Day 32 – Fit For Life Challenge

Good morning! Welcome to Day 32 of our 40 Days of Faith and Fitness!
We live in a throw away society. If something stops working, we tend to throw it away. If something is broken, we seem to do the same. The word broken implies that an item has something wrong with it, or it has stopped functioning properly. It can also mean crushed or shattered. Sadly, sometimes we want to throw away broken people too. Have you ever been broken? Shattered, crushed, not functioning properly? Maybe it was a loss of a loved one, the loss of a job or a betrayal. Maybe you felt broken due to your own bad choices. Maybe you’ve been crushed under the weight of guilt. Whatever the case…, have you ever been broken? Have you ever felt like there was no hope left, used up, torn apart? Maybe you are there now. Well there is good news. We may tend to throw away broken things, and sometimes even broken people, but not God! God is drawn to brokenness. Time and time again, we see in the Bible how God uses broken people in the biggest ways. I want to look at three reasons why.

1. Broken people recognize that they need God.
In Luke 18 we read a parable that Jesus told about two men who went to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other was a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed,”God I thank you that I’m not like other men-extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all I possess.”
Let’s compare his prayer to the prayer of the tax collector. Jesus said the tax collector stood far off, bent his head low and prayed,”God be merciful to me a sinner!”
Guess which man went home justified before God?
The Pharisee stood proud before God telling what a great guy he was. He was bragging about his righteousness. The tax collector, on the other hand, was broken and was begging for God’s mercy! The tax collector recognized his need for God and called upon Him for help. The Pharisee didn’t realize his own brokenness. People who don’t recognize their need for God will never ask Him for help. Jesus used this parable to show us that God draws close to someone who is broken. Psalms 34:18 says ,”The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those with a contrite spirit.”
If your heart is broken and you recognize your need for Him, you are right where He can come to you and save you. All you have to do is call on Him!

2. People who have been broken can help broken people!
People who have been crushed, broken and hurt deeply have empathy for other people who are going through something similar. They are not so quick to judge or condemn someone who is struggling. They remember what it felt like to be in the dark place they were in, and God can use that in big ways to help others! They may still bear the scars from past hurt, but those scars are reminders of His grace! We have a Savior who empathizes and understands all our hurt and pain. We can go boldly to the throne knowing we have a Lord who understands. Jesus became broken so he understands our brokenness. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 says,” Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”
So, the same way God comforts us because He understands our pain, we can use our past hurts and troubles to turn around and comfort someone else who needs it without judgment or condemnation.

3. Lastly, people who have been broken can be a testimony of God’s grace and mercy!
When we go through trials, tribulations, hurts and brokenness and see we need God, He will come to us and help us! When we do this, we experience His grace up close and personal! We get to know Him
in a deeper more intimate way. We get to know His heart! We can tell others how God was there to carry us through the deep valley we have gone through! We know what it feels like to be so weak, He has to carry us! When we have gotten deep in sin and we called out to Him for mercy and forgiveness, we know the peace and the overwhelming joy of Him welcoming us into His loving arms and renewing us! We remember the feeling of being washed clean by His forgiveness! This is something God can use in your life. To be a testimony of His love, mercy and grace to others!
If you are broken today, call out to God! He is waiting! If you’ve been broken before, don’t feel shame or despise your brokenness…allow God to use those broken places that He has healed to point others to Him!

Action Step 32👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼
We are getting close to the end of our 40 days! I hope you are still trying to eat healthier and exercise more. Even small changes, if done consistently over time, can have big results! Keep planning healthy meals, stay hydrated, make time for exercise, and most importantly… keep looking to God for help in these areas. He cares about every area of our life! He has big plans for you! We need to be fit and energized for the mission!😀