Last night I was discussing with Michelle some of the things going on in our life and the lives of several close friends and it was so clear to me that the world is broken. We don’t like to face reality and stare the brokenness in the face. We don’t want to feel the discomfort of knowing people need help and not helping. We don’t want to admit that the mistakes we watch others make could very well be our own one day. We don’t want to acknowledge that life actually sucks and is in need of restoration.
Instead we like to distract ourselves with good things, happy times, and the false feeling that if we work hard enough, we can make this life great. But if we actually examine this world, we will find out its not the truth. The truth is that the world flawed, people are damaged, lives are shattered, and even though your life may be going well for you right now, thats not the case for countless others.
We have one friend heading into an ugly divorce, another friend battling with DHS about an orphan of the state who is being ignored by those in DHS entrusted to care for her, and our own eye-opening experience learning about struggles of African immigrants in Des Moines. These just a few of my very close examples of a broken world. I’m not talking about the world wide examples of brokenness like starving children, oppressive government regimes with civil wars, the sex trade industry, or America’s many addictions to drugs, alcohol, gambling, and food. I’m talking about real people in my life facing heart wrenching situations because this world is not right – it is completely and totally broken.
And like most people, I have covered my eyes and ears from these situations for years, trying to look out only for myself – make sure that I kept my life on track. But that can’t be my only goal, to keep my life moving forward while I hide from those around me dealing with the mess of life. I need to get involved. I need to help protect the innocent, care for the orphan, encourage the single mom, and support the immigrant. And while I can’t do all those things, I need to find something I am passionate about and throw myself at it. And so do you.
“God, this world is broken and in need of a savior. Thank you that you know this and already sent Jesus. Help me to bring the Good News of Jesus into the messes of people’s lives, at least offer them a hope for the future when one day this world will be restored.”
mary dotson
July 14, 2011
AMEN! Let’s all work on encouraging, praying for, and assisting the broken lives around us. Help us to be the hands and feet of Jesus, but letting Him do the actual healing! Thanks for the kind but strong reminder!
Yolanda
July 18, 2011
But we are to be a broken people otherwise we would not seek him because we would be complete w/o him and he would have died in vain. It is about realizing that we are to help each other and He is to be glorified in all of this.