“Broken Hearted”

Monday, August 30, 2021

Steve Higginbotham recently introduced me to a new term, a new art, and a new perspective on a great truth.  He asks:

Have you ever heard of "Kintsugi"?  Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with a "glue" made of gold.  Rather than throwing away a vase, bowl, or cup that had been dropped and broken, these items can be repaired by gluing the pieces back together with gold.  The repair can actually make the piece of pottery more beautiful and more valuable than it was before it was broken.

Instead of broken pottery, consider broken hearts.

Here’s a beautiful truth: God specializes in mending broken hearts.

Steve Higginbotham informs us that he knows the blessing of this truth personally:  On a personal level, I have learned the value of brokenness.  For the majority of my life, everything was easy.  The biggest challenges I faced throughout my youth seem trifling to me today.  My life, along with my wife, had a fairy-tale beginning, but eventually we began to experience "breaks" (e.g. the miscarriage of a child; the death of my father-in-law, mother-in-law, and my dad; and most shattering, the choices of one of our children).

These breaks, and countless others, could cause one to retreat, give up, and become bitter.  They hurt (present tense), but my wife and I refuse to allow our life together to be little more than useless, broken shards of pottery littering the floor.  No, instead, we've given the broken pieces to the Lord who has put us back together, I believe, even more valuable in His service than before. The breaks haven't been desired, but they have been profitable in the hands of "The Potter" (Romans 9:20-23).

As Steve indicates, there are many different things – situations, trials – that can break our hearts.  One thing that should break our hearts, however, is sin.

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.”
-- Psalm 51:17

These words were written by David in a penitential psalm that he wrote after Nathan the prophet confronted him about his sin with Bathsheba (see 2 Samuel 12).  David acknowledges his sin and his heart is broken.  He desperately seeks the cleansing of his sin by God (see Psalm 51:1-4).  God, observing David’s repentance and confession, forgave him (see 2 Samuel 12:13-14; Psalm 32:1-5).

A broken and contrite heart, God will not despise.  The brokenness is evidence of true godly sorrow which leads to repentance.  God “honors” the heart that is broken by sin by healing it with His forgiveness and love.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
--Psalm 147:3

Even though we are sinners, God loves us so much that He gave His One and only Son to die on the cross for our sin (John 3:16).  Through Jesus, we can have our sins washed away by His blood (Ephesians 1:7).

God will forgive and give the gift of eternal life to those who will place their faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).  He will continue to cleanse from sin those who continue to walk in the light of His Word (1 John 1:7).

Steve Higginbotham encourages the broken-hearted: “If your life has been shattered by loss, disappointment, and sin, don't give up (Galatians 6:9).   God can do amazing things with the pieces of your life.  In fact, He can make you more useful and beautiful than you were before you were broken.”

And He will, if only you will submit your heart and your life to Him.  Won’t YOU?

-- David A. Sargent

Source Cited: “If It Isn’t Broken…Break It” by Steve Higginbotham in MercEmail (June 24, 2017).

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

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