I was scanning the "Our Daily Bread" as I do occasionally, and when I read the title of today's topic,"Broken Things" I decided to read.
I was following along with the author as I read about how God works in great and awesome ways when we are broken, until I read this sentence:"people who have been broken become better and more effective Christians"
I thought...hmmmm "effective"? effective among other things means "able to accomplish a purpose" What would be our purpose as Christians? what would be the "thing" that we would become more able to accomplish? Perhaps being a good witness? Learning more from the Bible?
As I reflected on what it is to be effective and on my own experiences in my brokenness I concluded that the more times I am broken and come before Him the LEAST effective I feel.
When I am broken and go before Him I am healed, forgiven, comforted, loved. Not made effective. Perhaphs,the more I am broken, the more I can relate to the brokenness of others and maybe that is a kind of effectiveness. But at the end of the day, I don't believe that the Father is going to look at us on judgement day and say "Well done, you were quite effective"
He longs for our time, our affection, our presence, our honesty, NOT our efficiency.
Think about it! He can do ANYTHING PERFECTLY!He doesn't need our human efficiency!
He doesn't need your efficiency, but He does love your brokenness, because when you are broken, there is nothing between you and Him but His love.
5 comments:
Think of effectiveness in terms of fruit! If we are bearing fruit, we are bearing the mark of an effective Christian. We are effective if we are becoming like Him, in turn, we are Christ to those we "affect" around us. But you're right, it seems like it's saying we need to DO something, when it's really our response to what God is doing in us. Thanks for all your insights lately, they have been "affecting" me in a great way!! :)
btw- effective and efficient are quite different
Ooops...at the end of my blog I shouldn't have said He doesn't need our human efficiency I should have said effectiveness, they are indeed different.
Yes, that's what I meant-I think God is effective. He is the one who is "able to accomplish" as the word implies, not us...Our brokennes only allows HIM TO BE MORE EFFCTIVE!!! :-)
Our brokennes only allows HIM TO BE MORE EFFCTIVE!!! :-)
Right on! Our focus always drifts to us and our responsibility to produce the fruit we and others see. It's not on our shoulders though. God is the one who works in us and grows the fruit in us. Which, happens as we are more open to his leading - by being broken of our own need to lead, to control.
The focus should not be on becoming an "effective" Christian, but on knowing and loving God, and living each step of our lives with him.
I think. :-)
well...I absolutely agree Greg!
but you already knew that :-)
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