Psalm 51:1-19 and 2 Samuel 12:15-25
When I read or hear the word broken, generally bad things come to mind. But when it comes to our walk with the Lord, being broken isn't a bad thing at all. In fact, it's desirable. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise." (Psalm 51:17)
So what does having a broken spirit and a contrite heart mean to you? What might that look like as we live out our lives? Tami W.
Having a broken heart and contrite spirit is rather one way to either change or have humility.
One is on the way to change when they are contrite, they have repentance in them_full of remorse. They know what they have done is wrong are sorry for it. A broken heart, one would assume that, they are bent to doing good. No resistance, turned from the wrong direction to the right direction, seeking to be in the midst of change
One with humility, could also have a contrite spirit in such a way as to be repentant of their sins, feeling sorry for others as well. With humility, the spirit is always bent to good. The heart is broken in such a way that they that are with humility are humble, obedient, full of love, even when broken by evil yet they stay put to the Lord in all things and for all things.
Being with a contrite Spirit is being with repentance. Knowing your wrong and trying to turn away from it. For example, the repentance of John Newton knowing that slave trade was such an evil. He repented and turned away from that path and hence his works thereafter. It is being repentant and full of regret for the wrong things one has done. The spirit being in such a situation means that one is either fully changed or ready to change for the better.
Being with broken heart is rather another focus. Here one is brought into submission. It is like taming the heart of an individual. For example, people trusting in their own and the path they choose. Many have been trapped while craving to acquire the world and come to the realisation, that, "the world and all its fullness is the Lord's." Knowing that one is not in control but God_ is a challenge that many in the West still struggle with. Until one is broken to this realisation, they are lost. Therefore being broken is when people have resigned and give up control of all things and work towards acknowledging God's supremacy. Hence giving Him His place in their hearts.
I have changed please correct where necessary. I swapped the spirit with heart while I was typing my previous text
Broken spirit, as we see with David, involves a realisation of the full weight of our sins and confession of this to God.
This got me thinking about how having a healthy self esteem fits into this. Does having a broken spirit mean I must become disabled with self-loathing and fall into a deep depression? I don't think so. As we see with David, it is at this point where we come before God in honesty and confession that we see his grace and unfailing love, which enables us to rise from our knees, declare God's praise and serve him with our life. We are enabled by his love, and our worth and value is in Him who bore our sins.
To me, having a broken spirit means feeling that I am separated from God because of my sins and having a contrite heart means regretting my sins. I know when I have done wrong, The Holy Spirit lets me.
When I sin, I know that God will forgive me, but I must be repentant with a "true heart". Although I try to do God's Will, I always come up short in one area or another. I know "we have all fallen short of the glory of God" and I know that God is working on me everyday. I am not the same person I was last year or last week, but as hard as I try day by day, I know I mess up along the way and have to ask for repentence. I am just thankful that God knows I am trying, God is merciful and that Jesus Christ already paid the penalty for my sins.