THE BROKEN HEART, THE DESIRE FOR JESUS.

Since arrogance is easy to achieve, repentance is a difficult task. Because we don't want to admit when we've done wrong, we have a hard time making a honest confession of our sin and then repenting of it afterward. How frequently, when you have been confronted with your sin, have you thought, "Yes, but...," or anything similar?

Sin can only be dealt with effectively by confronting it head-on and without making excuses for oneself. If we truly want to wipe it out completely, we have no choice except to confront it straight away, with honesty, and without any hesitance.

In the kingdom of God, strength is found in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9–10), grandeur is found in service (Mark 10:43), and wholeness is found in brokenness (Isaiah 54:17). (Psalm 147:3). According to the format of the traditional prayer,


Let me learn by paradox

that the way down is the way up,

that to be low is to be high,

that the broken heart is the healed heart,

that the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit.

We may accomplish a lot in this world without having a broken heart, and we can even give the impression that we've accomplished a lot in the Christian life without having a broken heart. But because Christ can only enter our lives through the cracks and fissures of a broken heart, we cannot enjoy the kind of profound communion with him that is so beautiful.

A heart that has not been corrupted by sin can choose Christ, at least on the surface, while secretly yearning for another person or thing. A shattered heart, on the other hand, has learnt to view sin as its greatest burden and dishonour, and as a result, it is able to meet Christ's opponents with a force that is significantly more powerful than self-control: the force of holy repulsion.

Therefore, David prays, "Create in me a clean heart, O God," rather than asking for the ability to exercise self-control and choose God's ways of doing things (Psalm 51:10). And, at its root, a clean heart is a broken heart: "God's sacrifices are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not scorn" (Psalm 51:17). (Psalm 51:17).

David had to demonstrate more than just tenacity in order to successfully reestablish communication with God. He required someone with a broken heart.

A broken heart, regardless of how painful the experience may have been in and of itself, can free our hands to receive grace in more profound ways than ever before. Keep in mind that the words of solace that "your shame is lifted and your sin is atoned for" were only spoken to Isaiah after he had been set free from his captivity (Isaiah 6:7). Jesus reassured Peter, who was trembling in fear at the time, telling him, "Do not be afraid" (Luke 5:10). And it wasn't until after Paul cried, "Wretched man that I am!" that he finally proclaimed, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24–25).

We are free to forgo the laborious effort of disguising our wickedness and appearing to be more moral than we actually are. It's possible that we could pray to God to shatter us softly and carefully. And we are able to come to terms with the counterintuitive truth that the Christian life advances through polar opposites: we rise higher by stooping, and we advance by repenting of our sins.

In this world, we will find fullness via emptiness, strength through weakness, joy through sadness, exaltation through humility, and wholeness through a heart that is broken and contrite. All of these things will come about as a result of being humbled and broken.

Your perspective on sin will tell others a lot about how you feel about God and your relationship with him.

How do you feel about relatively minor transgressions?

The Christian will never find contentment in sin, no of how trivial the transgression may appear on the surface. "the tiniest white lie"

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