One of the reasons I love the Word of
God so much is because it is incredibly real. Throughout the Bible, we read of
men and women whose dirty laundry is exposed for the whole world to see. It
would seem there is no other reason for
God to do this, unless He wanted us to learn from their lives, and to see that
life and circumstances are not always neat and clean. When we read their
stories, we find encouragement in God’s ability to take their dirty laundry,
wash it, and hang it on the line for the whole world to marvel at His gracious,
cleansing power.
The apostle Paul, who knew by
experience the cleansing of his dirty laundry, wrote in Philippians 2:12-13:
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed,
not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will
and to do for His good pleasure.”
As Paul grew in his relationship with
Jesus, he acknowledged the truth that he could not ‘work out’ his salvation in
his own strength, because he wasn’t the source of it. What a crucial truth we
all need to realize in our own lives. God, as the Source, is at ‘work in’ us,
energizing and creating the power and desire to ‘work out’ His will, and to do
His good pleasure. The more we submit to His rule and reign in our lives and
cooperate with the Holy Spirit, the more we see the ‘working out’ of His will
that will ultimately bring Him the greatest satisfaction and joy.
I believe Paul’s ‘working out’ his own
salvation with fear and trembling characterized his vulnerability and
transparency. He wasn’t afraid to hang out his dirty laundry, or share where he
had come from. His immediate struggles were not hidden either, as he knew the
One who washed him clean, would do the same for them.
For me, Paul knew the art of
brokenness. You can track it throughout his writings to the many churches he
was overseeing at the time. He had every right to be a “know-it-all” with his
religious credentials, but he chose to demonstrate he knew “none-of-it” saying
that he determined not to know anything among them except Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. This spiritual leader admits to the Corinthian church that he was
with them in weakness, in fear and in much trembling. He didn’t use persuasive
words of human wisdom in his speaking and preaching to them, rather in a
demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Why? So that their faith should not
be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God (1 Corinthians 2:1-5).
It’s amazing how God’s kingdom operates
opposite to the world we live in. I call them the paradoxical principles of
God’s kingdom. This one being: power coming out of weakness; wholeness coming
out of brokenness. So much of the world was reached with the good news of Jesus
because Paul was willing to allow God’s power to be demonstrated out of his
weakness. Now thousands of years later, we’re reading his letters and finding
our wholeness in Christ because he was willing to be broken.
I can testify to this in my own life on
numerous occasions. Several years ago when I was living in Harare, Zimbabwe I
was going through quite an intense season of brokenness. God was highlighting
issues in my heart that were not becoming of a child of His. In the midst of my
brokenness over my sin, God said I would be writing a story about that part of
my journey. I out rightly refused, saying it was already too painful going
through the process, let alone writing about it. The Holy Spirit, in His
gentlemanly way, nudged me in the direction of writing notes on scrap pieces of
paper, and sure enough in time, I could see clearly enough to write a parable
about my journey. The story “Hand-Tailored” became a play, which God used to
minister to those watching. Now, I have included it in my book “The Treasure
Within” and it’s still being used to challenge and encourage the readers on
their journey with Jesus. Yes, it’s true, power does come out of our weakness
and wholeness does come out of our brokenness!
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