A while ago I broke my favorite paintbrush while working on a canvas. I was pretty bummed about it (lame, I know), so I did my best to loosely tape it back together. I stuck it in my craft box and forgot about it. Well, here I am working on some canvases I have been wanting to finish, and I found myself using my broken, taped-up paintbrush. I thought, "Why am I using this one when I have so many others that aren't broken?" Here's the thing though, this specific brush is the perfect size for what I need, and there are no others that do quite the same job.

We are broken paintbrushes. We are tired and worn and can feel quite useless, but the real problem is we are too busy being broken that we don't see the magnificent picture God is creating through us. He's taped us back together with His love and mercy and is using our broken selves to create amazing paintings that are unique to our stories.

The truth is that you’re going to fall short, and you’re going to mess up. But our God is for us! He won’t turn His back on us when we slip up or break down. In this day and age we are told to be strong and composed. We’re convinced that unless we have every detail planned and sorted out, we aren’t adequate. But it is in our weakness that God reveals His strength. Be dependent on your Father when you feel insufficient, because even through the darkest moments of your life He is guiding you with purpose and grace.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." -Romans 3:23-24

At first glance, that sounds pretty hopeless. As naturally-born sinners, we fall short. We make mistakes that trap us in the darkest valleys of our lives where we feel unreachable.  But keep reading. We sin and fall short, but we are justified and redeemed through our Savior. Have faith that your brokenness was recovered on the cross, and give God the control to paint your story.

I know it’s hard. As we recognize our inadequacy, we feel the need to hide our imperfections to prove to others that we’re ok. Instead, let Christ fill you with His righteousness. Pray to your Father and ask Him to overwhelm you with a flood of His love. Stop believing that you are too broken or too damaged to be loved. The world we live in is defective and has been shattered by corruption and deceit. It’s easier to let the world overtake you and make you feel impossibly fractured than to try to combat the pain.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." -John 16:33 (NIV)

Don’t give up. Jesus told His disciples that their lives would be difficult, but He didn’t leave it at that. The world will bring you trouble and darkness. But Jesus tells us to take heart! Our Savior has overcome the darkness, the brokenness, the corruption, the pain, the inadequacy, the agony, and the affliction of this world and He longs to fill you with peace.

I still use my broken paintbrush because it’s perfect for what I need it for. It will always be broken, but it still fulfills its purpose and creates amazing things. In the same way, our Father has a specific plan for each of us, and He's not letting our imperfections stop Him from creating something incredible. What a mighty and loving God we serve that has the ability to turn such brokenness into beauty!

Where has God used your weakness to glorify His name? We'd love to hear your testimony in the comments!

// photo by natalie franke photography with our text added