Reflection on Service: Broken and Spilled Out

Reflection on service.

My husband and I have been in ministry twenty three years. What do we have to show for it? You may be sorely disappointed. I know we are.

We are unlikely Pastors. If you ask friends from college, who would have been voted most likely to stay in ministry, it would not have been us. And still, God called us.

My husband was a new believer who did not grow up in any church. He came from a broken and troubled family and a broken and troubled past. I had recently recommitted my life to Christ and had not begun to address and deal with my own past and was very needy and insecure.

And still, God called us together and to His service.

For years, we tried to convince ourselves and others we were worthy to serve. We felt we had so much to prove.

We put up facades, tried to cover up the broken spots, worked ourselves to death and gave up a thousand times.

God had called us. Right?

The idealistic expectations of our youth have now been broken. We have let go of expectations and outcomes. Not in a beautiful sweeping of our hands kind of way. No, we let go in a ripped away kicking and screaming.

God called us to serve.

We would love to believe our service has made a difference or has been a vehicle for others to know God's love and healing.

And yet, the reality is we are compost.

Broken material for God to use. God called us to stay.

We stayed as fruit and leaves grew and then dropped. We stayed when we were being pruned.

We stayed after we were broken.

Great freedom can be found in brokenness. In being broken and poured out. In letting go of all outcomes and expectations.

Serving in our brokenness.

Service from a broken and poured out servant is a sweet fragrance of worship to God.

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What can the broken offer in service?

Everything they have.

"A woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table." Matthew 26:7

Broken and Spilled Out

One day a plain village woman
Driven by love for her Lord
Recklessly poured out a valuable essence
Disregarding the scorn
And once it was broken and spilled out
A fragrance filled all the room
Like a prisoner released from his shackles
Like a spirit set free from the tomb
Broken and spilled out
Just for love of you, Jesus
My most precious treasure
Lavished on thee
Broken and spilled out
And poured at your feet
In sweet abandon
Let me be spilled out
And used up for Thee
Lord you were God’s precious treasure
His loved and his own perfect Son
Sent here to show me the love of the Father
Just for love it was done
And though you were perfect and holy
You gave up yourself willingly
You spared no expense for my pardon
You were used up and wasted for me
Broken and spilled out
Just for love of me Jesus
God’s most precious treasure
Lavished on me
Broken and spilled out
And poured at my feet
In sweet abandon
Lord you were spilled out
And used up for me
Words by Gloria Gaither, Music by Bill George
Copyright 1984 Gaither Music Co./Yellow House Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
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Broken and Spilled Out

"Broken Dreams"

As children bring their broken toys
With tears for us to mend.
I brought my broken dreams to God
Because He was my Friend.

But then instead of leaving Him
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
With ways that were my own.

At last I snatched the back and cried,
"How could You be so slow"-
"My child," He said,
"What could I do? You never did let go."
Author: Unknown

HEART'S CRY

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