eWell March 17, 2010

"Another Broken Egg" by Paul Peavy

The other day I was thinking about what makes non-Christians not "get" Christianity, and I realized that it is often the brokenness one must approach God with that's missing. As Americans we are taught to "Go-Go" and "Get-Get." The only way to get something is to work your butt off for it. We even somehow make it seem like that is a part of Christianity. As far as I can tell it is probably a part of a lot of Old Testament rules.

But what I don't think most people get is that the New Testament changed everything about religion up to that point. No, Jesus, changed everything about religion. Nay, Jesus' death changed everything about everything. There was the son of God nailed to a wooden cross, dying and bleeding. Oh and before that he was mocked and spat on. I don't know about you but being mocked is not something I take very well. It is one thing that makes my blood boil and makes me want to retaliate. Jesus did not call down angels or use his super God fist to pummel the bad guys. He simply prepared to be broken.

Broken. Hmm.... I didn't read that one in the Business Start-Up Manual. The notion that broken is a good thing was left out of the American Dream. But that's just what Jesus did. He was broken.

That too is the only way we can approach God. Broken. Knowing that we can't earn this. Our pride and our determination are actually deterrents and roadblocks to God. Our efforts are simply like trying to get to all the way up to heaven by walking up the down escalator. It's going to exhaust you and get you nowhere.

You actually just have to pray to God that you are not worthy but you want to fully accept all of His blessings that He will rain down on you. Not because you deserve them. Not because have worked for them. But because you have been truly broken by your sin and unworthiness and you're tired of trying to do this impossible thing of finding peace and happiness on your own.

God can only fill in where there is space. Where there is brokenness. God cannot come in where there is no opening. If you are full of yourself, your own efforts, your own pride, your own desires then there simply is no space for God to come in.

As Easter approaches and you see all the decorated eggs around, wont you join me in giving up our own great work ethic, our own since of pride and follow Jesus, the son of God's, example?
Want you join me in becoming another broken egg?