It should not surprise us to learn that the things people despise, God accepts. When a bottle or jar is broken, most of us would throw it away. Particularly in Western Europe, America and Australasia, where we live in a “throw-away society”, we take it for granted that when something is broken, instead of repairing it we throw it away and buy a new one. This is particularly seen with electrical goods — where it is often impossible to repair a damaged component, but quite easy to replace the whole item with a new one from the factory — this is what is called a built-in obsolescence. All of this breeds in us an attitude of mind which accepts, without question, that when something is broken it should be thrown away as useless.
However, Psalm 51:17 teaches us differently; “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” The very thing which man despises and rejects, God accepts and uses for His purpose. The human spirit seeks to be self-sufficient — to survive every crisis and ideally live forever without pain and suffering. However, human life is not like that — the Scriptures teach us clearly that we are sinful, dying creatures — that the human condition is one of frail mortality. We are taught that suffering has a purpose — to bring us humbly before the throne of grace — to be aware of our own insufficiency and frailty. In other words, to have our ‘spirit broken’, our independence challenged and our whole outlook changed.
When we realise our uselessness, when we know beyond any shadow of doubt that we are indeed broken and incapable of saving ourselves, then the Lord can use us. There is no hypocrisy with a broken heart, no pretence, no secrets, no hidden agenda, and no pride. In order to be broken in such a manner we may have to suffer and bleed and almost die before we may be taught the ultimate lesson. But do not forget; “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Heb. 12:6). When we have been broken and our own opinions have drained away then the Lord can fill us with his teaching and guidance. In this process we may well have been bruised and damaged. But remember, many flowers do not release their scent until they have been crushed! So likewise many people do not show their full potential till they have been crushed in the press of life.
When we think of the Apostle Paul and his difficulties and compare ourselves with him, we realise our problems are, for the most part, relatively insignificant. The full list can be read in 2 Corinthians 11:23-33: “In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands.”
The passage reads not only as a catalogue of privations and problems but also as a very personal record of the way in which the great apostle was humbled. The chapter ends with what must have been, at the time, the greatest indignity of all — the representative of the High Priest having to flee for his life in what was probably a laundry basket being let down the wall like a rag-doll on the end of a rope! In the following chapter he writes about his enduring problem, his ‘thorn in the flesh’. Whether this was blindness or malaria matters not; the point is that the Apostle Paul was being constantly reminded he was as frail as anyone else. Even when he challenged God, he was told, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).
The Apostle had to learn, as we do, that God can only work with us when our human spirit is broken, when we are shattered and bend on our knees before Him in abject surrender. When we are weak then we can be strong by means of the Lord’s help. But when we are ‘strong’ because of our own supposed strength and ability, then in reality we are weak and ready to vanish away.
Remember the Lord himself had to experience pain and suffering before he could experience glory and exaltation. He was crucified through weakness, the weakness of the flesh, but raised by the power of God. Paul adds; “For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him” (2 Cor. 13:4). Weakness and failure and the recognition of such characteristics are vital prerequisites for acceptance by God. We therefore need to learn to use our moments of weakness and our times of failure in order to be acceptable to God.
Some observations:
- Suffering is the examination paper — it reveals what has been learned in the school of life.
- Pain is the anguish of the soul: when a man and his God are brought into the same room, man will either curse or praise, either count God as an enemy or welcome him as a friend and confidant.
- Suffering may be physical or mental, personal or collective.
- The recognition of weakness can bring a freedom, from trying to achieve the impossible, or from the bitterness of lost opportunities.
- Weakness and failure can allow us to embrace our brothers and sisters as real family and allow us to share our doubts and our faith… or it can force us to withdraw into a corner, alone and in despair.
These are just a few of the reactions to pain and suffering. The awareness of being broken can destroy, or it can be the opportunity to rebuild. It can be disaster or it can be triumph. It can be the moment of absolute desolation, or it can be the moment of truth.
It all depends upon how we react. Let us give some suggestions;
- Be honest with yourself. You might fool others but you cannot fool God!
- Whatever has happened cannot be changed — the past is history, not to be rewritten. Let us move forward into the future.
- Share the problems with other members of the ecclesial family, either the immediate family or other brothers and sisters at home or abroad.
- Look for the positive — how can I use this situation for the greater good?
- Time is finite — use it wisely. Look for things to do that can be achieved, and do them with cheerfulness and optimism.
- Anger and resentment do not help the healing process — the only person who suffers is you. Be magnanimous, be forgiving. In other words, ‘give and do not count the cost.’
This brings us to Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. In chapters eight and nine, Paul in his characteristic manner explains about giving to the Lord. Although he is primarily concerned with the giving of money, he is also concerned about an attitude of mind — an attitude of mind which is critical in order to respond correctly to pain and suffering;
- The ultimate example: “Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich” (8:9). He had all things, but he suffered and died that he might obey his Father’s will and give us hope of everlasting life.
- The principle for us: “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give” (9:7). If we give our time, our energy and our opportunities — then the Lord will hear and see and give us more in return. Thus our poverty of spirit will become enriched and our empty soul filled.
- “Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God” (9:11). If we are aware of the great blessings that have come to us because of our discipleship, we shall be strengthened and changed by our faith and fellowship.
A “broken and contrite heart” is a necessary prerequisite for discipleship. These are qualities despised by men but admired and cherished by God — because they allow Him to use men and women in His work. This is a first step in the creation of a world filled with His glory.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One