“God creates out of nothing. Therefore, until a man is nothing, God can make nothing out of him,” said Martin Luther.

The greatest blessing we can experience is brokenness.

The world doesn’t use broken people. But God heals broken people and He only uses broken people. Brokenness is the qualification for someone to be used by God.

A friend of mine who pastors over 60,000 people shared with me that the biggest mistake he made in ministry was in the selection of leaders.

A key criteria that he now looks for in leaders is whether they have experienced brokenness.

I was reminded that an unbroken person is useless in the hands of God.

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

“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17)

God is waiting to pour out his Spirit, but He is waiting for people who will cry out with absolute humility before Him, people who do not care about who gets the credit.

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Sometimes, we can be humble – while not being completely humble, as we are called to be in Ephesians 4:2.

If anyone says I’m proud, I always receive it soberly, because I recognise that I need God’s help to be completely humble.

Revivals come through humility and brokenness. I have found that to be true in my life.

WHY IS BROKENNESS SO IMPORTANT?

1. Brokenness brings the presence of God

Brokenness is us coming to that place where we finally realise that we are totally unworthy. We’re absolutely unworthy and He alone is worthy.

Until we come to this point of realisation that there is no credit to be put under our account – that all credit belongs to the Lord and He alone is Lord of the Church and the head of the Body – then we will not experience a greater measure of the presence of God.

Brokenness is surrender – when we come to the end of ourselves. When we lean on the greatest power source, that’s when God steps in.

Brokenness is the antidote to our self-centred nature.

You see, being broken gives us a completely different perspective on the Lord’s plan for our lives.

When we’re bound to earthly perceptions, enjoying a steady stream of blessings has an interesting effect on most of us: It distorts our view of our Father in heaven, often leading us to assume that He exists for the sake of us.

Our relationship with God is mostly confined to asking, striving, seeking for the blessings of God. We ask God for healing, success, financial security, the bigness of our ministries, blessings for our families, our jobs, our plans…

If we’re honest with ourselves, most of the time we’re consumed not really about talking to God in prayer; we become the centre of our prayers.

Brokenness is the antidote to our self-centred nature.

2. Brokenness brings the power of God

Brokenness brings the power of God because the presence of God brings His power. But do you know we can experience power without the presence of God? 

God told Moses that He was going to send them into the Promised Land and send an angel to fight for them. They were going to succeed and take over the land, except that He could not go with them because they were a stiff-necked, stubborn, sinful people (Exodus 33:2-3).

In absolute brokenness, Moses cried out to God and said: “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.” (Exodus 33:15)

Where there is brokenness, God works mightily. May we be awed by his presence, look at our lives and know that we are nothing compared to who God is. He is able. We are not.

Brokenness comes when we come back to the Cross where His body was broken for us.

God never demands us of anything He has not done Himself. Jesus experienced brokenness, and we partake in his body when we partake in the Lord’s Supper.

Though He was equal with God, Christ did not count the equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied himself and was obedient even to death on the cross. (Philippians 2:5-8)

Christ was broken at the Cross.

Adapted from a sermon preached by Lawrence Khong, Senior Pastor of Faith Community Baptist Church at the LoveSingapore Pastors’ Prayer Summit 2019, an annual prayer retreat for local church and ministry leaders.