How To Find Beauty in Your Broken World

Brokenness just keeps coming, doesn’t it? 

Listen to the news. Walk into a school classroom and observe the kids. Get out of bed for another day. 

Brokenness is present in the way we speak, how we act, and what we think. It’s seen in technology failures, bombings, and the hurling of insults, and the prevalence of pornography, divorce and abortion. It’s experienced in our day to day life. 

Not Smooth but Redeemed

Sometimes it seems like my life is coming together. Smooth sailing ahead. Gulp

Can I give you some advice? Never say “smooth sailing is ahead.” Never believe there aren’t storms on the horizon. Never expect a life of constant sweetness. 

That’s not to say never hope! In fact I’d say always hope. If that hope is in the right place, you never have to despair, even when something looks hopeless.

According to the Apostle Paul, Abraham had his hope rightly placed: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed …” (Romans 4:18a). 

My point is you set yourself up for disappointment if you buy into a prosperity theology that if you’re a strong enough Christian, you won’t feel the effects of this broken world. That is not biblical!

During the time you walk on earth, you will experience the aftershocks of a world steeped in sin. 

But Jesus … He redeems the brokenness! He restores hope to the hopeless. He brings beauty to the broken.

Living on earth, you will experience the aftershocks of a sin-filled world. But Jesus redeems the brokenness! Share on X

There’s no way around it: You and I live in a broken world. As has every human being since Adam and Eve. 

Yet God had a plan to rescue us from that brokenness. And it’s a good plan. And it’s for everyone who believes in Jesus Christ and repents. 

Beauty in the Broken

That very good plan is to bring us out of this broken life into an eternal life with God where no sorrow will find us. Through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the Father accomplished that very thing. 

There’s great beauty and joy for a Christian to look ahead to our eternity with Jesus. However, the Lord didn’t leave us in this broken world to muddle through it the best we can until we reach our glory. 

No, Jesus’ death and resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit allow us to experience beauty right in the midst of the broken. We will have troubles … sin will affect us. 

Jesus' death & resurrection allow us to experience beauty right in the midst of the broken. Share on X

But God’s sweet grace ministers to us in the here and now. He gifts us with peace and joy now … on earth, not just later when we enter heaven.

Thanks to our Savior, beauty exists on earth right smack in the middle of the broken. 

Thanks to our Savior, beauty exists on earth right smack in the middle of the broken. Share on X

Broken dreams. Broken plans. Broken children. Broken hearts.

The Lord will heal them, once finally and forever.

But for now, He binds our brokenness often and continuously, filling our hearts with joy and peace even as we sorrow. Giving us hope when human logic says there is none. 

Because of Jesus, we can find beauty in the broken. Trust Him. Let Him redeem the broken in your life, and ask Him to reveal the present beauty. 

“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

Reflections: What brokenness are you experiencing? Are you trusting Jesus to provide the beauty in the midst of your sorrow? 

It’s been more than 5 years of counting and I’ve well passed 5,000 gifts in Ann Voskamp’s Joy Dare! What a blessing! Here are numbers #5367–5387. Read my entire list by clicking here.

• What a day of joys! Wonderful news that Rachel was voted by her class to be on the homecoming court!; God’s hand on my new book release; Watching a great West Delaware JV football game and Joey playing well
• Rach’s sweet friend keeping me informed me about Homecoming etiquette; Unexpected blessing in a cancelled appointment; Receiving a letter from my niece who is at U.S. Marine Corps basic training
• Visiting a dear old friend; Taking time out of online ministry tasks to refresh and refocus with garden work; Ending the day listening to my Pandora hymns station
• Clearing my mind with a morning wog; Quick-fix meals for those busy days; Back in editing mode as I resume work that actually pays 🙂
• God’s blessings on my new book; Safe, fun and beautiful Camp Courageous for Rach to enjoy this weekend; Finished canning for the year
• Watching Joey’s first marching band competition of the season = great start for WD Pride; Gorgeous moon over the lake; Figured out some driving-me-crazy image and book formatting!
• Planning a getaway with friends; Picking up my girlie from camp; Formatting the #EverydayPraise images for print = one step closer