The group Sanctus Real sings "I'm Not Alright". Thought this could continue to focus the perspective of some as we explore this truth of Broken.
If weakness is a wound that no one wants to speak of
Then "cool" is just how far we have to fall
I am not immune, I only want to be loved
But I feel safe behind the firewall
Can I lose my need to impress?
If you want the truth I need to confess
I'm not alright, I'm broken inside
And all I go through, it leads me to You
Burn away the pride
Bring me to my weakness
Until everything I hide behind is gone
And when I'm open wide with nothing left to cling to
Only You are there to lead me on.
'Cause honestly, I'm not that strong.
I'm not alright, I'm broken inside
Broken inside
And all I go through, it leads me to You
Leads me to You
Closer to You
I'm not alright I'm broken inside
Broken inside
I'm broken inside, Broken inside
And all I go through leads me to You
Leads me to You
I'm not alright, I'm not alright
I'm not alright
... that's why I need You.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Broken - Supporting Thoughts
Below is an excerpt from the journal of man named Mike Yaconelli. Who he is isn’t important. What he writes is. Hopefully his thoughts will help your perspective on what Broken is all about.
"…Finally, I accepted my brokenness…I had never come to terms with that. Let me explain. I knew I was broken. I knew I was a sinner. I knew I continually disappointed God, but I could never accept that part of me. It was a part of me that embarrassed me. I continually felt the need to apologize, to run from my weaknesses, to deny who I was and concentrate on what I should be. I was broken, yes, but I was continually trying never to be broken again-or at least to get to the place where I was very seldom broken…
During the retreat, it became very clear to me that I had totally misunderstood the Christian faith. I came to see that it was in my brokenness, in my powerlessness, in my weakness that Jesus was made strong. It was in the acceptance of my lack of faith that God could give me faith. It was in the embracing of my brokenness that I could identify with other’s brokenness. It was my role to identify with others’ pain, not relieve it. Ministry was sharing, not dominating; understanding not theologizing; caring, not fixing.
What does all this mean?
I don’t know…and to be quite blunt, that is the wrong question. I only know that at certain times in all of our lives, we make an adjustment in the course of our lives. This was one of those times for me. If you were to look at a map of my life, you would not be aware of any noticeable differences other than a slight change in direction. I can only tell you it feels very different now. There is an anticipation, and electricity about God’s presence in my life that I have never experienced before. I can only tell you that for the first time in my life I can hear Jesus whisper to me every day, “I love you. You are beloved.” And for some strange reason, that seems to be enough."
- Mike Yaconelli, The Back Door
"…Finally, I accepted my brokenness…I had never come to terms with that. Let me explain. I knew I was broken. I knew I was a sinner. I knew I continually disappointed God, but I could never accept that part of me. It was a part of me that embarrassed me. I continually felt the need to apologize, to run from my weaknesses, to deny who I was and concentrate on what I should be. I was broken, yes, but I was continually trying never to be broken again-or at least to get to the place where I was very seldom broken…
During the retreat, it became very clear to me that I had totally misunderstood the Christian faith. I came to see that it was in my brokenness, in my powerlessness, in my weakness that Jesus was made strong. It was in the acceptance of my lack of faith that God could give me faith. It was in the embracing of my brokenness that I could identify with other’s brokenness. It was my role to identify with others’ pain, not relieve it. Ministry was sharing, not dominating; understanding not theologizing; caring, not fixing.
What does all this mean?
I don’t know…and to be quite blunt, that is the wrong question. I only know that at certain times in all of our lives, we make an adjustment in the course of our lives. This was one of those times for me. If you were to look at a map of my life, you would not be aware of any noticeable differences other than a slight change in direction. I can only tell you it feels very different now. There is an anticipation, and electricity about God’s presence in my life that I have never experienced before. I can only tell you that for the first time in my life I can hear Jesus whisper to me every day, “I love you. You are beloved.” And for some strange reason, that seems to be enough."
- Mike Yaconelli, The Back Door
Broken - The Impostor
It is important for us to look at some aspects of the impostor self, the false self, that is created out of our brokenness and our wounds. Before we do, we need to first know what the true self is. The true self can be defined by the fact that:
• God created us for union with Himself.
