How often do we, as humans, feel physically beaten down and defeated? That said, why do the feelings of worthlessness and a sense of being trampled overwhelm us when life doesn’t go as planned?

It’s no surprise that disappointments are part of everyday life, so why, then, do the upheavals seem to crush some people more than others? Indeed a considerable amount of people can bounce back from these troubling instances with no problem. At the same time, others tend to marinate in the difficulty and over-obsessive thinking, which seems to paralyze the joy in life. Indeed it’s a question that many would like answered, and through the word and God’s wisdom, we will find out.

Here’s something else to ponder, how many of you have done all you can do to help others and yet, still can’t help yourself? You know that your heart is right, and the healthy fruit to serve is present, yet, you’re still feeling stuck teetering the line between the pit and palace? And while many have and are saved, and the church is growing significantly and enlightening—you still feel broken and stagnant.

Do you suppose we should hang our heads in shame like the disgruntled postman, or should we rejoice that we surrendered our lives all-in-all to walk with Christ?

To answer this question, first, look at Romans 12:2, where Paul says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. So we can test and approve God’s will—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” This verse implies that we shouldn’t adhere to the conventional ways of thinking concerning worldly living. He also said we should consider and discern with a Christ-centered mentality. That said, our way of thinking needs to always align with the scriptures and Spiritual things before carnality. So that when complexity presents itself, and it will, we don’t begin to unravel, thinking we reached the end when more than likely, it’s a new beginning. It’s times like these when the enemy hits us the hardest, the time to step away and recenter around Christ. To seek the Lord more diligently for wisdom. I often say God often uses the heart heaviness of disappointment to teach us to rely on God and His word and trust in His timing.

Jesus makes us wait for a blessing or a breakthrough to help us develop our faith and trust in Him. At the same time, it’s a time of preparation and undressing to make the vessel clean for the new garment. This fact is evidenced in 1 Colossians when Paul talks about the new wardrobe in Christ. It’s not punishment but a blessing. Paul said, “Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe. Every item of your new way of life is custom-made by the Creator, with his label. All the old fashions are now obsolete. The verse talks about both Jews and non-Jews and our religious and irreligious beliefs, and how our wild and outsider behavior has no place in the new seasons. Indeed the old characteristics attached to our old life of sin must be burned off so that we are entirely in line with Christ-like living.

God uses our brokenness to align our lives with His purpose beautifully, and the difficulty adds to the crushing, and boy, oh boy, does it hurt. The Bible tells us that “the testing of our faith produces patience, and patience perseverance and character. (James 1:3). Therefore, when we wait for a breakthrough, and the pain of feeling stagnant presents itself, we learn to rely on Yahweh’s timing and patience; we appreciate the process that manifests the blessings. At the same time, it feels terrible for those alone in the world, blindly trusting wholeheartedly in faith and trusting that through Christ, His Grace is sufficient.

It is, moreover, accepting that the purpose of waiting is elusive to time and reason. While it is difficult to understand the rationality of waiting and the feelings of defeat, the flesh begins to fade, and the Spirit increases. Simultaneously, the soul begins to shine, and the character reveals itself. The desert digs up destiny.

So that by the time we receive what God has promised, what we prayed for, we are ready and prepared spiritually and ethically to carry the weight of the blessings responsibility.

As a result, we reflect Christ and are fully equipped for the task at hand. In short, when we live for Christ, our lives no longer reflect the world’s way of handling things, and we look and sound different than those who haven’t endured the wilderness. Remember, the prophet Jeremiah referenced the desert land full of pits, a land of drought and deep darkness. He compared it to a place where no man can dwell. Therefore do not expect God’s people not to experience a level of brokenness and, without the words to explain, the heaviness, yet we tolerate it through Grace; Jesus is enough.

How beautiful is a heart that seeks to please the Lord before all else that even in our weakness, we show ourselves strong in Christ? Despite the brokenness, beauty arises from ashes, therefore, giving God the glory. Isaiah 61:3, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair”. This verse confirms that a soul has gone through the fire, the old house burnt down through discomfort, and divine castles arise in the works through our hearts.

Of course, we can see the signs of our humanness when difficulty arises, and our plans but shallowness turns to depth, the beautifully broken rise to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Our shame and persecution were great, but God’s love was greater; He stretched out His arms to gather many, and through our willingness to submit to humility, Father reached the hearts of humanity.

Despite the hardship of the beautifully broken, Jesus held out His mercy and wrapped His love around the pain, and commanded the chaos to calm.

Matthew 19:29
And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

Blessings,
Sister Christine

C. Beach ©️2023