Our Broken Pieces – Forgiveness & Restoration
Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hatred. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness. Corrie Ten Boom
We live in a broken world, and we are all faced with this in one way or another. The brokenness that we experience can stem from physical abuse that leaves visible scars or emotional abuse that leaves scars that are invisible to the world, but are engraved on our souls. These scars form tendrils that can sometimes have far-reaching effects, not only for ourselves but also for others. These scars can be formed by rejection, abandonment, gaslighting, intimidation, or negative words, which inevitably have a devastating impact on our lives. The scarring can lead to low self-worth, anxiety, guilt, resentment, bitterness and uncontrolled emotions. It can even lead to depression, panic attacks and self-harm. The pain and heartache that stem from this can leave us paralysed and unable to find a way out of our brokenness. But we need not despair, Jesus is with us and sees our brokenness. He sees our heartache, our tears and shame. He hears our cry for help. Psalm 34:17-18 (NLT) says, “The Lord hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.”
Jesus, the man of sorrows, not only sees our brokenness but is acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experienced the agony of being separated from His Father. The rejection and abandonment He felt was so palpable that His sweat dripped from His face like droplets of blood. Despite the agony, Jesus did the will of the Father by dying on the Cross so that we may be forgiven and set free from our brokenness.
Our Story
The Japanese art of restoring broken pottery, Kintsugi, is a wonderful illustration of how Jesus takes our broken pieces and puts them back together again. When the Kintsugi technique is applied to broken pottery, the pieces are first attached with a special lacquer called urushi. The lacquer is then dusted with gold, silver or platinum powder, which gives it its aesthetic appeal. The philosophy of Kintsugi is that there is a story behind every broken piece of pottery. For us as followers of Jesus Christ, part of that story is forgiveness. Jesus set the example when He died on the cross on our behalf (Colossians 3:13) and wants us to emulate this. When we don’t forgive, we give those who have harmed us permission to hold us captive, to shackle us to the past. Forgiving others doesn’t mean we forget what happened to us, but it does mean we are free to let go of the past, immerse ourselves in the here and now and move into the future God has for us.
Some of us may find it difficult to forgive those who have caused us pain because we think that when we do, we are approving of their behaviour and letting them off the hook. Or perhaps we see forgiveness as a sign of weakness. But the truth is that forgiveness takes courage and is a sign of strength, not weakness. Or perhaps we can't see how forgiveness can change our situation. But there is power in forgiveness. It has the power to release us from captivity, making us bolder, stronger, more confident and wiser. It opens our eyes to the glorious gift of forgiveness that Jesus gave us. It opens our eyes to see the power of our Healer and Restorer to make all things new.
Reflection
Are you struggling to forgive those who have harmed you? I would like to invite you to think of forgiveness as the lacquer that Jesus can use to put your broken pieces together and bring wholeness to your life.
Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, you see my tears and cries for help. You see my heavy heart. I cannot carry the burden of my brokenness anymore. I give them to you. Give me the courage to forgive those who have harmed me so that I can be unshackled from my past and be healed and restored. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
