Question 1

Why is brokenness such an important attitude to develop?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 51:17The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.Repentance often begins in our emotions (“heart”) when we realize how offensive our life has been to the holiness of God. But it is the breaking of our will (“spirit”) that frees us to move toward God.Psalm 147:3He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.God promises to draw close to you when you are brokenhearted about sin in your life. When you turn to God in brokenness over your sin, he begins to heal and restore you.Job 2:8-10Job scraped his skin with a piece of broken pottery as he sat among the ashes. His wife said to him, “Are you still trying to maintain your integrity? Curse God and die.” But Job replied, “You talk like a foolish woman. Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” So in all this, Job said nothing wrong.Job’s wife was in the perfect position to realize her brokenness, but instead she became bitter. Bitterness leads to dissatisfaction and irritability. Bitterness never allows God the opportunity to heal, for a bitter person looks inward, not Godward.Isaiah 66:2I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, who tremble at my word.Brokenness can express itself as humility: the realization that you can neither fix your sinfulness nor meet your deepest needs. Acknowledging your dependence on God allows him to help you in every way.

Question 2

How can I achieve an attitude of brokenness?

Accepted Answer

Job 42:5-6I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.Brokenness comes as we more clearly realize God’s holiness in contrast to our own sinfulness. It can give us the distinct impression, as it did to Job, that we are meeting God for the first time.Ezekiel 20:41When I bring you home from exile, you will be like a pleasing sacrifice to me. And I will display my holiness through you as all the nations watch.We often need to feel our brokenness before we let ourselves become part of God’s bigger plan. While none of God’s people wanted to be carried away into exile, their homecoming proved to the world that God is powerful to save.

Question 3

How should I respond when I realize my brokenness?

Accepted Answer

Lamentations 1:20Lord, see my anguish! My heart is broken and my soul despairs, for I have rebelled against you.Turn to God and ask for his help. Circumstances may be driving you to God, but don’t neglect the role your sin has played in the tragedies of your life. God is the only one who can truly and fully restore what has been broken.

Question 4

How should leaders respond to brokenness?

Accepted Answer

2 Samuel 12:13David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.”Effective leaders allow other people to confront them with the truth. But even that can be risky: Nathan had to conceal his rebuke to David inside a story. He wisely led David to pass judgment on himself before he realized what he was doing. A wise leader knows the difference between blind loyalty and the best loyalty, which speaks the truth even when it hurts.Psalm 51:1-4Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night. Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.When a leader falls into sin, he must fall to his knees to be restored. David was guilty of adultery with Bathsheba and also of the murder of her husband, Uriah. Sin doesn’t get much worse than that! Yet when confronted (see 2 Samuel 12), David didn’t run from God. He didn’t make excuses for his failure, nor did he give up in despair. Instead, he acknowledged God’s justice and cast himself on God’s mercy. And he even made his confession public through this psalm.John 21:15After breakfast Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” Peter replied, “you know I love you.”Peter’s denial of Jesus had broken his spirit (see John 18). But Jesus, in this resurrection appearance, restored Peter. He gave Peter the opportunity to undo his denial by reaffirming his love for Jesus. Leaders should come alongside those who are broken by their failures, much like God comforts us in our own failures.