• The true self answers the question, ‘Who am I?’ with ‘ I am one loved by Christ.’
• Our true identity rests in God’s relentless tenderness for us revealed in Christ Jesus.
When I first thought through this, I thought that there had to be more. I came to the realization that there are things that would flow from this, but everything that is true about who we are, or who we were made to be, stems from the fact that God LOVES us and created us for union and fellowship with Him. We are the ones loved by God. That’s it.
Some thoughts about the impostor self. All of these may not apply to you, but some will. Praying Psalms 139:23 for you as you read this. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”
The impostor:
1. Is part of you. We are not talking about some type of schizophrenia or multiple personalities. This “false self” or “false identity” is part of you. Why is this important? Because if you hate the false self, you hate you. You hate yourself. The goal here is not to hate yourself. The goal is to identify the false self, the impostor, call him/her out of hiding, give them a hug, say ‘I love you, but it’s time for you to go away!’
2. Is a liar. The impostor is not based on truth and honesty. When operating in your false self, you do not deal in truth, about the way you feel, about your desires, about the direction you want to go. You simply cover up your feelings and go on about your business, trying to ignore the wound or brokenness. This causes you to not be your true self or embrace your true identity. What are you refusing to deal with right now that your impostor is trying to cover up? Come out of hiding and let’s deal with the issue.
3. Is not prone to peace. When you embrace the true self, one who is loved by Christ continually, there is extreme freedom! The opposite of this is extreme conflict, which comes when dealing with the impostor. If you are not at a point of peace and freedom in your life, that is an indication that you need to address your wound and the impostor self that has formed to try and cope with the wound.
4. Is lazy, resisting the effort intimacy with God requires. Have you ever decided that you need to pray, and then as you begin, struggle with what and how to pray? Beware of the impostor! Another symptom of this is the delay in entering into times of prayer and intimacy with God. If you are struggling to find time to pray and worship alone, this is then another sign of a false self that you need to deal with. God created us to have union and fellowship with Him, and we need to address any barriers to that.
5. Can be consumed with busyness. Are you consumed with scheduling yourself 24/7? This is definitely not the design God had for us. “Be still and know that I am God.” Also, we see in Scripture repeatedly that Jesus went away alone to pray. We need to do the same.
But why don’t we? Why are we lazy? Why are we consumed with busyness? Because we know that if we spend time alone with God, He will want to deal with our issues, with our wounds. And we do not want to go there. We would rather speak with God from a distance and not bring up the hurt. But God has different plans for you. He wants to heal you! Set aside the laziness and busyness today.
6. Affects the way we approach relationships. There seem to be two ways this will go in a person’s life:
a. Preoccupied with acceptance and approval. To gain acceptance and approval, the false self suppresses or camouflages true feelings. Instead, feelings and actions that are needed to gain acceptance and approval are the ones that are projected.
b. Or says that “I don’t need anybody else. I’m fine on my own.” This is especially true if there is a history of rejection or broken trust. Instead of letting people in, you keep people at a distance, because if you don’t let them in, they can’t hurt you. This is not the design God intended for us.
7. Has difficulty with intimacy in relationships. This intimacy indicates a deep, closely personal relationship. The impostor really struggles with this. If you find yourself having difficulty having a closely personal relationship with those close to you, this is a sign of the false self.
8. Can be defined by what he does. Similar to being busy, some impostors are defined by what they do, by their job or their work. Do you find yourself consumed by your career path, job title, company you work for, etc.?
Whatever form your impostor(s) take, it is time to call them out of hiding, so you can find the true self God intended for you. And so you can heal.
• God created us for union with Himself.
• The true self answers the question, ‘Who am I?’ with ‘ I am one loved by Christ.’
• Our true identity rests in God’s relentless tenderness for us revealed in Christ Jesus.
When I first thought through this, I thought that there had to be more. I came to the realization that there are things that would flow from this, but everything that is true about who we are, or who we were made to be, stems from the fact that God LOVES us and created us for union and fellowship with Him. We are the ones loved by God. That’s it.
Some thoughts about the impostor self. All of these may not apply to you, but some will. Praying Psalms 139:23 for you as you read this. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.”
