What this is saying is that we should lose our self dependence and self reliance within ourselves. Trusting our happiness to what we can manipulate to our liking. That part of me that is independent of God. That principle of sin that is in me saying that I don't need anyone to tell me how to live my life. It's my life I can do whatever I choose and I don't have to answer to no one! We must be willing to die to that. We know God in these scriptures is talking about dying to something, giving up your rights, yielding yourself, letting go and letting God. We need to remember that holding on I lose; letting go I win.

 

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (KJV)
23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

The spirit and soul we cannot see. However, with our body we relate to our environment or world. The spirit is what relates to God. In the absence of brokenness there is a barrier that keeps us from being like our Lord Jesus. In other words, we no longer trust God; but rather trust in ourselves. Our bodies therefore have become instruments of living and relating within this environment we call the world on a selfish level. It therefore has erected a structure of self will, and self reliance.

 

Brokenness however, is the crumbling of the self that allows the Spirit of God to live through our bodies in this world. Now brokenness is a process that has been targeted in our life to defuse the holds of selfishness; and in the wake of its final work there is a freedom and a power that is infused with God Himself. Here is where miracles, healing, restoration and of course salvation are created within us.

 

All of us have those areas of life where we depend on us and not on God. We depend upon our past experiences; we depend upon our abilities and talents. Some people depend upon their status, position or power. Their authority, their relationships. Some people put their trust in their looks or where they live.

Listen to me friend, whatever area of your life that you put your reliance on other than God Himself there is painted a big target on it by God to bring about a colossal brokenness.

 

God intends to shatter and to break and to remove anything that keeps you from relying totally on Him. It is because He loves you that He wants you to receive His best by trusting Him for all your needs. And God's best cannot be realized if you have erected a huge self-reliant wall between your spirit who dwells and communicates with God and the body that relates to this world. God desires brokenness and He will not stop short of dealing with our self pursuing ways.

He wants no other gods in your life! God will not allow any other competition to remain in your life for your obedience, your allegiance, and your devotion that belongs to Him.

 

Galatians 2:20 (AMP)
20 I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

 

How can God bless us to the fullest? How can He maximize His best in our lives? Only when we have fully surrendered our self-reliance in ourselves and allow Him to break everything that is not trusting in Him. The people with the most difficult problem for God to bring about brokenness in their lives are those who are the most gifted. Those who are the most determined. Those who have the most self-confidence. Those are the ones that God has the most trouble bringing about brokenness to. It is because they have the most to rely on and trust. They can't see beyond their own gifting. It obscures their vision and sensibility to God and His ways.They feel to give up the reigns of their life is to become a slave and who wants to be anybody's slave?

 

In closing, I want to draw your attention back to our first passage of scripture in John 12:24-25. Remember, if a seed does not die by being ultimately buried in the ground then it will remain alone. It cannot multiply unless it is sown into death. I believe that Jesus' point was clear; that every area of our life that is not dependent on God must die in order to realize His eternal life in that area. I think this is why so many people are frustrated as they know what the scriptures teach concerning God's promises, yet it is not evident in their personal life within certain areas. Its obvious that there is something that we have erected through the self life, self promotions, self glorification that stands between our spirit who knows those promises by heart; and our bodies which relate to our world that are needing the manifestations that God Himself wants us to realize.

 

If we receive successes, accomplishments, and notoriety and we have these self life tendencies then they will become walls that keep the glory from being attributed to God to whom they really belong. We will swell with great pride as though the talents, giftings, achievements, abilities and accomplishments were all our own. Friends, our egos have to die like the seed in our parable, otherwise they will remain alone and there will not be any God improvements in our lives. I heard or read somewhere that the acronym for "Ego" is simply, "Edging God out."  I like that description because that is what pride does. It edges God out of our lives. Let brokenness do her perfect work as you surrender your pride to be in control. In fact, if you are a student of God's word then you know it says He loves a broken and contrite spirit. Will you sincerely give these words an opportunity to break down the partitions of pride that keep you from God's best? It is my prayer that you will.