Have you reached your breaking point? Maybe you need to be broken to be used!
Usually, we think of breaking things as horrible. Things like you drop your cellphone and the screen shatters, or you’re really hungry and you drop your sandwich or snack all over the sidewalk or a dirty floor.
Breaking an arm or a leg isn’t that great either. Those kinds of things obviously don’t need to be broken to be used. In fact, if they break, they’re totally useless until they’re healed or fixed.
But there are actually quite a few things that are useless until they’re broken. You can’t do anything with them until you break them. Here are some good examples:
Eggs:
First, a chick has to break out of its egg to be born. It’s not a fun process for the little guy, but it’s the only way it’s gonna see the world.
Also with eggs, if you buy a carton of eggs at the store, or your hens lay eggs for food, you can’t do anything with them until you break the shell. That’s the only way you can get to what’s inside to use for cooking.
Nuts:
Some nuts have hard shells that you have to break open to use what’s inside. You don’t want to use a walnut until you break the shell around it – or you could break your teeth! And that would be a really bad thing.
Marble and Stone:
Think of those awesome sculptures you see in museums. The artists have to break away bits of rock to create the finished piece. It’s like the figure was trapped inside a big block of stone and you have to break the stone to set it free.
Packaging:
How many times do you buy something that’s shrink-wrapped? Or what you need is inside one of those hard plastic shells?. I usually have to get out my utility knife to cut through the packaging. It’s annoying, but it’s the only way to get what’s inside.
Tamper-Proof Seals:
Just about everything today has a tamper-proof seal that you have to break first before you can use the contents, especially when it comes to foods or medicines. Jelly jars, for example, may not have a tamper-proof seal, but the lids are vacuum-sealed on so you have to twist hard enough to break the vacuum to get the lid off.
Smelling Salts Need to Be Broken to be Used:
First responders use these little packets to revive someone who’s fainted. They have to be broken open to release the strong smell that helps wake the person up. So in this case, the packets need to be broken to be used to help someone.
Instant Hot and Cold Packs:
You know those instant hot and cold packs they use for injuries? Some of them have to be broken or “cracked” to activate the chemicals inside that make them get hot or cold. So yeah, you have to break the packet to get the relief you need.
Glow Sticks:
Those glow sticks they use at concerts and for camping need to be broken to be used. You snap the plastic stick and it activates the chemicals that make it glow. It’s like magic, but it requires a little breaking first.
“Breaking the Ice”:
Think about the phrase “breaking the ice.” When you’re in a weird or awkward situation, someone might tell a joke or do something to “break the ice.” This means they’re doing something to break the tension and make things more relaxed. So in this case, breaking is a way to build connections with others.
Wild Horses Need to Be Broken to be Used:
This one’s a bit different, but when people first tame a wild horse, they have to “break” it. This doesn’t mean physically breaking the horse, but rather training it to accept a rider and respond to commands. So in this case, the horse needs to be “broken” to be used or ridden and trained.
God’s Children Often Need to be Broken to be Used
We usually don’t think of God as the one doing the breaking. He is all about love and grace and stuff, right? But just like a potter has to break down and rework the clay to create a beautiful vase, sometimes God has to break us to make us into what He envisions.
This isn’t about God being mean and destructive. It’s actually quite the opposite. Sometimes, the more broken we are, the more we realize that we need Jesus to heal what’s broken. Here are some great analogies of how God uses us, even after we’re broken:
Refiner’s Fire: In the Bible, it talks about God being like a refiner, purifying silver and gold in a hot fire.
The fire burns away the impurities, leaving the precious metal pure and shiny. In the same way, God may allow us to go through some tough times to burn away our own impurities – our pride, our selfishness, our fear. It’s painful, but the result is we become more like Him, reflecting His light to the world.
“But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire…” Malachi 3:2
Brokenness and Humility: Sometimes we get all full of ourselves, thinking we’re in control and can handle life on our own. But God knows that when we hit rock bottom and realize we can’t do it anymore alone, that’s when we finally look up to Him and surrender. In our brokenness, we find true strength in Him. It’s like the Bible says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So like a wild horse, even we humans need to be broken to be used.
Sculpting Us into His Masterpiece: Think of God as an artist, and us as that block of stone. He has to chip away at us, breaking off the rough bits, to reveal the beautiful statue inside. This sculpting process can be painful, but the result is a work of art that reflects His glory.
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Broken Chains: Sometimes we’re stuck in virtual chains of our own making – addictions, bad habits, destructive mindsets. And it’s only when we’re broken and crying out to God, that He can break those chains and set us free. It’s like the Bible promises, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.”
So when God allows us to be broken, it’s not to destroy us, but to make us new. It’s a painful process, but on the other side is true freedom, real life, and becoming the masterpiece He always intended us to be.
God Can Still Use Us Even If We Are Broken
We’re like God’s crayons! You can break all of your crayons and still use them to make beautiful and colorful creations!