The life of Job is a well-known account that has been retold countless times. Yesterday’s retelling, however, was the most unique rendition I’ve ever experienced… The focus was not so much on the details of the loss and restoration that Job experienced, but on the importance of having the right perspective – seeing the broader picture. Reverend Henrico D. White reminded us (through the story of a poor woodsman, a missing horse and a broken son) of the danger of making a judgment based on a fragment of information… Something that appears to be bad may prove to be good; we cannot rightly determine any life-fragment to be a blessing or a curse when we process them out of context. When we encounter the fragments of life, we must endeavor to ‘know what we know’, to state only what is and not rush to pass judgment. This is the key to being “Bruised, But Not Broken”: We must be content to know what we know, and not be perturbed by what we don’t – don’t draw conclusions, but to focus on God’s purpose.
When we recognize that our stories are just small details within God’s ultimate story, we can embrace the truth that the ‘bad’ things that we encounter are purposed to produce good in our lives. With the story of Job as the backdrop, Reverend White encouraged us to:
- Wait on God – Know that God is up to something. (Chapter 14)
- Watch God – God’s delayed response comes as questions to stun, not answers to inform. (Chapter 38)
- Win with God – God speaks out of the storm, into the storm, directly to Job in the midst of the storm. (Chapter 42)
Like Job, life may bring us fragments that are painful, but we must know that our pain has purpose and our story does not end at the inception of the pain. Our Story Is Not Over – God has another chapter, so ANTICIPATE THE CHANGE! Because God’s purpose will prevail, He will use our ‘Bruiseness’ to bring someone else out of their ‘Brokenness’. Like Job’s friends, there are those around us who came to judge us in our ‘Bruiseness’, but their coming is a setup for us to pray them out of their ‘Brokenness’. When we allow God’s purpose to govern our perspective, we avail ourselves of the opportunities to confirm God’s message through Paul, “All things work together for good…” God has anointed us with His grace which gives us the strength to endure; He has assigned victory as our constant companion; He has positioned us to serve as His conduits in the earth through which He will heal brokenness. God’s plan is perfected in us: We are ‘Bruised, But Not Broken’ so the broken can be healed.