Power vs. Brokenness

There are those who thrive on positions of power. They love feeling more important and more powerful than others. Sometimes people with lots of money feel that that they are so powerful. Sometimes people in positions of leadership feel so powerful. Power is not a permanent position. It is most often temporary. Any power that I have here on earth is certainly temporary.

Egypt was at one time the most powerful nation on earth. They had wealth and they had food during a time of famine. I remember Joseph the great grandson of Abraham led the country of Egypt through the times of plenty and the times of desperation. During the time of Moses the Pharaoh was powerful and mighty and used his power to break the spirit of the Israelites. The people of Israel were a nation of slaves to Egypt. The Lord led His people, Israel out of that position of brokenness to a position of dependence on Him and independent of other nations ruling over them. He clearly laid out what a successful nation would look like under a Theocracy – with the Lord as their leader. They were determined to have power over themselves and eventually the powerful were corrupt and they were taken captive again. Egypt was a powerful nation that the Lord was about to take out. Ezekiel was speaking about their demise pretty clearly. Check this out…

11 “‘So this is what the Lord God says:

The sword of the king of Babylon


    will attack you.

12 I will cause your people to fall


    by the swords of mighty soldiers,


    the most terrible in the world.


They will destroy the pride of Egypt


    and all its people.

13 I will also destroy all Egypt’s cattle


    which live alongside much water.


The foot of a human will not stir the water,


    and the hoofs of cattle will not muddy it anymore.

14 So I will let the Egyptians’ water become clear.


    I will cause their rivers to run as smoothly as olive oil,


    says the Lord God.

15 When I make the land of Egypt empty


    and take everything that is in the land,


when I destroy all those who live in Egypt,


    then they will know that I am the Lord.’

16 “This is the funeral song people will sing for Egypt. The women of the nations will sing it; they will sing a funeral song for Egypt and all its people, says the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 32:11-16 NCV)

God is clearly frustrated with Egypt and about to take the out of the equation. I think it was Solomon that said, “Pride leads to destruction; a proud attitude brings ruin.” (Proverbs 16:18 NCV)

I have had my “pride moments” throughout my life. I think that my view of success has been distorted many times throughout my life.  I’ve seen people of great affluence feel like failures because of the change is market conditions, their broken family, disease or death.  I believe that success and failure are no “respecter of persons”. There is often a small frame of time between the two. I feel like that in my life, I’ve experienced both quite often and I like the feeling of success much better than the place of failure.  I have learned that another description of the place of failure is called: “a place of brokenness”. It’s a place where my power is weak. It’s a place where I have no choice but to depend upon the Lord. It’s a place where the only way to go is up!

I’ve learned a lot about myself through both positions. I’ve learned that after I’ve experienced brokenness that it gives survival and success a whole different feel. I’ve learned to respect the times of success and drink it in, while pushing back the feeling of pride that often accompanies it. I’ve learned through brokenness the proper perspective of God. He is the Creator of ALL and He will NEVER leave me or forsake me. He does some of His best work in me when I’m broken. My attention span is much improved and my obedience is also improved. I listen and learn better in brokenness than at any other time.

The Word teaches me that self-brokenness is a good discipline to practice. When I feel myself feeling prideful, the Lord reminds me in His Word, that He is the One responsible for my success, so back off!

I’m learning to rest in a place of brokenness. I’ve learned to trust Him from this place. I’ve learned to be most obedient from this place. I’ve learned that I grow so much more like Him in the place of brokenness.