In every encounter, we either give life or we drain it, there is no neutral exchange.
Kind God by Bishop Marvin Sapp
How kind of God to think of me/To plan each step so patiently
To rewrite dreams I thought I'd lost/Love on the cross/How kind of God
How kind of God to bring me pain/For there are things in me that pain can change
I'm not fond of tears or how much they cost/But if the hurt is worth the price for what I lost
How kind of God/Love on the cross/How kind of God
How kind of You to be/A King between two thieves
Love on the cross
I'm not what I should be/But now I see
God choses us for purpose (John 15:16; Deuteronomy 14:2, 26:18). Many times we have to go through pain for His glory, transformation, elevation, and as a testament to God’s goodness, grace, and faithfulness during the process (2 Corinthians 1:4, 6, 7).
Gracefully Broken by Tasha Cobbs-Leonard
Take all I have in these hands/And multiply, God, all that I am
And find my heart on the altar again/Set me on fire, set me on fire
My heart stands in awe of Your name/Your mighty love stands strong to the end
You will fulfill Your purpose in me/You won't forsake me, You will be with me
Here I am, God, Arms wide open, Pouring out my life, Gracefully broken.
All to Jesus now, Holding nothing back, I surrender./Your power at work in me, I’m broken gracefully./I’m strong when I am weak, I will be free.
The sermon intro to this song says that God will break you to position, promote, and put you in your right place. He doesn’t break you to hurt or destroy you, but He allows pain with grace.
Indeed, how kind of God to gracefully break us into our divine purpose. Using the words “kind” and “break” together seems ironic or sadistic. That’s not how we think of God. A kind person is friendly, generous, good-natured, loving, warm, compassionate, sympathetic, hospitable, thoughtful, affectionate, caring, and unselfish, along with many other wonderful qualities. This certainly describes the very character of God. On the other hand, to “break” means to smash, split, divide violently, and reduce to pieces, fracture, and damage. This sounds chaotic and not very God-like.
But, being gracefully broken by a kind God is an opportunity to take on God's complete perfection and strength. Surrendered at His feet with our broken pieces and torn away from the world, is the state in which God can use us. This is when we say, “God, You are in control. You are the Potter and I am the clay. Mold me as You will for Your purpose to be revealed and fulfilled.”
God cannot show His ultimate glory through us if we remain in our old states (Mark 2:22). When the painful breaking comes, we should stop the resistance and cast our burdens on Him (1 Peter 5:7). He will be our strength as we are gracefully broken (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Helen L. Gill-Smith is a native of San Francisco now residing in Pittsburg, California. She is a member of New Destiny Church. Her passions have become her ministry over the years, as she enjoys singing, directing, teaching music and children, event planning, decorating, and speaking. Her gifts make room for her as a dedicated vessel who loves to serve God and His people.