sleigh ride while at the North Pole. They visited eighteen countries including Zambia, India, Nepal, Bali, Japan, and Rome and ended their trip in Australia. The duo said they hoped they’d inspired future generations to enjoy traveling the world, regardless of their age.
In Exodus, we read about two octogenarians who were recruited by God for a different kind of adventure of a lifetime. God called Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand he free God’s people from bondage. God sent Moses’ older brother Aaron for support. “Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:7).
This request would feel daunting at any age, but God had handpicked these brothers for this assignment, and they followed His instructions. “So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the
Moses and Aaron had the honor of witnessing God deliver His people from more than four hundred years of slavery. These men demonstrate that God can use us at any age. Whether we’re young or older, let’s follow God wherever He leads.
News Worth Celebrating
For more than two centuries, the hymn placed first in the Methodist hymnbook was “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” Written by Charles Wesley and originally titled “For the Anniversary Day of One’s Conversion,” the song was composed to commemorate the radical renewal sparked by his faith in Jesus. It has eighteen stanzas proclaiming the glory of God’s goodness to those who repent and follow Christ.
Such faith is worth celebrating—and worth sharing. In 2 Timothy 2, Paul encourages Timothy to remain steadfast in his faith and to persevere in sharing it. He noted, “This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal” (vv. 8-9). Rather than second-guess his choices, Paul reminds Timothy to remember the good news message: “Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David” (v. 8), came not to rule but to serve and ultimately to die for the sins of the world so that we may have peace with God. Death didn’t win. Jesus rose from the grave.
And just as it set free those who believe, the message itself isn’t bound. “God’s word is not chained,” said Paul (v. 9), not even from places where death seems to have won: prison cells, hospital beds, gravesides. In Jesus, there is hope for all people. That’s news worth celebrating!
Devoted to Prayer
“I’ve been praying for you for fifty years,” said the elderly woman. My friend Lou looked into her eyes with profound gratitude. He was visiting the Bulgarian village that his father grew up in and left as a teenager. The woman, a believer in Jesus, lived next to his grandparents. She began to pray for Lou as soon she heard about his birth a continent away. Now, over half a century later, he was visiting the village on a business trip, and while there he spoke to a group about his faith. Lou hadn’t become a believer in Jesus until he was almost thirty, and when this woman approached him after he spoke, he wondered about the impact her persistent prayers had made on his coming to faith.
We’ll never know the full effect of our prayers this side of heaven. But Scripture gives us this counsel: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2). When Paul penned those words to believers in the small city of Colossae, he also asked for prayer himself so that God would “open a door” for his message wherever he went (v. 3).
Sometimes we may think, I don’t have the spiritual gift of prayer. But of all of the spiritual gifts listed in the Bible, prayer isn’t among them. Perhaps this is because God longs for each of us to pray faithfully, so that we may see what only He can do.
Worship First
I’d never planned to start a non-profit organization about adult friendship, and when I felt called to do so, I had so many questions. How would the charity be financed, and who should help me build it? My greatest help on these matters ended up coming not from a business book, but a biblical one.
The book of Ezra is essential reading for anyone called by God to build something. Recounting how the Jews rebuilt Jerusalem after their exile, it shows how God provided funds through public donations and government grants (Ezra 1:4-11; 6:8-10), and how both volunteers and contractors did the work (1:5; 3:7). It shows the importance of preparation time, with rebuilding not beginning until the second year of the Jews’ return (3:8). It shows how opposition may come (ch. 4). But one thing in the story particularly stood out to me. A whole year before any building began, the Jews erected the altar (3:1-6). The people worshiped “though the foundation of the L
Is God calling you to start something new? Ezra’s principle is poignant whether you’re starting a charity, a Bible study, a creative project, or some new task at work. Even a God-given project can take our attention away from Him, so let’s focus on God first. Before we work, we worship.
Heavenly Abundance
I expected eight bananas. Instead, when I opened the grocery bags delivered to my home, I discovered twenty bananas! I quickly realized that my move to England meant I also moved from ordering groceries in pounds to requesting them in kilograms. Instead of three pounds, I had ordered three kilograms (nearly seven pounds!) of bananas.
With such an abundance, I made several batches of a favorite banana bread recipe to share the blessing with others. As I mashed up the fruit, I began thinking about the other areas of my life where I have experienced unexpected abundance—and each path led back to God.
Paul appears to have had a similar experience of reflecting on God’s abundance in his life. In his first letter to Timothy, Paul paused to describe his life before Jesus, describing himself as a “persecutor and a violent man” (1 Timothy 1:13); the “the worst” of sinners (v. 15). Into Paul’s brokenness, God lavishly poured out grace, love, and faith (v. 14). After recounting all the abundance in his life, Paul couldn’t help but express praise to God, declaring Him worthy of all “honor and glory for ever and ever” (v. 17).
Like Paul, we all received an overwhelming abundance of grace when we accepted Jesus’ offer of rescue from sin (v. 15). As we pause to reflect on all the resulting blessings, we’ll find ourselves joining Paul in grateful praise to our generous God.
Search My Heart, God
To reduce food waste, a supermarket chain in Singapore sells slightly blemished fruits and vegetables at lower prices. In one year, this initiative saved more than 850 tons (778,000 kg) of produce that previously would’ve been thrown out for not meeting aesthetic standards. Shoppers soon learned that outward appearances—scars and quirky shapes—don’t affect flavor and nutritional value. What’s on the outside doesn’t always determine what’s on the inside.
The prophet Samuel learned a similar lesson when he was sent by God to anoint the next king of Israel (1 Samuel 16:1). When he saw Eliab, the firstborn son of Jesse, Samuel thought he was the chosen one. But God said: “Do not consider his appearance or his height . . . . People look at the outward appearance, but the
God is more concerned with our hearts than with outward credentials—the school we attended, what we earn, or how much we volunteer. Jesus taught His disciples to focus on purifying their hearts of selfish and evil thoughts because “what comes out of a person is what defiles them” (Mark 7:20). Just as Samuel learned not to consider outward appearances, may we, with God’s help, examine our hearts—our thoughts and intentions—in all that we do.
Serving Jesus
In the early 1800s, Elizabeth Fry was appalled by the conditions in a London women’s prison. Women and their children were crowded together and made to sleep on the cold stone floors. Although they weren’t given bedding, a tap flowed with gin. For years, she visited the prison and ushered in change by providing clothes, opening a school, and teaching the Bible. But many saw her biggest influence as her loving presence and clear messages of hope.
In her actions she followed Jesus’ invitation to serve those in need. For instance, while on the Mount of Olives, Jesus shared several stories about the end of the age, including one about the welcome of “the righteous to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46). In it the King tells the righteous people that they gave Him something to drink, invited Him in, and visited Him in prison (vv. 35–36). When they couldn’t recall doing so, the King responds: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (v. 40).
What a wonder that when we serve others with the help of the Holy Spirit, we serve Jesus! We can follow Elizabeth Fry’s example, and we can also serve from home, such as through intercessory prayer or writing letters. Jesus welcomes us to love Him as we use our spiritual gifts and talents to assist others.
