January 23, 2024

This past Sunday in my series called “Deep Change,” I made a statement that can’t be overemphasized. The main ingredient for real change is BROKENNESS. It’s the total ownership of where we’re at and how we got there. It’s the sincere desire to shed who we’ve been and be and live differently. Brokenness is the raw material that God uses to make something different out of us. It’s what David writes about in Psalm 51 when he says, “The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.” Brokenness is the “dust” from which God makes a brand-new creation.
You see that in our Prodigal Son. He admits his sin. He confesses his offenses to both God and his father. He takes full responsibility for his actions and is willing to accept whatever consequences or punishment that he is due. He doesn’t try to deflect or deny. He doesn’t try to minimize or excuse. He declares both his guilt and his unworthiness. And that “broken and contrite heart” told his father all he needed to know. His son was ready to CHANGE.
Now contrast the young son to how many people try to deal with the messes they make. They blame. They excuse. They dodge and weave and come up with reasons why they’re not at fault or why they shouldn’t be penalized for what they did. Even if they “confess,” it’s with the expectation that what they did should be overlooked. Listen very carefully to this: Many people don’t want to change. They just want to escape the pain or the consequences of their actions. They are not broken people. They’re cons. They are not truly sorrowful or remorseful for what they did. They are simply sorry they got caught. And there’s a huge difference between the two.
Broken people become better people. They see grace as a precious gift and protect that gift with all they have. Broken people are humble. They know they are owed nothing but are incredibly blessed to have received much. Broken people don’t just ask for forgiveness. They repent. That means they make a 180-degree turn in the way they think and the way they live. On the day the son stood before his father, he gave him more than just an apology. He gave him the son that his father had always longed for. That’s the blessing of brokenness. That’s God’s Word for you today.