Brokenness Pt. 2: Helping Those Who Are Broken

The story of Jesus speaking with the Samaritan woman at the well found in John 4 has always intrigued me. It's not necessarily the fact that He chose to speak to her, although a huge social line at the time was crossed when he did- a male Jew talking to a female Samaritan. Or the fact that Jesus knew her past, that she had five previous husband and was now living with a man who she was not married to. No, it's not these incredible and even shocking events that really grab my attention.

It's the way that Jesus loves her.

He bestows mercy where there could have been condemnation. He gives truth where there could have been more lies. He offers living water, He offers Himself, He offers eternal life.

And she believed! She chose to drink from the living water that only Jesus can bring.

And my favorite part of the story comes in verse 39- "Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony." Our testimonies can be SO powerful! This one broken, seemingly insignificant, Samaritan woman led many to Jesus.

So, how can we help people in their brokenness? 
We follow Jesus' example. We bestow mercy. We give truth. We offer living water. 

But often when we offer living water, we try to do it on our own power. We run around with buckets of water, rushing from one parched, dying person to the next, spilling our buckets along the way. And when we do this, we're only able to give each person a sip before we have to move onto the next thirsty person. But what if we led people to the well, rather than running around with a bunch of buckets trying to bring water to them? What if we brought them to the source of living water, to Jesus himself?

You see, they don't need Jesus if I fix them. And in all reality, whatever "fix" I can offer them will only be temporary- at best, a bandaid on a gaping wound. Jesus is the only one who can really heal the brokenness.

It's like the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly. When the butterfly is struggling to break free of its cocoon, it is building strength in its wings. If it were to have outside help, its wings would not be strong enough to fly and so the butterfly dies. So often when we see someone we love struggling to break free or to heal or to choose rightly, we want to help them. We want to split their cocoon for them! But in the end, that won't help, it will only hurt. We must entrust them to Jesus. We must point them to the source of living water. We must lead them to the well.


And when you are embarking on a journey with someone, leading them to the well, remember these two simple truths:

1. I am qualified because of God.
2. God uses me in spite of me.

Check out Pt. 1: Facing Our Brokenness here.

Brokenness Pt. 1: Facing Our Brokenness

I have a couple questions for you.

What do you do with your brokenness?

Where do you go with your brokenness?

Everyone is broken. Everyone has unmet longings, unfulfilled desires. Everyone has deep disappointment and unanswered confusion. Everyone is broken. But not everyone realizes it. Or owns up to it. Or sits still long enough to really allow themselves to think about it (this girl right here).

So. What do you do with your brokenness? Where do you go with your brokenness? Do you deny it? Do you despair and wallow in it? Do you compare it to others'?

Brokenness can usher us into God's presence, if we let it. There is a well-worn path in our brains that leads to destruction and lies. It is a path that we often follow when we actually do acknowledge our brokenness. It's a path that tells us we aren't good enough, there must be something wrong with us. It is a path that leads to shame, condemnation, depression, anxiety, and death.

We have to ask God to help us make a well-worn path that leads to Him. A new path- a path that brings hope, illuminates truth, and strengthens our faith. A path that leads to life.

Jesus can handle the depth of my mess. In fact, He turns my mess into a message. I can say this with joy and confidence, because I have seen it a million times in my own life. I have seen Jesus take the things I hate the most- the deepest sin, the hardest circumstances, the most shameful choices- and turn them into stories of hope, redemption, and ultimately His love for me.

In facing my brokenness, I acknowledge that I am weak, but God is strong. I acknowledge that I am a sinner in need of a Savior, one who died and rose again, conquering death for me. I acknowledge that I cannot do this life on my own, that I am utterly dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit in me.

And in the midst of all of this, I am becoming someone new. There is new life springing up from the ground (Isaiah 43:19). Yes, in this life there is still pain. There are still tears and disappointment, confusion, and unanswered questions. BUT, I know that my God is greater and that it is all for His glory and my good. There is trust for today and hope for the future.

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” -- Revelation 21:4-5