Tuesday, September 2, 2014

Brokenness and the Building of God’s Kingdom

Can life’s goal be any simpler than finding our purpose toward our personal contribution in building God’s Kingdom on this wayward earth?
Can there be anything more important than working for God, to bring freedom to the captive, healing to the weary, fellowship for the lonely, hope for the depressed, rest for the anxious, and justice for the oppressed?
***
We are not here for our own reasons. If we think we are, we will end up frustrated and depressed. When we throw away every selfish ambition and take up God’s cudgel, then, and only then, do we serve our very own best interest.
God provides. He provides everything we cannot, of ourselves, grasp or take.
God provides as we:
1.      Enter into healing of ourselves (from ourselves – understanding the true theology of God, life and reality), and then,
2.      Provide for others (having experienced some healing) and genuinely intercede for another without thought for self (because we are not neglecting ourselves, given point 1).
We must first allow the Spirit of the living God to work in us, to be truthful about life, reality and God. We only defraud ourselves if we deny our very brokenness, but in the admission of our brokenness we are made full again. Confidence is ours. Authenticity is ours. Courage is ours. And, finally, integrity is ours. With integrity, nothing stands against us.
Once we have established a central identity of having become healed of our experiential brokenness, we can then be the wounded healer. We may then work for the cause of the other. We are not denying our own needs, for we have learned how we access God for our own needs. Having accessed the way to God’s healing – a continual prayerful reality of reaching in by the Holy Spirit – we are free to reach in with another person; to be their Jesus. We are our Lord’s instrument. We become his hands and feet; his ears, eyes, and mouth. We have the privilege to love people.
***
God provides for our every need,
If we will allow truth’s power to seed,
First comes our healing,
As we receive power for feeling.
Saved in our healing we serve,
God has given us the nerve,
Personal power to be his best,
We rely continually on his rest.
God’s Kingdom is our goal,
To trust and obey is our role,
Privilege to serve and love,
To look ever forward and above.
© 2014 S. J. Wickham.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.