Can You Find the Light In Your Brokenness?

 

“It’s okay to be a glow stick; sometimes we need to break before we shine.” ~Anonymous

The awesome thing about a glow stick is that it is small and unassuming until one defining moment. All it takes is a few snaps and a quick shake to release what is inside—a glowing light.

Snap, snap, snap, shake. Snap, snap, snap, shake. 

It almost feels like something inside the glow stick is breaking until you shake with all your might and that beautiful glow is released.

There is something satisfying about the sound and feel of the snapping plastic because you know what is coming. You know your hands have the power to help the light inside break free and begin to shine.

Now, what if we were the glow stick?

It’s not so fun to think about how many times we must be snapped and shaken to release the light inside of us. It sounds painful. It sounds a lot like…brokenness.

Brokenness.

Such a humbling, painful, and yet beautiful place to be. A place many of us dread. It’s easy to forget the beauty and joy that can come from this bittersweet place because we are too busy trying to survive the snaps and shakes being thrown our way.

I have been completely and utterly broken many times, and there is one constant:

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18 NIV)

I have found myself closer to the Lord in my deepest brokenness. He has comforted me through my personal trials, and with each season of brokenness I have found myself falling deeper in love with my Savior, who holds me close and catches my tears. When I’m broken, He is the only balm that can heal my hurting soul.

With God, brokenness doesn’t have to leave us broken. Instead it can enable us to break free from the chains that bind us. Brokenness can help us leave sin behind if we allow God to carry us through the pain of those inevitable snaps and shakes.

I won’t begin to deny that seasons of brokenness can be excruciating, but God can bring healing from our suffering. If we allow our pain to be used for His purposes, it can teach us the beauty of humility, a deeper level of compassion for others, and give us greater capacity to grasp God’s unconditional love. Our perspective changes. We see differently. And that brokenness we tried to run from actually gives God a chance to shine even brighter in our lives—if we let Him.

[Tweet “Brokenness can lead to true surrender.”]

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.” (2 Corinthians 4:7 NIV)

If we are willing to surrender ourselves to Him, then when we break, God is able to release the great light He has placed inside us.

I have to wonder if God feels a similar sort of satisfaction watching us in our brokenness to what we feel snapping a simple glow stick, because He knows what is coming. He also knows His hands have the power to help us break free from our sinful natures and shine with His everlasting light. He knows that each snap, each shake we encounter is not only for our own good but will be a testament to His goodness in the end.

Lord, I ask You to be near those who are brokenhearted today. Show them how close You are, comfort them, and remind them that in Your kingdom no pain is ever wasted. May we truly surrender to You so that Your everlasting light shines out into this dark and hurting world not only through our joy but also through our pain. Amen.

Scripture for Reflection

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:18 NIV)

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:7-10 NLT)

Reach for More

This week, recall a time of brokenness in your life and write down all of the good that eventually came from that painful season. Maybe a season of illness made you realize the value of each precious day and how much we tend to take health for granted. Maybe a broken heart left you with more compassion for others who are deeply hurting. Or maybe a difficult season of parenting helped heal old wounds from your parents. Whatever your season of brokenness held, may this reflection help to remind you that it can be a beautiful reminder of God’s love.

Dear friends, we can do this. Be courageous, and remember that Jesus is the bright light and great treasure that breaks free when our fragile clay jars break. Breaking open just gives us a chance to release what is already inside—the love of Christ.

Please, come back and leave a comment telling us about how God spoke to you this week, or share your progress on social media using the hashtag #tgtreachformore. We would love to hear from you.

Sarah Lundgren has a passion for all things sparkly, loves God with her whole heart, and is known to love Starbucks chai lattes a whole lot, too. Sarah is currently snuggled in the heart of Grand Rapids, Michigan with her sweet hubby, J, and her full-time job is making pretty things all day long for her Etsy business, so sarah designs, but she also loves writing devotional content here at The Glorious Table.