Sunflower Faith

There is a blog called “Broken People Matter to God” and there is a fantastic quote that backs up this week’s quote.

The quote goes,
“The Bible is a story about broken people, and God’s choice to love them anyway. The Bible is brutally honest about people, even the people we now look up to. King David was a great king. With a great lust problem. I wish I had the faith of Peter. I just wouldn’t want to be him when he sticks his foot in his mouth. God sent Jonah on a mission. Jonah literally ran in the opposite direction. I think the Bible makes it clear that broken people matter to God.”

Isn’t that so true though? It’s a reminder that we don’t have to be perfect, the people in the bible were often far from perfect and the point of a lot of the stories, were to show us, today, that yes, even back then, the world wasn’t perfect, people were dysfunctional and yet, there wasn’t despair but something that often seems to be lacking…..hope.

Hope that isn’t perfect but just contented with who they are, where they are and how God can use anyone, without them needing to be an athlete, millionaire or super model as our celebrity enamored world seem to broadcast to the world, that if you didn’t have the image of the perfect life, perfect skin, perfect teeth and the right publicist, who are you in the big picture?

We live in a society that is built on a perceived notion of a fantasy perfection that is portrayed in movies, tv’s and in magazines that are airbrushed to hide the wrinkles, the acnes, and the bags under the eye; Plastic surgery is very big business where looking young and perfect is in and the same can almost be said of lives.

There is a perceived facade of perfection that we expect of others and of ourselves and if people don’t meet what we expect, we are disappointed, but not God.

Yet when we look at His word and the people He used, the stories show over and over, how ordinary people were and can be used and how, despite how critical society can be, and though we can talk the talk, when it comes to broken people, our actions speak less than what we say our do, that God, does, can and loves broken people who are often more open to His word of hope, grace and mercy that He offers.

Francis J. Allison wrote a poem that went,

“A crowd of troubles passed him by
As he with courage waited;
He said, “Where do you troubles fly
When you are thus belated?”
“We go,” they say, “to those who mope,
Who look on life dejected,
Who meekly say ‘good bye’ to hope,
We go where we’re expected.” 

And what is God’s response to the broken hearted, to those who are without

² “No one is holy like the LORD,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.

³ “Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.

⁴ “The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.

⁵ Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.

⁶ “The LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.

⁷ The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.

⁸ He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.

“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
And He has set the world upon them.

⁹ He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.

“For by strength no man shall prevail.

¹⁰ The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the horn of His anointed.” (1 Samuel 2:2-10, New King James Version)

Even if you go to Isaiah 43:18-20 (NKJV), He shares the following,

¹⁸ “ Do not remember the former things,
Nor consider the things of old.
¹⁹ Behold, I will do a new thing,
Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert.
²⁰ The beast of the field will honor Me,
The jackals and the ostriches,
Because I give waters in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert,
To give drink to My people, My chosen.
(Isaiah 43:18-20, New King James Version)

and of course there is:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

Without question, we live in a skeptical world.

What can be expected where man often has unattainable ideas of what is perfect that changes with culture, with time, with emotions and yet, God has said, over and over…His word is perfect; Didn’t say man or mankind, but His word was perfect and we see over and over how when we try by our own devices, the broken results and yet, over and over, He gives opportunity over opportunity, in a world that may speak of second chances, but treats with harshness, mistakes.

There is nothing new under the sun that we have done and like a loving, but tough Father, He’s seen it all and yet, we, we act like rebellious teenagers who insist that its all new under the sun.

Guess what though…what makes people perfect, isn’t perceived perfection, but their flaws….Think of the movie, “Shallow Hal”, yes a secular movie, but it illustrate how shallow we can be as people and underneath what we perceived as imperfections is the real beauty.

It takes growth, maturity and understanding of what it means to not getting it right, not thinking highly of ourselves, true humility and brokenness, to understand, to see and appreciate the beauty that God sees, “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT).

There is an Indian tale called the, “Cracked Pot” that goes,

”

A Water Bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and one half pots of water in his master’s house.

The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the Water Bearer one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you.” “Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house.

Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The Water Bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, “As we return to the master’s house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.

But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologize to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot’s side?

That’s because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you’ve watered them.

For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master’s table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.””

Everyone has flaws. Everyone is going to have flaws and will not agree or just rub us the wrong way, or broken or will be hurt, but it does not make them less of a person, particularly in God’s eyes.

In the sermon, “Everybody is Somebody“, it is reminded that, “Each of us has our own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His Father’s table. In God’s great economy, nothing goes to waste.

So as we seek ways to minister together, and as God calls you to tasks He has appointed for you, don’t be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge them, and allow Him to take advantage of them, and you, too, can be the cause of beauty in His pathway.

Go out boldly, knowing that in our weakness we find His strength, and that “In Him every one of God’s promises is a Yes.” ¹

Don’t feel like you’re not good enough or talented enough or special enough; God has shown over and over that we are all worthy in His eyes and that there is something in each of us, that He can use on any scale.

Trust Him.

Have faith in Him.

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