The impostor:
1. Is part of you. We are not talking about some type of schizophrenia or multiple personalities. This “false self” or “false identity” is part of you. Why is this important? Because if you hate the false self, you hate you. You hate yourself. The goal here is not to hate yourself. The goal is to identify the false self, the impostor, call him/her out of hiding, give them a hug, say ‘I love you, but it’s time for you to go away!’
2. Is a liar. The impostor is not based on truth and honesty. When operating in your false self, you do not deal in truth, about the way you feel, about your desires, about the direction you want to go. You simply cover up your feelings and go on about your business, trying to ignore the wound or brokenness. This causes you to not be your true self or embrace your true identity. What are you refusing to deal with right now that your impostor is trying to cover up? Come out of hiding and let’s deal with the issue.
3. Is not prone to peace. When you embrace the true self, one who is loved by Christ continually, there is extreme freedom! The opposite of this is extreme conflict, which comes when dealing with the impostor. If you are not at a point of peace and freedom in your life, that is an indication that you need to address your wound and the impostor self that has formed to try and cope with the wound.
4. Is lazy, resisting the effort intimacy with God requires. Have you ever decided that you need to pray, and then as you begin, struggle with what and how to pray? Beware of the impostor! Another symptom of this is the delay in entering into times of prayer and intimacy with God. If you are struggling to find time to pray and worship alone, this is then another sign of a false self that you need to deal with. God created us to have union and fellowship with Him, and we need to address any barriers to that.
5. Can be consumed with busyness. Are you consumed with scheduling yourself 24/7? This is definitely not the design God had for us. “Be still and know that I am God.” Also, we see in Scripture repeatedly that Jesus went away alone to pray. We need to do the same.
But why don’t we? Why are we lazy? Why are we consumed with busyness? Because we know that if we spend time alone with God, He will want to deal with our issues, with our wounds. And we do not want to go there. We would rather speak with God from a distance and not bring up the hurt. But God has different plans for you. He wants to heal you! Set aside the laziness and busyness today.
6. Affects the way we approach relationships. There seem to be two ways this will go in a person’s life:
a. Preoccupied with acceptance and approval. To gain acceptance and approval, the false self suppresses or camouflages true feelings. Instead, feelings and actions that are needed to gain acceptance and approval are the ones that are projected.
b. Or says that “I don’t need anybody else. I’m fine on my own.” This is especially true if there is a history of rejection or broken trust. Instead of letting people in, you keep people at a distance, because if you don’t let them in, they can’t hurt you. This is not the design God intended for us.
7. Has difficulty with intimacy in relationships. This intimacy indicates a deep, closely personal relationship. The impostor really struggles with this. If you find yourself having difficulty having a closely personal relationship with those close to you, this is a sign of the false self.
8. Can be defined by what he does. Similar to being busy, some impostors are defined by what they do, by their job or their work. Do you find yourself consumed by your career path, job title, company you work for, etc.?
Whatever form your impostor(s) take, it is time to call them out of hiding, so you can find the true self God intended for you. And so you can heal.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Broken - Come Out of Hiding
We are all broken. We are all wounded.
We heard some Celebrate Recovery testimonies this week, heard the stories of how some have been overcome by addiction in their lives. Often, we look at those who are a part of Celebrate Recovery, and we think of them as being different than us. We think of them as “those people” who at some point were overtaken or gave in to an addiction and are now scarred and wounded and need help to make their way through life. But the reality is that we are just like them. The biggest difference, though, is they have the courage to stand and admit their problem, to lay it down before God, come together as a community, and pursue restoration and holiness together. All the while, we stand back in the shadows, just as broken, just as wounded, without the courage to cry out and admit our brokenness.
We are all broken. We are all wounded.
It is time to come out of hiding.
By saying we are all broken, I do not mean that from the perspective of “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. What I mean is deeper than that. That fact remains, but in addition to that, each of us, in our own personal circumstances, have been broken, wounded, scarred, or whatever you want to call it. And we are damaged by it, and that is blocking your intimacy with the Father.
What is the reason for your wound? Only you know that. Is it a failed relationship? Failed marriage? Failed engagement? Failed career? Failed academic pursuit? Abuse that happened to you? Abuse of yourself in some form? Death of a loved one? Absence of a parent in your childhood, either physically or emotionally? Only you, through the Holy Spirit will know that, but whatever it is, we must begin to find out what is. We must know, so that we can cut away the scar tissue and allow ourselves to heal the proper way.
