Strength in Brokenness

By Jentezen Franklin

In the 1950s, Paul Anderson was the strongest man in the world. He was able to carry 6,270 pounds on his back.

Once he was asked, "Were you ever a ninety-pound weakling?"

He replied, "Yes, when I was four years old."

One day at church, Paul was moved to give his life to Christ while hearing a quadriplegic man give his testimony.

How about that? The strongest man in the world was won to Christ by one considered to be among the weakest. God used the weakest man He could find who was willing to do what he could do.

For God to use you, you will have to pass the praise test and the criticism test. How do you pass these tests? You learn to give the praise and criticism you've received to God. Jesus immortalized this woman because of her extravagant worship. He was moved when she broke open the alabaster jar of expensive oil to anoint His head and feet. (See Luke 7:38.)

"We have this treasure in earthern vessels" (2 Corinthians 4:7). You and I are the earthen vessels, and the treasure on the inside is our worship to God. If people are going to know about your love for Him, there must be brokenness. Just as the alabaster box was broken, we too must be broken in order to offer Him praise.

Many people will never live a life worth remembering because they are not willing to be broken---they want to strut.

You don't have to be a super achiever or have a great IQ. You don't have to be amazingly talented. All you have to do to be used by God is be broken enough to pour out your love on Jesus.

If, in doing so, you get an inroad to win one soul, then you will have lived a life worth remembering for all eternity in God's eyes.

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www.jentezenfranklin.org © 2009 Jentezen Franklin. Excerpt from Right People, Right Place, Right Plan: Discerning the Voice of God (New Kensington, PA: Whitaker House, 2007), 195-196. Used by permission. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the written consent of the publisher.