You’re Broken, Not Defective

You might be broken, but you’re not defective. They’re not the same thing, not at all.

You could think of it like this. You make a clay pot and put it in the kiln. When you take it out, the handle falls off, and the bottom crumbles. That’s defective. It wasn’t made well. It’s junk. You make another clay pot and it turns out beautiful. Then someone drops it on the floor. Now it’s broken. It was made perfectly, but later it got damaged.

That is me, and maybe you, too. Most importantly, it’s Jesus. Brokenness is something he, you, and I all have in common. He was perfect, but he got thrown on the floor and broken. He was abused, taken advantage of, and violated in the worst possible way. (See also
https://freespiritseedcompany.com/2022/01/22/2/)

He was broken — all the way broken — maybe just like you.

Your heavenly Father defines who you are, not your brokenness.

He was forsaken by his friends, beaten repeatedly, tortured.

But that is very different from being defective.

Your heavenly Father defines who you are, not your brokenness. Not other people. And not even you. He made you wonderful, the Bible says (Psalm 139:14). He is The Highest Artisan, and he personally handcrafted you, right there in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13).

Maybe someone lied and said you’re a mistake, an accident, should never have been born. I’m gonna be honest and say your Creator drew the detailed blueprints for you way before you were ever conceived. Before time began, to tell the truth. So no, you’re no accident. You have purpose. You should ask him to reveal that to you. It might be as simple as, “He put me here to praise him.”

A defective pot is worthless and useless. But a handsome, beautiful pot that has been shattered only needs to be put back together. He can do that with you, just like happened with Jesus. It’s his specialty.

“I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent among you.” ‭‭Joel‬ ‭2‬:‭25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

That is an agricultural image. Picture endless miles of crops. Millions of insects descend on it, devour, and leave it in shreds. Maybe that is like many of the years in your life. It is mine. Somehow, he is slowly restoring to me ‘the years the locust has eaten,’ piece by piece. He’s putting my broken pieces back in place. It’s mysterious, but he can repay to you everything you lost, as he promised. Just keep following him, and don’t give up.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭ESV‬‬
If he can make us from the dust, can’t he remake us, too?

“But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭64‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

The Real Reason You Deserve Respect

Imagine you walk into a public bathroom and one of the toilets is clogged and bubbling over. Filth is running across the floor, and the janitor has brought a big stack of towels to mop up the soup, so to speak. Funny thing is, each one has a very nice photo of you on the front. He dips it in the puddle, swishes it around a bit, and tosses it in the garbage. He reaches for another, and then grabs another.

You might shout, “Excuse you!!! What the heck???”

The reason you would feel offended is not because of the cost of the cloth, but because your image is on it. That is why he ought not to be soiling your face in sewage.

It’s your image on the towel that makes it so much more valuable than a plain generic one. In just the same way, humans have value because we were made in God’s image.

“Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.'”
Genesis 1:26a

We have his image and likeness on us, like those towels have your image on them.

If he hadn’t, we would be like generic ones which aren’t really important. But thankfully, he did make us — all of us — in his image and likeness. That is why we need to treat each other with dignity, including telemarketers. They are valuable because they have God’s photo ‘printed’ on them. We may disagree with them, but we can still treat them with respect.

For the same exact reason, people should treat you with dignity, too. That is why it’s ok to stand up for yourself or maybe even leave an abusive relationship.

You may also enjoy https://freespiritseedcompany.com/2023/03/19/boundaries-as-an-act-of-worship-in-three-paragraphs/

It’s Ok If You’re Afraid

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32

Somebody is afraid. Maybe with good reason. God is not angry at you for feeling scared. Are you going to bring it to him? Or carry it yourself. He is not mad, but just understand you don’t have to be afraid.

Isn’t that what Psalm 23 is about? “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me.” That means you’re surrounded by evil. It’s dark, shadowy. The normal response is to fear. Father says you can be inside the evil and not fear it because He is with you in it.

Five Verses for Easter 2023

I’ve spliced into these verses another name of Jesus found elsewhere in the Bible.  Each is in all caps.

“Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged JEHOVAH, delivered him to be crucified.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“And THE ALMIGHTY said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.” ‭‭Luke‬ ‭23‬:‭34‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When YAHWEH had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” ‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“But when they came to the HOLY, HOLY, HOLY LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, WHO IS, AND WHO WAS, AND WHO IS TO COME, and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water.” ‭‭John‬ ‭19‬:‭33‬-‭34‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, and how our chief priests and rulers delivered THE CREATOR up to be condemned to death, and crucified him… And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.” ‭‭‭‭Luke‬ ‭24‬:‭13‬-‭14‬, ‭19‬-‭20‬, 31 ‭ESV‬‬

Boundaries as an Act of Worship, in Three Paragraphs

God has boundaries. He says if we are going to come to him, we have to come through Jesus, and that’s how it’s going to be. If we want to draw even closer to him, we must treat him with respect and humility. If we do, we’re welcome into his personal space, if not, we are not.

Because he loves us, he’s in the business of replacing our human-minded ways with his more deeply satisfying ones. He is, in fact, making us just like himself. “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭29‬ ‭ESV‬‬. “And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” ‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬a ESV‬‬

We worship him by our actions when we behave just like him. Our lifestyle is a constant, moment by moment declaration to God that we love him when we celebrate the things that bring him pleasure, cherish what he loves most, hate what he despises, and have healthy boundaries. Just like him.

They Know

“And behold, they [demons] cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?””
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭8‬:‭29‬ ‭ESV‬‬

They know there is a set hour for their judgment, and that Jesus personally will carry that out. He will give them every last ounce of what they deserve. They aren’t in denial about it.

I eagerly await the day he says, “That is enough,” and they afflict us humans no more. We will never be tempted to fear, to hate, to resent, or to be prideful again. No more oppression. No sowing discord between people. No more lies. There’s light at the end of the tunnel. The last demonic deception will come and go, and that will be that.

He will unleash his wrath and torment those who tormented us.

These verses are not about the judgment of devils, but I think they’re still true about them.

Jesus is a Warrior. “The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is his name.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭15‬:‭3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Vengeance is mine, and recompense, [says the LORD] …For the Lord will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants…”
‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭32‬:‭35‬-‭36‬ ‭ESV‬‬

There is hope at the end of all our suffering because of Jesus (if we have a personal relationship with him now)! Pain will end. Peace will never end.

As the hymn, “A Mighty Fortress is Our God,” celebrates:

The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, [the name of JESUS!]
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His Kingdom is forever.

A Thought about Living in the Moment

Sometimes people say to me, “Enjoy that. It won’t last long,” about a vacation on the beach, children growing up, etc. True enough. That lands on me very differently than, “Enjoy that.” You can try this with anything you like even if it’s in endless supply. Take tea, for example. You may have 10,000 more cups of it in your life. But hey — make sure you enjoy this one, not because you’re going to lose it, but because it’s enjoyable.

The Grass on Your Shoe

Next time you walk into your house with a piece of grass on your shoe, think about this scripture. Then maybe upgrade the way you think about your enemies (physical, political, etc.).

“Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers! For they will soon fade like the grass [tan wisps on your shoe that degrade into dust] and wither like the green herb.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭37‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭ESV

Maybe fear, anger, or bitterness are not the best response. If we saw them how God does, we would ‘fret not’ because they are already fading like dead, brown grass.

‬‬

In a Way, They’re All a Sextillionth

In a way, all the greatest pleasures of earth and the smallest ones are losing their distinctions and melting together. They all point to Christ, and more specifically, they all draw me toward a pleasure so vast as to make them all negligible. Even if one pleasure is 1 million times greater than the next, they so pale in contrast to Father that there size relative to each other is meaningless.

There are over 1.5 sextillion H2O molecules in a drop of water, and a sextillion is 1 followed by 21 zeros. If we consider the size of a single water molecule versus all those in a whole drop of water compared to the quantity in a 55 gallon barrel, it’s hard to grasp. But if we contrast any of those to the size of the sun, they are nothing at all. And Jesus is the Sun.