Esteemed by God

In the book of Isaiah, we see a glimpse into God’s heart for the broken.

In Isaias 66: 2 God says, “But to whom shall I have respect, but to him that is poor and little, and of a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at my words?.”

But we have a problem. By nature, we all are the opposite of the one whom He respects. We are all unbroken. We are as solid as the hardest substance you can find— unbending, self-centered, self-ambitious and never wanting to give in.

We are part of a world in which we are told, either directly or indirectly, “Fight for your rights! Be your own person! What matters is success, ability, personality, position, being important and first class in everything.” This is ingrained in us.

A well known person once said, “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.” You see, in the work the Lord does in our lives, salvation is just the beginning; the majority of the work remains— the work of the cross. Through the cross, God is continually trying to break us of our own hard self. In the measure in which we can be broken, in the same measure we shall experience the resurrection life and the rivers of living water that flow without hindrance. How can we tell if we are broken or unbroken? When we have embraced the work of the cross, our lives will reflect the beauty of our Savior. But when we are still unbroken, our lives look very different.

I want to present some questions, which hopefully will shed some light on your heart so you may see what condition it is in.

• Do you focus on the failures of others?

Are you quick to blame people when things have gone wrong? 

• Do you become defensive when someone criticizes you, the work you did or the things you’ve said?

When we are unbroken, we tend to have a self-protective spirit, regarding our own lives as precious— are you like this, protective of your time, your rights and your reputation?

• Do you compare yourself to others and feel deserving of honor?

Are you driven to be recognized and strive to do things— even spiritually— to find appreciation from others?
Are you easily wounded when others are promoted and you are overlooked? Because of unbrokenness, we can find it very difficult to share our real spiritual need with others.

• Do you make certain that no one finds out about your sin?

Unbrokenness can often make us blind to our own true heart condition, thinking we have no need of repentance.

• Do you have a hard time saying, “I was wrong. Would you forgive me?”

We need broken people in the Catholic Church. You may say, "I believe that Francis is the Pope." Okay...but are you broken and humble before Christ? "I believe that there is no Pope at this time." The issue for you should first be, are you broken and totaly comitted to Christ. "I am a Independent Catholic, a NSPX, a SSPV, a....." whatever! But the real question should be are you totally surrendered to Christ? Are you broken and spilt out for Him who gave his life for you?

All these titles are nothing in compared to that! God is looking for humble people. He resides with the lowly of heart. In fact, this is exactly what Isaias 57: 15 says: “For thus saith the High and the Eminent that inhabiteth eternity: and his name is Holy, who dwelleth in the high and holy place, and with a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite."

Take a moment and ask the Lord to show you areas of your life that remain unbroken. Are you willing to humble yourself and surrender these areas so that He may do His work in your heart?