Brokenness 4

Psalm 51:16-17

I was once told about a florist shop that had a display in their window featuring a single rose, two roses, six roses, a dozen roses and two dozen roses. The sign in the window asked “How mad at you is she?”

So many times when we have offended another our first thought might be of how we can make it up to the other person. Often times we want to pave the way to reconciliation through gifts. We want to buy our way out of trouble.

But God has a different set of values. What does God NOT want? What does God want?

In our human relationships we shouldn’t try to buy off the one offended. In most cases a sincere apology is all that is needed. We need to take a similar approach with God.

We are each invited into a relationship with God. All of us are welcomed to take part in the banquet of God’s mercy and love. He wants to be with us and He wants to provide for us. God wants us to be in relationship with Him and He will never end that relationship.

But when we come to the Lord’s table we should not come with hearts full of pride. We should not come with an attitude of haughtiness, a sense of arrogance in our own abilities. We should not come to the Lord’s table with a sense of privilege either, as if all of God’s graciousness is something we deserve. Nor should we have the attitude that we can earn a spot at God’s table.

Instead, we should have a broken spirit. This is not necessarily a sense of despair, although God promises to bind up the broken-hearted. Rather it is an awareness of our own unworthiness. A broken spirit is a spirit which has been broken of arrogance and selfishness. A contrite heart is a heart that is aware of our failings and short-comings.

We should come to the table with humility and an appreciation of what grace really means. All the love that God pours out to us is undeserved, yet He pours it out to us willingly and abundantly.

DAILY CHALLENGE: Is your heart contrite when approaching God? Is your spirit broken?