As I was riding in the truck last night listening to a sermon over tempting thoughts versus immoral thoughts I was stuck in this moment filled with questions and a wandering mind. I got home and opened my Bible only find that I was going to become more confused and filled with more questions. The night moved forward without fault and my mind continued to process topics about temptation, morality vs. immorality, right from wrong, and just life in general.
This morning I got up opened my Bible back up to Philippians to re-read the chapter in hopes for answers. As I skimmed over the black and white words I became annoyed by the tantalizing evidence of lack of knowledge or inability to see the answers. I closed my Bible out of frustration and went to take a shower. While I was in the shower Jeremy Riddle's Sweetly Broken voice softly sang Sweetly Broken through my phones speakers and it hit me. No matter how smart you feel you are or how much you feel you deserve to know the answer right then and there, it will always be in God's timing.
I didn't think much more about it and continued on with my day of work ahead of me as the lyrics to the song twirled around in my head like a broken record. "SWEETLY BROKEN, WHOLLY SURRENDERED" is such a simple phrase and yet extremely powerful. Until you come to a point in your life that you are completely face down, at the end of your rope in complete surrender to God there will always be a moment of doubt, question, insecurity, lack of humility, and inability to fully let go of the control of life.
I plopped my Bible onto the kitchen table to re-read Philippians again in hopes of clarification. When I looked down the book had open to Acts 4:23 which is discussing a believers prayer and sharing your possessions with others because we are in one heart and community. To the side of the page I had written a reference. The reference written out to the side was Philippians 2:3-4 "then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."
So as I processed the questions, lyrics, and verses it all came clear. Just when you think it's ok to question someones actions or your own, make sure you have completely humbled yourself to understand we are all suffering and everything in life is situational. Be sure to approach situations and topics with grace and love. You and I are both the same, one in unity who are sweetly broken, but redeemed by an undeserving grace and incarnate love.
"To the cross I look, to the cross I cling
Of its suffering I do drink
Of its work I do sing
For on it my Savior both bruised and crushed
Showed that God is love
And God is just
Chorus:
At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I'm sweetly broken, wholly surrendered
What a priceless gift, undeserved life
Have I been given
Through Christ crucified
You've called me out of death
You've called me into life
And I was under Your wrath
Now through the cross I'm reconciled
Chorus:
In awe of the cross I must confess
How wondrous Your redeeming love and
How great is Your faithfulness"
