When People Break Your Heart

“If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart.”  ― Oswald Chambers

Can we take a second to be honest.  My heart is broken.  It is just a natural product of living in a fallen world.  I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on it, however.  I don't think we spend enough time talking about the harsh realities of disappointment.  Don't get us wrong.  We love our God and Savior, His ministry in Las Delicias, our team, Hondurans, Honduras, and hosting short term teams.  But people and circumstances are sticky...and sinful.

People are going to say things they don't mean.  People are going to say things they do mean.  People are going to steal from me.  People are going to steal from our ministry.  People are going to think they know how to run the Lord's ministry in our community better than us because they have read some recent book on missions.  People will be products of their own culture and not adapt well to the culture they are visiting.  Me included. People will be selfish.  People will be sinful. People are going to break your heart. Guaranteed.

The common denominator is in how we respond.  We choose to respond with grace.  We may weep and have our feelings hurt.  We may long for our heavenly home full of perfection and void of sin.  We may want to call it quits, throw in the towel, send up the white flag but the Lord calls us to persevere, to give grace, and to follow Him.  We don't bite back when words cause us pain.  We don't stop serving with our time, our efforts, and physical gifts because something has been taken from us.

When I say we respond with grace, I mean the Gospel message.  I mean Christ.  We look to Christ. We look to the good news.  We are sinners.  All of us.  Adam sinned. We all sin. EVERY. DAY.  God is holy and perfect.  We can't be in His presence and neither can any other person that we deal with on a daily basis regardless of our upbringing, race, culture, or language.  We can only look to Christ to bridge the gap.  All of us.  Christ is the only person who can provide intercession between us, sinners, and a holy God.  Christ.  That's it.  I have to look to Him for my answers.

So when my feelings are hurt, I can only look to Christ to give me the righteous response to that person.  As a sinner who has been forgiven much, I can forgive.  As a sinner who has been given Christ, I can share Christ in response by giving the same grace that has been extended to me.  I can move on from being discouraged by Americans and Hondurans, teammates and short term missionaries, family and friends, WHOMEVER because I know that I get up daily and trust in the greatest Hope that has been given to me, Jesus Christ.  I can be encouraged that Christ has saved me and will give me the strength and power to show all I come across His message, His grace.  I can be encouraged that people and circumstances are messy here but it's because we don't belong here.  We are not home yet.  Perfection is but round the corner though! Heaven awaits.