Sunday, April 18, 2010

The Breaking Process by Jentzen Franklin

"Your kingdom come. Your will be done." Mt 6:10 NKJV

In the breaking process God's intention is not to destroy your will, but redirect it; not to rob you of self-worth, but to let you see that He is the source of your worth. Gideon's three hundred soldiers had to break their pitchers, which made them vulnerable to attack, before the light within them could shine out and the enemy be defeated (See Jdg 7). Elisha had to break his plow, which represented his financial security, before he could qualify for a double portion of God's Spirit (See 1Ki 19:19-21). Mary had to break her alabaster box, which represented her dowry and hope for marriage, in order to receive Christ's highest commendation (See Mk 14:3-9). Brokenness is costly; it happens in stages. Stage 1: Repentance. After his affair with Bathsheba David prayed, "The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit" (Ps 51:17 NLT). Stage 2: Discipline. "I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (1Co 9:27 NKJV). Stage 3: Intimacy. You love prayer and God's Word because you "connect" with Him through them. But you'll have to fight the distractions around you to get to the place of intimacy, and fight the carnality within you to stay there. The real issue in brokenness is-submitting to God's control. Dick Rasanen writes: "Dear God, I find it so easy to try to be the one in charge. I find it so painful to realize that I am not the one in control. Help me to know when saying ‘I just work here' it's a confession, and not just a way of evading responsibility."

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