Take a look around. There are hurting people everywhere. You have been hurt by this thing called life and so have I. We live in a world that breaks. What can we do about that? Is it alright to simply slap a band-aid on the globe or is there something so much more that we need (and can) do?
In order to help those around us we must first seek Jesus. We ourselves hurt and break. People lie to us, friendships are broken, our parents get divorced, our boyfriend cheats on us, we are misunderstood and misused. There is real pain and hurt in the world and as Christians, we experience that brokenness too. But, we have Someone that we can turn to for strength in the midst of our pain. We have Someone who will lift our burdens and comfort us.
I firmly believe that every circumstance that we go through and experience is for a reason. God can use your pain to help someone else come closer to Him. Maybe you never thought that something good could come out of your parents’ divorce until the moment you shared your story with a girl at school and as a result she began to attend church with you. Maybe you never thought anything good could come from your unwanted pregnancy until you found the opportunity to share your story with pre-teen girls and saved them from pre-marital sex. God can use our brokenness to point the lost to His arms. We just have to be willing to share our scars and bruises. Yep, they hurt and they are not pretty to look at. Most of the time we really don’t want to re-surface those memories, but there can be real healing when we do. And when we allow Jesus to use us to help someone else, we are blessed in return. The pain you have experienced in life is still there, but now instead of it crippling you, you have allowed Jesus to empower you.
Once we really wrestle with God and allow Him to take control in the midst of life’s thunderstorms, we need to look for opportunities to glorify Him. Simply put, praise Jesus in every situation. When you are crying out for help, praise Him for hearing you. And when you are rejoicing in the sunlight, praise Him for His faithfulness. People watch how you live. They want to see if you can overcome obstacles and when they see that you indeed can overcome they wonder “how?” This is the perfect time to point them to your Creator.
I have been able to connect with people who have been “on the outside looking in” or so to speak. I like to keep a special eye out for new kids at youth group or school because I know how hard it is to try to fit in at a new school or church. I know the pain that can come with moving and trying to meet new friends. But instead of forgetting that feeling, I have chosen to remember the pain of when I didn’t really “fit in” because then I can help other new people feel welcomed.
If there is only one thing that you do, simply love others. A famous quote goes something like this, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Care about the world around you. Don’t forget what it feels like to cry out to God. Too often we cry out to Jesus in our weakness and forget about Him in our strength. Remember Him when you are standing on the mountain and help those around you climb to the top.
Across the Sky’s song Broken World is an amazing song in how we can cling to Jesus through the pain and point this “Broken World” around us to Him.
Promises shattered Answers don’t come Friends say goodbye Plans come undone Dreams get crushed Lies get told Words can turn cruel Hearts can grow cold In a broken world where we cry to feel Some hope that helps these hearts to heal You’re my strength, You’re my refuge In a broken world, Jesus I’m holding to You You make sense of the madness And You make darkness flee You bring such a calm To the chaos in me Show me life Tell me truth Day after day I keep running to You
Jesus promises “I will never leave you or forsake you…” and He will be there with you through the sunshine and the rain. He will guide you as you hug those in need. After all, we are His hands and feet…
