An oldie, but a goodie.

I found this old post from my old blog (www.chinagirlquotes.blogspot.com) as I was looking through for some of my favorite quotes. It was from my youth pastor's wife, Gina. It's powerful stuff...and though it's not for where I am now...it was such a comfort to me during hard times...so I thought someone else might find comfort from it too.

MONDAY, APRIL 25, 2005
Faith to be Broken
Luke 7:36-50 "37 When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 38 and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them...44 Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not pour oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven--for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little"...50. Jesus said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Whenever I think about having faith to believe for something in my life, I think of receiving something beneficial. Faith for healing, faith for financial needs to be met, faith for direction in life. Rarely do I think of having the faith to be broken.

After all, I want God to restore the things in my life that are broken, not to come in and break the things that are already there.

It takes great faith to desire brokenness--just ask the woman who wept at Jesus' feet. When I read Luke's account, I find myself wondering what that moment must have been like for her. Did her mind whirl with thoughts of self-doubt as she tread the dusty streets leading to Simon's house? Did she know the scornful eyes and biting thoughts that awaited her? Did her heart beat painfully fast as all eyes in the room turned to look upon her at her entrance?

Did she wonder what his response would be?

She poured out her life before him with all its shame, and pain, and rejection, and as she washed his feet with her tears and anointed His feet with perfume she carried in the alabaster vial (Luke 7:36-37), her life became "the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him" in that place (2 Cor. 2:15). She was moved by something far greater than the fear of man's response. She was moved by a faith that brought her to a place that the respected host refused to be--broken at Jesus' feet.

What most would have regarded as a position of shame became a moment of destiny for her. Great was her love and even greater was His as her place of brokenness became a place of blessing (Luke 7:50).

It's much easier to desire the faith to be blessed than to desire the faith to be broken. But we find real, deep blessings in our brokenness. For only when we are brought face down on our knees are we emptied of ourselves and poured out before him. And it is only then that we find true restoration.

Bottom line: Restoration comes through brokenness.