Breakthrough- Find Beauty in the BreakingSample

DAY 6 – BEAUTY FROM ASHES

God takes the ashes of our lives and exchanges them for great beauty. Only He can.

Ashes. Ashes are the remains of something that once was. Evidence of something that used to exist.

A while back, I had a picture pop up on my phone on social media that said, “This day last year.” I wish it had been a picture that brought me joy, but it wasn’t. I love it when a picture shows up and I’m reminded of the days when my kids were so little that they could snuggle on my lap. I might laugh because of the bangs I used to have or smile because I’m grateful for the longevity of a friendship.

But then there are those pictures, like this one, that remind us of something that was lost. A friendship. A season. A place of safety and joy. Sometimes, pictures that once brought happiness can become reminders of what was lost. Ashes of past days.

As a family, we planted a church 10 years ago. It was the most fulfilling and most challenging thing that we have ever done. We went from something large to something small because we knew God was asking us to. Our great faith and years of experience helped, but anything God asks you to do will take more than experience. 

It takes an emptying of one’s self. It takes a willingness to let something burn.

You see, I found out that God wanted to do something in me, before he could truly do something through me.

The reality is that there have been days on this journey when I have felt like an absolute nobody—an invisible player in the game. It’s hard when a picture reminds me of more “significant” days when I was a "somebody." When I had a role that was seen, a voice that was used, a name that was recognized.

Does this sound like a setup from God? It was. Jesus was setting up a plot twist.

As I allowed the Lord to strip me of pride, the need for the approval of others, the security of being a player in something large, God did something large in me. In the midst of these lonely, disorienting seasons, something took root inside my heart. Suddenly I had peace, contentment, joy and yes, significance. The striving was gone, and the pressure to perform for others had vanished. 

What was lost in the last season, had to be lost if I was to find true significance in the next. A significance that only comes from Jesus.

Jesus was actually waiting for my ashes. He doesn’t just turn ashes into beauty, He sometimes is waiting for them. Waiting for our surrender, waiting for our pride to go, waiting for our selfishness to die on the altar.

Isaiah 38:17 (VOICE) Paradoxically, my bitter experience was pushing me toward wholeness. For You, God, have put behind all my shortcomings and wrongdoings. You have rescued me from death. You pulled me from a black hole of nothingness and held me close to You. And so I join the living in giving thanks to You.

Isn’t God amazing? He can take hard things, bitter experiences and transform them into something of great beauty.

Here are some things to think about as you process through your current season.  

• Let God use your “bitter experiences” to push you towards wholeness. These hard times can actually bring you to a place that you wouldn’t get any other way. You may discover that after going through a difficult season, you have become more empathetic, caring, or aware of others. We all need to hear this again sometimes, “Get better, not bitter!”       
• Obedience is the pathway to significance. Stop worrying about the hard things, the things lost, and how you are going to replace them. Focus on obeying what He is asking you to do now, in this season. Our obedience is so much more significant to Him than any accolades we could receive.       
• Give God your ashes. This beautiful exchange begins by you giving Him something specific. Ashes, sorrow, depression, and sadness. In the verse below, you will notice that we aren’t giving Jesus our highlights, successes, and victories. We are giving Jesus the burnt things that feel dead and gone. You give Jesus your ashes and He crowns you with beauty. That’s a pretty great deal.

Isaiah 61:3 (VOICE) As for those who grieve over Zion, God has sent me to give them a beautiful crown in exchange for ashes, to anoint them with gladness instead of sorrow, to wrap them in victory, joy, and praise instead of depression and sadness.

I have seen this beautiful exchange up close and personal. Those pictures that once caused me to wince with pain, I can now look at and smile. I smile because He has made something beautiful out of my ugliness. I don’t know how, but He has. My regrets He has redeemed, my mistakes He has somehow used to push me forward, my pain He has used to help others.

Most of us will go through things that are really painful and difficult. Loss. Sickness. Betrayal. Tragedy. Some of these can leave a lasting, bitter mark on our heart and emotions, like a residue of ashes reminding us of what was once alive. This lasting mark on our hearts does not have to be bitterness, it can be turned into a beautiful thing called ‘wholeness.’ You can be stronger than you were before! 

God loves to turn things around. It truly is a “beauty for ashes” kind of hope that we have in Jesus!

- Donna

Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion:       

1. Are there some ashes in my life that are painful to think about?       
2. Have I allowed my perspective about my current season to be tainted with bitterness in any way?       
3. Have I tied my significance to something other than my obedience?

DAILY ACTION STEP:

Take some time to vocalize specific things you are asking the Lord for in this season. Remind yourself that God is right there in the moment with you, listening.