God Heals Broken Things

Fractured. Ruptured. Shattered. Broken. Words no one ever wants to hear. And certainly no one wants to experience. These moments are often filled with pain. Discomfort. Aching. Throbbing. Stinging. Even extreme agony.

Sometimes these situations are accidental. Maybe intentional. Occasionally self-inflicted. And at times caused by others. Life just has a way of taking its toll on us!

I’ve had conversations recently where others have said their bodies are beginning to wear down in their older age. Joints, muscles, bones–just not performing as they did in their prime. But the beauty of modern medicine has allowed some of them to receive surgeries to restore at least a portion of good health for this stage of life.

It’s interesting that a surgeon can reconstruct a shoulder, hip, or knee to provide a better quality of life for someone who would otherwise continue to live in chronic pain. Maybe not back to the skipping, hopping, running, and jumping of their youth. But the walking, bending, stretching, and reaching necessary to fulfill many of their current lifestyle choices.

However there was something that was said recently that really kind of staggered me. It was something of this effect; following surgery there is this probationary period to see if the body will accept or reject the changes from the procedure.

Wait! You mean to tell me that as a patient I can place myself on the operating table, give a surgeon permission to perform a medical procedure, have him tell me the procedure went exceptionally well, only for my body to reject the changes meant to make my life better. That seems wildly absurd!

Here’s what’s crazy. We’ve all witnessed people limping through life believing they’re better off just letting things be as they are. Trying to adapt to the injury. Overcompensating for the pain. Neglecting any medical aid that may alleviate their suffering. All because of the what if’s of trying to have it fixed.

To be honest, it’s like this in most areas of life. We’ve made decisions with families, friends, education, careers, and investments that have us banged up and suffering some life-altering results. We know there’s a way out because we’ve witnessed it in others. But we’re not convinced that our story could be so lucky to change.

How do we begin to experience healing in the broken areas of our lives again?

Honest confession. If we’re truly going to see healing take place in our lives we must be honest with ourselves. We have a problem. It may be a physical ailment, mental or emotional stress, relational issues, financial setbacks. We have to be willing to say something just doesn’t seem right.

The delay many of us experience in honestly admitting our struggles only perpetuates our current situation of feeling damaged, defeated, and dejected with where we are. But our honesty about where we are, how we feel, and what we’ve done truly does have the power to begin changing the trajectory of our lives.

Humble cooperation. This is tough for so many people because we’re confident in our own abilities. We believe we’re capable of restoring our own brokenness. Unfortunately, many of us have proven that we are unable to be our own savior in the tangled mess of our lives. And it’s the rock bottom pit of our circumstances that often leaves us looking up and reaching out for help in a time of need.

Perhaps the greatest enemy for seeking help is deceit. There’s an enemy that wants nothing more than to see us live in isolation wallowing in our weakness. He convinces us that we will experience an overwhelming amount of shame if we bring others into our mess. But the truth is, we need help. Sometimes it’s a friend to help remove the blinders of our current situation. Sometimes it’s professional help to work through the loss, poor decisions, or issues from our past. But healing almost always requires outside intervention.

Healthy choices. What often happens is we look for topical medications to deal with immediate circumstances. We’re hoping there’s an ointment or bandage that will heal a visible wound. Unfortunately, the issue is often more deeply rooted than that. And we need an honest evaluation and accurate diagnosis before we’re ever given an effective prescription.

One of the tendencies that many surgery patients have to ward off is impatience; trying to rush the process. When the doctor says no movement, no weight bearing, no physical activity, he really does have the patient’s best interest in mind. It’s part of the treatment plan. We can’t always experience a quick fix to our situation. Sometimes the injury is so deeply woven into the fabric of our lives that it will take a long season of recovery to be completely healed. The goal is not immediate healing; it’s complete healing.

Hopeful endurance. This season of hurt and brokenness doesn’t have to be the defining moment of our lives. We can experience new seasons of life that are incredible and life-giving. But the key to experiencing the richness of life comes in the form of persevering through the difficult moments in between.

One of the great challenges to overcoming the obstacles is the loss of discipline and focus we had before bumping into some messy situation in life. Maybe life looks differently now than what you had once imagined. Maybe the setbacks you’ve experienced knocked you off a course you were sure you were meant to travel. This is not the end. It’s not the end of your journey. It’s not the end of your story. There’s more life to be lived. Life will go on and life, in its fullest and truest form, can be enjoyed again. So let’s remain hopeful.

I do not want to dismiss the undertone of faith in this post. Honest confession, humbly seeking help, a healthy plan of care, and remaining hopeful for a brighter season ahead are all important steps toward healing and recovery. And I’m convinced that Jesus is the better physician to link our past and current days to better days to come!

Let’s be honest. We’re not perfect. In fact, we’ve got a lot more flaws than we care to admit. Let’s remain humble; we need help. I can’t fix me. And I can’t save me. Nor can you. He alone is the only one who can. Let’s seek healing. These wounds desperately need God’s attention and care. The road to recovery may be a long journey. Let’s remain hopeful. God is not done working on me. And He’s not done working on you. I’m confident that the journey toward healing, though it will take time, will prove to be invaluable in advancing the glory of God while simultaneously working for our good.

In my experience, my faith in Jesus has been the unwavering rock on which I have stood in every low moment of life. Here’s to the One who heals the broken! Here’s to the One who restores what once seemed ruined! Here’s to the One who is making all things new!