Theres a story about a little boy who was very poor and needed shoes. He was standing in front of a shoe store, barefoot and shivering with cold. A woman approached him and asked him why he was standing there, looking through the window. He told her, Well, maam, I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes. The woman took the boy into the store, washed his dirty, bare feet and put new socks and shoes on them. The boy was so touched by her compassion that he asked her, Maam, are you Gods wife? He assumed if she showed him that kind of love, she must be related to God.
This story is one of the best examples of what it means to walk in love. And our goal as Christians is to show Gods love so people see Jesus shining through us.
It Starts with Communion
Matthew 26:26 (AMP) says, Jesus took bread and, praising God, gave thanks and asked Him to bless it to their use, and when He had broken it, He gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat; this is My body. Its interesting to see here that Jesus blessed the bread, broke it, and then gave it to the disciples. We usually refer to this scripture when we have communion to remind us of the sacrifice He made for us. And just as He gave His life and was broken for us, we must be broken so we can live for Him.
We dont like to think about God breaking us, but its really a wonderful thing. See, when were born again, the seed of Gods nature all that He is is planted in our spirits. This means we have what it takes to be like Jesus and love others the way He loves us. But we all need God to do a work in our souls for us to be able to walk in love.
Each person is a tri-part being with a spirit, soul and body. When we accept Christ as our Savior, the Holy Spirit comes to live in our spirit. First Peter 1:23 (AMP) says, You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God. And 1 John 3:9 tells us that as believers, His nature abides in us, His principle of life, the divine sperm, remains permanently within us (AMP).
But we have to grow spiritually for our soul mind, will and emotions to be molded into the image of Christ. We dont need to pray for God to give us love because we already have His love in us. We need to pray for Him to show us how to walk in love for God to do whatever He needs to do in our lives so His love can flow through us to others. When we do, He will deal with whatever is in us that is standing in the way: pride, unforgiveness, selfishness, insecurity, fear or any other ungodly attitude or behavior.
How Brokenness Works
I know what its like to be broken and molded by God. I used to have so many problems, and I was hard to get along with and harsh. There were a lot of things I didnt understand because I had been mistreated, and I thought it was good to be hard and not let anyone push me around. I believed everyone else had a problem, not me.
I remember praying so diligently for God to change my husband, Dave, because if he would just be the way I wanted him to be, then I would be happy. But one day God spoke to my heart so strongly and said, Dave is not the problem. My response was, Well, who is? Its just me and him. What do you mean Dave is not the problem? It was devastating to realize I was really the problem, but it was also the beginning of a beautiful work God wanted to do in me.
Isaiah 64:8 (AMP) says, O Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay and You our Potter, and all are the work of Your hand. When I was hurting and hard to get along with, I really loved God and wanted to live for Him, but I had to give Him control so He could mold me into His image. I had to give Him me! I began to pray things like, God do whatever You need to do in my life to change me. Im the clay and You are the Potter. Romans 8:29 says you foreordained me to be molded into the image of Jesus, and I want to be everything You want me to be.
The journey hasnt been easy, but I can honestly say that the hardest times in my life became blessings because God used them to bring me close to Him so I could really know Him and make me grow spiritually. Thats His plan for all of His children.
I want to encourage you today to spend time with God and search out the promises He has for you in His Word. Trust His wisdom and do what He shows you to do. As you put your faith in God to break you, mold you and make you what Hes created you to be, the Potter will make you an amazing work of His hand!
Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She has authored 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and God Is Not Mad at You (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide. For more information, visit www.joycemeyer.org. Please note: The views and opinions expressed throughout this publication and/or website are those of the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Joyce Meyer Ministries.
