Great You Are Devotional by Jordan SmithExemplo

Day One: Worshiping Through Heartbreak 

There’s an unspoken belief that being a Christian is like the movie Bubble Boy - that somehow giving your life to Christ puts you inside an impenetrable barrier of Holy Spirit energy that keeps the good in and the bad out. Unfortunately, if you’ve been a Christian for all of five minutes, you know that’s not how things work. Bad things still happen to good people and good things even happen to people who might not deserve them. There are few things in life that are truly unbiased, and heartbreak is one of them.

We’ve all been let down by life and the people in it. When heartbreak strikes, there are two paths away from the scene of the crime. One leads toward God, and - you guessed it - one doesn’t. And, while we can’t control everything that happens to us, we can control which path we choose. I have a friend who endured abuse as a child. Fortunately for him, he gave his life to Christ one day and God has totally restored him. His father, however, hasn’t been as fortunate. It turns out he experienced the same type of abuse as his son, but years later his marriage has fallen apart and his life has been completely overshadowed by his trauma. Both faced terrible situations out of their control, but one allowed their heartbreak to define them, and one didn’t.

The best way to show our love and appreciation for Jesus is trying to be just like Him, especially in seasons of pain. If you’re in one of those seasons, remind yourself that the struggle doesn’t define who you are - your response does. Worshiping through heartbreak means making the decision to stay on the path toward God, even if it’s one small step at a time. 

Today’s big idea:

Everyone endures storms along their journey. Let others see God’s faithfulness in your life by choosing to worship in the rain.