The Blessing of Brokenness (Part 3)

A servant leader practices hospitality.  Hospitality makes room and creates space for the people whom we lead.


Hospitality is a core attitude toward those whom we are leading.  We must learn to relate to others as if we were relating to Christ Himself.


Henri J. M. Nouwen said, "When we see the other person and discover in that person gentleness, kindness, and other beautiful gifts which he or she is not able to see, then our compassionate heart is revealed."


When we serve others...we are serving Christ.  


The gift of spiritual hospitality is learning how to serve others even when you're broken.  To me, it's a LOVE GIFT to Jesus.  Sometimes we find ourselves complaining about the interruptions we encounter when in fact the interruptions may be the opportunity God is giving us to develop spiritual hospitality.


When we open ourselves to being used of God even in our brokenness then God is using our hospitality as a gift from Him to others.


Our brokenness, sufferings, and wounds can serve as a blessing to us if:

1. We embrace brokenness.
2. We practice hospitality.

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Another aspect of a servant leader is gratitude.  

Gratitude is grounded in a focus on God's mercy and grace - not on people and problems.

Remember the song...

"Give thanks with a grateful heart; Give thanks to the Holy One;

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son.

And now let the weak say, "I am strong,"
Let the poor say, "I am rich,"

Because of what the Lord has done for us.

Give thanks."

There are three imperatives of Gratitude from 1 Thessalonians 5;18

1. Attentive - "give thanks"
2. Inclusive - "In all circumstances"
3. God-Centered - "for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus"

JOY and BLESSING comes to a "wounded leader" who:

1. Embraces brokenness
2. Practices hospitality
3. Express gratitude

The blessing of brokenness comes when we learn the VALUE of the joy and the pain of leadership.

The Blessing of Brokenness (Part 2)

When you can look at your own wounds but at the same time be prepared to heal the wounds of others...then you know God is using your brokenness for better use.

Every leader will experience JOY and PAIN.  It's inevitable.  We would much rather have the joy...but honestly, it's the lessons learned from the pain that actually propel us into our future.

Reality of the Moment > PAIN < Vision of the Future

Remember when Apostle Paul was sailing to Rome and his ship was being tossed by the storm called "Euroclydon?"  He tells all 276 members of the crew...

• Acts 27:25 "So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me."

God had given Paul a VISION of the good that would come out of the bad.

When God gives us a vision for the future...

1. Delays may occur.
2. Suffering and hardships may result.
3. Doubts may arise and tempt us.
4. Results may differ from what we expected.

#1 A Servant Leader is a leader that embraces BROKENNESS.

Contributors to a broken spirit...

1. Circumstances overwhelm us.
2. Suffering overtakes us.
3. Words and deeds that harm us.
4. Friends use and abuse us.
5. Family members misunderstand us.

God doesn't reject a broken spirit...

Psalms 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

• Brokenness purifies our ambitions.
• Brokenness allows us to see our own blind spots.
• The breaking process produces a leader that can be trusted.
• I've yet to see a leader God has used tremendously who has not been broken.
  
  

2 Corinthians 12:9 "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

In 1988 Steven Curtis Chapman released the song "His Strength Is Perfect" on the album "Real Life Conversations."  The chorus simply says...

• "His strength is perfect when our strength is gone.  He'll carry us when we can't carry on.  Raised in His power, the weak become strong.  His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect."

2 Questions we must ask...

1. Is my brokenness GROWTH PRODUCING?
2. Is my brokenness GROWTH INHIBITING?

The Fruits of Brokenness are...

1. Humility
2. Authenticity
3. Integrity
4. Sensitivity

Paul said in Ephesians 4:1-2 "I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love."

Seven ways to spot a Humble Spirit

1. Humility does not demand its own way.
2. Humility does not seek attention or credit.
3. Humility forgives when offended, but is hard to offend.
4. Humility does not criticize others.
5. Humility produces a teachable spirit.
6. Humility exudes an attitude of service (service is doing mundane things that help others)
7. Humility produces a gracious spirit.

How do we RESPOND to PAINFUL CONFLICT situations?

1. By FOCUSING on our relations with Christ.
2. By YIELDING responsibility of the "led."
3. By LEADING pastorally out of the pain and brokenness.
4. By EXPECTING trials, temptations, verbal abuse, and, at times, rejection.
5. By RELATING to those in the body of Christ as brothers and sisters in Christ. (even though evidence may not support their testimony.)

We lead as "WOUNDED LEADERS" with a broken heart by EMBRACING BROKENNESS.

1. God uses brokenness to draw us closer to Himself.
2. Our brokenness can develop Christ-like character qualities in us.

The Blessing of Brokenness (Part 1)

If your heart is broken, know that God can use the broken pieces to feed a multitude.


Remember the little boy that brought his lunch and gave it to Jesus? (John 6:1-15)  What if he had kept his bread for himself?  He would have filled his belly and been satisfied.  Instead, he gave it to Jesus to do with it what He pleased.


He allowed Jesus to use his offering, in spite of how he felt, to minister to others.  In essence,  even at his young age, this young man was thinking of the BIG PICTURE.


In the same way, God can use our lives.  He will take what we give Him, even our sadness, our heartache, and our fears and losses, and transform them to help many.  How He does it, I will never know, but I have seen it, and I believe it's true.


Sometimes in our trials we are able to tell of God's love and faithfulness in ways and with a depth that we would not otherwise have.  We can be the HANDS and FEET and WORDS that are a testimony of His power and His grace.


I know that in my own life, I have needed to see God lived out in the lives of others to help me with my hurt, and the testimony of one who has walked through suffering and trusted God is a powerful one, indeed.


These are the people who can speak to our hearts because they have been there and have a testimony to share afterward.  They are authentic and open.  They have allowed God to use their brokenness to provide healing to others.


God is sovereign.  You may be looking at the rubble of your own brokenness today and wondering "what can be salvaged from this?" Remember Who is in control.

• Psalms 147:2-5 says "The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.  he heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.  He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.  Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit."

Perhaps God is asking you to present your brokenness to Him today.  What is broken in your life that He will use to feed the multitude?  You just never know.  Trust Him to work His miraculous power in your life, just as He did with what the little lad was willing to place in His hands.