Broken

[HazelWings]

I've been going through a tough time lately, and while praying the other day I felt a quiet whisper that I'm being broken to be made stronger again...

So my question is this: Do you believe things or people can become stronger after they're broken?

 

[peacechild4]

I don't know sis.. GOD says when we are weak HE is strong.. I guess being broken the only one who can fix us is GOD.. and HE can fix broken things better then before.. Sorry for all the hard times.. It is encouraging that something better can come out of it.. but the going through times seem so long and strung out don't they..

 

[Marycita]

I think in most cases, if not all...in fact, I reckon it is all...it's necessary for us to be broken in order to be stronger...When we are broken, tried, tested, etc., then He is able to come in and make us stronger to be poured out for His glory...

Romans 5:3-5 - And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.


Acts 14:22 - Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.


John 15:1-2 - I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

(catch that? He purgeth - cleans, makes better, cleanse of filth - so that we may bear more fruit - and many times the purging requires a breaking of sorts)


oh I have several other verses I could mention on this..but I want to encourage you to, as you walk through this, rejoice...


1 Peter 4:12-17 - Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?


Praying for you, dear sister!

 

[Amber.ly]

I love this video and it seems to fit the topic:

lindsey haun broken - YouTube




On a more personal note- I don't believe that you grow only out of brokenness. Does and can it happen? Yes. But I see that as more of a sign of God's grace to us than a neccesity.

I think all the verses Mary posted are a great jumping off point. I would go take a few weeks and do a study on this, I think if you spend time *actively* searching God's Word for the truth then you can't help but be on the right track.

 

[Inkachu]

AB.SO.LUTELY.

Nobody needs to hear my life story, but I've witnessed it in my own life, more than once, as well as the lives of my family around me.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Isaiah 48:10 See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

Romans 5:3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

 

[Blank123]

i think it depends entirely on your attitude. If you allow it to strengthen you and allow God to use it to mold you into the person He wants you to be: yes.


I see you being this kind of person too. Granted we don't know eachother well, but thats the vibe I get from you. You're not the kind of person to wallow in self-pity. You're the kind of person that sees reason to things and thats the kind of attitude that will help you grow through this tough time.

 

[MacFall]

Yes, if there's something wrong that cannot just be patched up.

If a human being can be compared to a house, with the spirit (by which I mean, a person's essential ego; their most fundamental characteristics) as the foundation, then if something is wrong with the foundation that is causing problems to appear in the major structure, simply fixing those problems won't help anything. You might have to take down an entire wall to get to the foundation, and then dig up and fix the foundation.

I think that has to happen to everyone at some point. Otherwise, nobody would resist being delivered from their sin. However, I also think that most problems are relatively superficial and do not require structural adjustment, so to speak, to be solved, once our foundations are set straight.

The question is, how long that process of setting the foundation straight will take, and whether it can be done in one session or not. I know people who, from the moment of their accepting Christ, became completely different. All the other major changes in their lives seemed to happen naturally, if not always quickly. But others (such as myself) seem to require occasional readjustments. And those always hurt.

 

[Obzocky]

i think it depends entirely on your attitude. If you allow it to strengthen you and allow God to use it to mold you into the person He wants you to be: yes.

This, basically.

Some people need to be broken in order to start changing their life, some people remain broken. Not everyone needs to be broken, some people can grow without it, in fact I would put my head in the noose and say most people do not require it. But when it happens, the process that an individual (or indeed individuals) go through, will determine the strength of the glue they use to piece themselves back together.

It's like ... some people need to hit rock bottom, to wake up and find themselves at the lowest they've ever been, before they are willing to seek help, they need to be broken, to feel like they need to repair themselves, otherwise they will never grow. For others they just need to get a little crack here and here, perhaps a smudge, a mere dent, but they can grow from that. Each life is different, the degree to which they need to repair themselves varies with the differences.

And to avoid going too far down that road: Yes. They can.

and to echo LT I do think you will come out of this stronger, if you recognise the fact you're being broken and something is telling you that this will let you build yourself up with some mighty strong glue ... well, that's two feet on the road already where others are still rolling in the gutter muck.

 

[peacechild4]

I love this video and it seems to fit the topic:

lindsey haun broken - YouTube




On a more personal note- I don't believe that you grow only out of brokenness. Does and can it happen? Yes. But I see that as more of a sign of God's grace to us than a neccesity.

I think all the verses Mary posted are a great jumping off point. I would go take a few weeks and do a study on this, I think if you spend time *actively* searching God's Word for the truth then you can't help but be on the right track.

The song and video are beautiful.. thanks for sharing..

 

[Lord Herdsetk]

I've been going through a tough time lately, and while praying the other day I felt a quiet whisper that I'm being broken to be made stronger again...

So my question is this: Do you believe things or people can become stronger after they're broken?

Sometimes they become stronger, sometimes they become wiser.

For example, there's a misconception that has been going around that bones that break actually become stronger after they heal. Well, those bones do become stronger for a time as more calcium is being deposited to that bone to form a callus, but eventually they're no stronger or weaker than they were before the incident that caused them to break in the first place after they have been given time to heal.

