Embracing Who God Created You To BeChikamu

Embracing your brokenness

Having spent many years hiding behind a mask, pretending that I was the perfect Christian, it came as a huge relief when I discovered we are all broken vessels – and that that’s okay! Granted, this discovery only came after an exceedingly painful time in my life. Once my mask was fully off, I began to see all around me other people who were hiding. God took me on a journey, which involved breaking my heart in the way His breaks when He sees His people, the church, pretending with one another out of fear, pain, rejection, shame, guilt, etc. We were never meant to pretend. The sooner we stop trying to project an image of having everything together, the sooner God’s grace can work in us – and through us.

I love the imagery that the Japanese art form Kintsugi gives us, as it is a great reflection of the work of God’s grace in our lives. The Bible says, ‘we have this treasure in jars of clay’ (2 Cor. 4:7) and that God is the one who fashions us: ‘We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand’ (Isa. 64:8).Kintsugi is the specialized method of repairing broken pots and other ceramics with a special lacquer that is mixed with precious metal (gold, silver or platinum). The beautiful thing is, the repaired item is viewed as even more desirable than the original.

Yes, God sees you in your brokenness – and when you allow His grace to get to work, healing and restoring you, you become even more precious. Kintsugi certainly speaks to me about how God’s grace has worked in my own life. He has taken some of the most painful and broken parts of my past, including those that were down to my own sin and mistakes, and has not only restored them, but now has birthed ways for me to minister to others through them.

Reflect: His glory shines through my life, often through those places where He has had to do some restoration work. So, take heart that, as you begin this study on embracing who He has created you to be, past difficulties and mistakes do not disqualify you!

Claire Musters is an author, a writer and speaker with a real passion to see people reach their full potential in God. You can find more information about Claire’s book Taking off the Mask as well as her blog at www.clairemusters.com.