I’ve never been a fan of brokenness.  Personally, I don’t like being broken.  When I am broken, I become acutely aware of how desperately in need of my Savior I really am.  While I know that a good thing, if I’m honest, it’s a really tough place to be.  When I realize I am truly nothing without Jesus, I realize I am completely incapable of doing anything apart from him.  Anything.

Think of a tiny infant; so cute, so full of promise and hope of a bright future.  But that little baby isn’t going to make it until next week if someone doesn’t take care of her.  When she is hungry, oh she cries alright, but cannot provide herself the nourishment her body needs to sustain life.  When she makes a complete mess, you can be sure this little “bundle of joy” is not going to be very  joyful at that moment.  However, there is nothing she can do to change the “situation” she currently finds herself in.  While her future holds much promise, she simply cannot survive without her guardian.

*Sigh… brokenness means waking up to the reality that I am that little infant; helpless and incapable of doing anything without my Heavenly Father.  My future is bright, my hope is strong, yet without Jesus, I won’t make it ’til next week.  Sure, there are times in my life I may be lead myself into thinking I am not completely dependent on the Lord, and there at least a few things I can do on my own volition.

However, I have come to realize that in these moments I am simply delusional.  Brokenness jolts me back into that reality that I am happy to avoid.   I am nothing without Jesus.  As hard as that reality is for me to face, when I dig a little deeper I am encouraged by what that reality means in my life.  So as I read through 2nd Peter today, I realized the true gift that is present in my complete and utter brokenness.

1st and 2nd Peter are books in the New Testament written to a group of Christians who had been suffering great trials and tribulations, yet they were aware that it was highly likely their future would only hold greater suffering.  How can you possibly encourage someone in that situation when they, too, are aware of that reality?  Well, let’s look at how Peter addresses those who are suffering in 2 Peter 1:1-3.

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:  Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.  His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

What a blessed people  we are to be called by God into a “precious” faith!  Peter felt it important to point that out from the very beginning.   I know for my own heart and mind, I clearly see why; because I forget it all the time.  No matter where I am or what I am facing, I have already received a gift more “precious” than any other.  Since asking forgiveness, accepting Christ and then letting him have complete control of my life, I can never be defeated.  I have been saved through the Lord’s righteousness and will one day spend eternity with him.  And because of my faith in Jesus, I always have hope.

Peter’s not finished though.  It’s as if he is saying, “But wait!  There’s more!”  Peter mentions that by the Lord’s power, we have been given “everything we need for life and godliness.”  When you think about that phrase, that’s a pretty powerful statement.

ev·ery·thing- \ˈev-rē-ˌthiŋ\  a pronoun meaning “all that exists.”  What this passage of scripture is telling us is that, “You have nothing to fear.  You have been personally called by God and have been given “all that exists” to persevere.  Do not be afraid.”  Geeze Peter.  Well, when you put it like that…

But Peter still isn’t done.  In verse twelve to fourteen of the same chapter he goes on to say this:

So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.  I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body because I know that I will soon put it aside, as out Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

He’s right.  I do know what Peter has stated are true, and I have moments where I am firmly established in them.  However, I also have moments where I forget.  Peter is correct in his statement when he says that he feels it important to “refresh your memory” of these things.  My memory needs a lot of “refreshing,” especially in times of brokenness. But do you know why I believe Peter understands that so clearly?  Because at one point, he was the one in need of the “refreshing.”

We all know Peter.  Peter was the one willing to risk it all, to step out of the boat and onto the water in a raging storm… his longing to be with Jesus was greater than all his fears.  Oh, on so many occasions I have longed to have the trust in Jesus in the way that Peter had on that fateful, stormy night.  When I find myself in the midst of a raging storm, running to Jesus is definitely not always my first response.  (Though it is certainly the best course of action, it is not always the easiest response to choose.)

However, let us not  forget, Peter is also “that disciple” that denied Jesus; not once, not twice, but three times. When Peter says “I think it is right to refresh your memory,” I personally believe he says this out of personal experience.  And Peter learned this lesson the hard way, through his own denial of Christ and his calling.  It pained Peter terribly to realize that he had denied Jesus on three separate occasions.  The fact he flat out told Jesus to his face he would never do such a thing made the reality hit that much harder once he realized he had done just that.  But sometimes, “the hard way” is what makes those tough lessons “stick”.  Now he is writing to Christians facing persecution that caused him to fall away for a brief time… Roughly he is saying, “I need to refresh your memory because once, I forgot too.”

Peter understands that our brokenness leaves room for God to do great and mighty things.  When we realize how completely dependent we are on our Lord, then we give our Father complete reign over every facet of our life, with nothing held back.   Then, and only then, can God completely unleash his power in our lives.  Because I stop getting in the way.

Utter brokenness ultimately leads to complete freedom in Christ…