From my own experiences, I would experience tremendous strength after being broken then lifted up. I would feel that I could make a serious difference in the lives of those around me. After a while though, that strength, that drive, would leave me, and I would fall back into the tedium of everyday life. My wounds would heal, but I was no stronger than before. I had grown stronger for a bit, but I had let the bone slip back into place without contemplating what caused it to break in the first place. Years later, I'm finally revisiting these old scars, and am finally learning from them.

I only know a bit about what's going on in your life, and I... well I don't feel sorry for you in the sense that I pity you. I can sympathize with you though. To an extent, I know what its like to be in a state of spiritual free fall and to have to deal with loved ones who aren't really helping. I don't have nearly as many responsibilities as you do though, so it would be unfair for me to give you too much advice as if I know what I'm talking about.

The only thing I can really say is that, yes, people do get stronger if they take the circumstances that broke their spirit and learn from them. More than that, they should find others in similar circumstances and talk it out with them. People need others to grow as human beings, as we need God to grow. I would say that's why we feel so relieved to have others hear us. Its not that we're looking for answers or pity, but someone that we can relate too. We want others who know what we're talking about to talk to.

As I said before, I don't know if anything has changed in your life since I last spoke to you. I could be completely off base from what you're talking about, and that's fine. If you don't mind me asking though, have you tried finding a group of people you could talk to about what's going on in your life who are going through similar things that you are?

 

[acropolis]

Sometimes people get maimed for no reason at all, and not every wound heals completely. There may be a silver lining to every cloud, but sometimes the cloud is so massive it doesn't help much.

edit: I suspect that anyone who sincerely believes that 'what doesn't kill you just makes you stronger' has lead a relatively cushy life, or else have no respect for how deeply some people can be injured.

 

[PinkSweetart]

I like some of the encouragment that has been given. But I'll add this verse

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2-4

So it is through our weaknesses and brokennes that God can mold us into better people.


I'm praying for you!

 

[HazelWings]

Can I just say, WOW, you guys are amazing!!!! I wasn't expecting such uplifting response, THANK YOU SO MUCH!

 

[welshman]

Absolutely. You have to in a sense, come to Christ in the first place for salvation as broken. While you may not be "on your knees" with your world coming crashing down, you realise that without God you can do nothing of yourself.

While you may be going through a tough time (I'm not sure what it is as we have never spoken) just remember if you let God work through you...He will allow you to be used in ways you never imagined.

See Romans 8:28

 

[anewday]

I've been going through a tough time lately, and while praying the other day I felt a quiet whisper that I'm being broken to be made stronger again...

So my question is this: Do you believe things or people can become stronger after they're broken?

Hey girl . Major hugs coming your way . Yes, you can become stronger after being broken. Trust in God that He will get you through your trials, and He will do amazing things for you. As for the comments about how long it takes, I agree that everyone is different. I broke a few years ago, and I have yet to see the end of my tough time. Despite this, I know I have changed and become stronger .

 

[elenore]

I was just reading in the bible this morning, the part where David was telling Saul how he used to kill lions and bears as a shepherd boy. Now I've read the story before, but this time I noticed another layer. David tells saul, that if a lion or bear refused to leave after David had rescued the sheep from its mouth, he would 'take it by the jaw and kill it'.
Now think about it. This was a guy who didn't even have hair on his chest at this point (from all accounts.) No beard. Teenager. I imagine he had a knife or weapon, BUT - his point was, he trusted God to deliver him from the lion and bear. And herein lies his secret. He went at the bear or lion trusting that God would give him the victory. Thus he was able to go at Goliath with only a slingshot with the same faith.

Trust. Faith. Built (but trust and faith.)
That was a revelation to me. So David had this incredible faith before he even faced Goliath - but THEN, God had him running away from Saul for his life in the wilderness for 12 years or so. Wildnerness, with a bunch of criminals and runaways. And finally he even gave up - finally came to the point where he went over to the philistines because he was so downcast and hopeless of God delivering him.

This was David. The mightiest king in biblical history. So God even broke him. Despite his great faith.

I believe it's impossible to be a really effective christian without whatever in this process God wishes to put you through. The more you accept, the stronger you'll become - because 'when I am weak, then I am strong' - ie then we depend upon God.
Our own strength can only get us so far. Gods however, can change the world.

All the greats in the bible (whose story has enough coverage) were broken. You can't get something for nothing with God.

 

[Mess]

Blind post, but yeah I believe this. Simple fact is, if everything keeps going great if you just follow your own will, you'll never learn to follow His. By being broken we learn to let things go, and truly follow His lead, and just put our faith in Him. Sometimes things are holding you back, things you don't even realise. I'm going through this same thing these last few months, and I've already learned so much. He's already taught me so much.

 

[HazelWings]

Thank you for your thoughts and wisdom!

 

[Tehchad]

So my question is this: Do you believe things or people can become stronger after they're broken?

Yes, and it's seen in many places. Forest fires clean out underbrush and dead trees so that the forest may grow back stronger. I was frauded out of about $2500 when my monthly income was about $500. I'm so much bigger a man than I was.
Tough times are, well, tough. But I've got faith in God and he is taking care of you!

 

[Irrkunst]

You are not broken. Sometimes bad things happen to everybody. That is just a basic fact of life. What is important is how you deal with them. There's no need to go into complex issues of theology and religion when logic is staring you right in the face.