Our response to wounds/brokenness come in two forms:
1. Addiction / Habitual sin – We turn to these things because they makes us feel good, or at least better about the bad stuff in our lives. Sometimes, it’s the only thing we have control over. This will be easy to spot. What in your life is an addiction that has a hold of you or is a habitual sin that you are having trouble letting go of? Drugs? Alcohol? Pornography? Eating Disorder? Anger? God is calling you to lay that down, to give it to Him. Today. If you have an issue that has control over you and you need help, email fusion@highpointmemphis.com and we will help you right away. We are here to help in the Father’s business of restoring people’s lives. Let us help you with whatever you need.
2. Imposter self – We touched briefly on this Sunday, and we will explore this more in-depth next Sunday. These are the cover ups that we make for ourselves to hide our true identities, the damaged identities. The world and our culture says that we are to be strong and not show weakness, and as a result, we often create false identities that we project to others, and to God, that honestly could not be further from the truth. What is your imposter self, the image and identity that needs to come down?
We are all broken. We are all wounded.
God is moving. Renewal is coming. Revival is around the corner. But it will not come unless you come out of hiding, admit that you are broken, and allow God to restore your wound.
We heard some Celebrate Recovery testimonies this week, heard the stories of how some have been overcome by addiction in their lives. Often, we look at those who are a part of Celebrate Recovery, and we think of them as being different than us. We think of them as “those people” who at some point were overtaken or gave in to an addiction and are now scarred and wounded and need help to make their way through life. But the reality is that we are just like them. The biggest difference, though, is they have the courage to stand and admit their problem, to lay it down before God, come together as a community, and pursue restoration and holiness together. All the while, we stand back in the shadows, just as broken, just as wounded, without the courage to cry out and admit our brokenness.
We are all broken. We are all wounded.
It is time to come out of hiding.
By saying we are all broken, I do not mean that from the perspective of “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”. What I mean is deeper than that. That fact remains, but in addition to that, each of us, in our own personal circumstances, have been broken, wounded, scarred, or whatever you want to call it. And we are damaged by it, and that is blocking your intimacy with the Father.
What is the reason for your wound? Only you know that. Is it a failed relationship? Failed marriage? Failed engagement? Failed career? Failed academic pursuit? Abuse that happened to you? Abuse of yourself in some form? Death of a loved one? Absence of a parent in your childhood, either physically or emotionally? Only you, through the Holy Spirit will know that, but whatever it is, we must begin to find out what is. We must know, so that we can cut away the scar tissue and allow ourselves to heal the proper way.
Our response to wounds/brokenness come in two forms:
1. Addiction / Habitual sin – We turn to these things because they makes us feel good, or at least better about the bad stuff in our lives. Sometimes, it’s the only thing we have control over. This will be easy to spot. What in your life is an addiction that has a hold of you or is a habitual sin that you are having trouble letting go of? Drugs? Alcohol? Pornography? Eating Disorder? Anger? God is calling you to lay that down, to give it to Him. Today. If you have an issue that has control over you and you need help, email fusion@highpointmemphis.com and we will help you right away. We are here to help in the Father’s business of restoring people’s lives. Let us help you with whatever you need.
2. Imposter self – We touched briefly on this Sunday, and we will explore this more in-depth next Sunday. These are the cover ups that we make for ourselves to hide our true identities, the damaged identities. The world and our culture says that we are to be strong and not show weakness, and as a result, we often create false identities that we project to others, and to God, that honestly could not be further from the truth. What is your imposter self, the image and identity that needs to come down?
We are all broken. We are all wounded.
God is moving. Renewal is coming. Revival is around the corner. But it will not come unless you come out of hiding, admit that you are broken, and allow God to restore your wound.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Escape Weekend
Escape Weekend, coming next spring!!We know this is a long time from now, but we want you to begin preparing now, just as we are. We are planning and preparing and asking God to move in your heart and in your life!
More details later as we get closer to the end of 2009. One detail we would like to share in advance is we will be led in worship that weekend the Generation Band, out of Gardendale, Alabama. You can check them out on Facebook by clicking here. The band also has some pictures on Facebook as well. Check 'em out!
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