Normally when I hear that term, it's referring to something that sounds pretty messed up: physical violence, human trafficking, addiction, Obamacare, etc.
Our brokenness shows itself in simple ways: we do stuff we don't want to do. We aren't who we want to be. So then we work at being who we're told we should be. And most of us tend to force it.
I, for one, am a recovering performance-based Christian: one of those guys that talked about faith, but really lived in the land of good-deed-tally-sheets, all while doing my best to hide my own brokenness. Someone who was inherently judgy and absent of real love. Someone that was just livin' scared.
A hyprocrite that spewed religious talk on people while living in shame and fear all the while. Setting out to "save" those around me in order to lift myself up, not to share a Savior with them (because I didn't really know Him well enough to share Him). What a crappy story to spend our time writing.
Note: don't get me wrong, I sincerely believe we all need saving. I'm just not the guy that can save myself (or you), so I'm going to stop pretending I know jack or that I've ever been better than anyone else. Instead, I'm going to tell you I love you and see if you'd be willing to walk the path with me for awhile (for our mutual benefit).
Hopefully we can both keep our eyes peeled for where we're being led. (Two eyes are better than one... unless you're a cyclops... or something like that... feel free to Tweet that if you'd like.)
The guy that made me start thinking about loving everybody and taking it seriously, also talks about quitting stuff. He believes we have the power to quit stuff at any time, so he randomly selected Thursday as a day to quit stuff. He quits something he doesn't want to do anymore every Thursday. I love the concept, but when I focus on quitting stuff, I tend to not quit stuff. I tend to do more of it. Someone in Romans talks about doing stuff they don't want to do. I'm that guy.
Well, lately I've had some stuff I don't want to be doing cease to be stuff that I'm doing - which has been really cool - but it hasn't been because I've willed my way toward quitting something.
The success I've experienced has been based on pursuing new stories that include stuff that I want to do and be about, not the stuff that I don't want to do. The shift in perspective doesn't feel major, but it has been transformational for me over the past year+.
I spent years trying to quit stuff. It just made me think about the stuff I wanted to quit... and feel weak and small for not being able to quit it. It wasn't workin' for me <insert nod to Dr. Phil here>.
If you're good at quitting stuff, pick something this Thursday and quit it. If you're like me, don't try to quit anything, use Thursday to start something new - use it to take the first step in the direction you feel you're being led - take the step even if you're not sure. If you focus on that next step, the other crap you've been shaming yourself about might just start to fade away. I'll give you Wednesday to process.
p.s. The new you is gonna be friggin' awesome!
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