God Uses Our Brokenness to Exploit His Power

"Human weakness is a place where the powers quickly exploit."    

~ Rande Greene~

2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure.  This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.  

Like a pot that has been broken from the moisture trapped in its porous material during severe temperature changes, so too our weaknesses can cause fissures in the apparent integrity of our lives.

However, the incredible thing about our brokenness when our lives are hidden in Christ is that like him, our weaknesses are the same place where the powers are disarmed, defeated and humiliated!

Colossians 2:6-15

Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, 

just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 

 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 

 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 

and you have been filled in him, 

who is the head of all rule and authority.  

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, 

in which you were also raise with him through faith 

in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.  And you, who were dead in your trespasses 

and the uncircumcision of your flesh, 

God made you alive together with him, 

having forgiven us all our trespasses, 

by canceling the record of debt that stood against us 

with its legal demands.  This he set aside, 

nailing it to the cross.  

He disarmed the rulers and authorities 

and put them to open shame, 

by trumping over them in him.  

Our weaknesses can cause much brokenness in our lives, however, God uses those very things where the enemy takes the opportunity to monopolize on that weakness and He, by our unity in Christ, disarms the rulers and authorities and puts them to open shame through the powerful resurrection power that we have obtained as we died in the waters of baptism and were raised into our new life in Christ!  

God looks at the brokenness in our lives as an opportunity to exploit His power to bring forth new life!  Just like the pot that was shattered during the trials of winter, we too can be used to house new life as God's plan of redemption is displayed powerfully through our weakness!

Like the men of old, each one mentioned in Hebrews 11:32-34 had their own weakness that God used to do great exploits!

For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets -- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

"My grace is sufficient for you, 

for my power is made perfect in weakness."