All of us carry a certain amount of brokenness. These are problems we have, mistakes we’ve made, good-plans-gone-wrong that weight us down like the proverbial tonne of bricks.

Because we think of these things as negative, we think they have no redeeming value.

But know this: Your temporary brokenness can have eternal usefulness. Here’s what I mean.

First, all of your brokenness is temporary. On the other side of death, we’ll all quickly realize that life on earth was a short sprint, and that who we were then isn’t who we’ll always be. We will be remade.

Second, the experiences you’ve had—even the negative ones—can have eternal usefulness. In other words, because of what you’ve been through, you can now have a unique perspective, or a more understanding attitude, or some hard-fought wisdom that might benefit someone else who is struggling through something similar.

It might just be what someone else needs to get them through, to open up to God, and to muster hope for a new day.

In Romans 8:28 Paul writes, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” This doesn’t mean that all things are good, but that, for those who have been called according to God’s purpose, that all things can work together for good.

Just because you’ve had challenging experiences, that doesn’t mean those experiences are wasted. You may now have a unique experience, or a more understanding attitude, or some hard-fought wisdom that can significantly help someone else who’s going through a hard time.

Your temporary brokenness can have eternal usefulness.

By Matthew Ruttan

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–Bible quotes are from the NIV.
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