Are you ready to be broken?

Believe it or not, God uses broken pieces. As a matter of fact, you will need to experience brokenness before the Lord will be able to use you.

You may be doing some things well. You may preach well; you may prophecy well; you may sing well or play instruments well. But we must remember that the gifts and callings of God are without repentance (Romans 11:29). In other words, you will still be able to exercise the gifts God has given you - you will be able to preach or sing well - but that does not mean that you have a relationship with God.

King David is one of the best examples of "brokenness" in the Bible. In I Samuel 16:1-12, we see God sent Samuel to anoint a king. God had to take a house-to-house survey of the whole kingdom in search of a special person, one who would be king in the land. Samuel was searching for a very special person: one who had the qualifications of God, one who had greatness upon him, and one who first knew how to follow.

Before we can be a great leader, we must first learn to be a great server. God was looking for that special one who had a pure heart, void of hatred, bitterness, envy, jealousy, unforgiveness, anger, strife etc. That was not an easy task, but there was one. Samuel went to the house of Jesse looking for a king.

Remember, God does not look on the outward appearance as many do, but God looks upon the heart of the person. Samuel called all seven of David's brothers, and the king was not there. Don't ever forget that God is not moved by the status of a person, how many degrees you have, how much money you have, the people you know, how big your house is, how many cars you have. God is moved by your stature in the spirit.

I am sure that all were shocked to know that David's seven brothers were not one of the chosen ones. Samuel asked Jesse if he had another son, and they sent for David. The rest was history. David was anointed king that day.

David's first assignment as king was to deliver messages and food to his brothers on the front lines of battle. David started out serving. David never bragged about being king; he served his brothers. Then one day God gave David an opportunity to glorify Him and he killed the Philistine giant. David was small in size but in stature in God he was great and mighty. His heart was pure and holy.

David's second assignment was to play music and sing to a wicked king called Saul. Whenever the evil spirits would come upon Saul, David was to sing and play for the evil spirits to leave. He never complained. David served a mad, insane king and never spoke harshly against him. Saul saw David as a threat. He began to throw spears at him - that is what mad kings do. King David never threw a spear back at Saul. David developed a gift of knowing how to dodge spears. He ran from Saul and hid in caves to avoid a confrontation.

Would it not be wonderful if the church could be like David? I have been watching the elections very closely with much grief as I watch two men - kings, if you will - who have not learned how to dodge spears without throwing them back. One will become president. Now that is scary since both profess to know God and call themselves Christians.

Also, survey after survey asking Christians if the reason they would not vote for Barack Obama is because of race and they say yes. Wow. If nothing else, this election has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt the racism and prejudices in this country and in the church on both sides. What about the issues? What about the best man for the position? Dear God have mercy on us all.

When David was anointed king, he entered an elite university called brokenness. It's a university where few enroll, everyone does not graduate, and only an elite few make it through. God used a mad king to break David to make him ready to be king of Israel. Why are there so few students in this university? Because these students of this elite university must suffer great pain and hardship along their way. We must be crushed before God can place us on the potter's wheel to be molded into a vessel of honor by the great hand of the Lord.

David never learned how to throw spears. Without the crushing, how can He trust us with a great anointing? If you throw spears, you are not yet crushed. If you throw spears, you are not yet teachable or trainable for the elite of God.

Comments are welcome at shar8jffrs3@aol.com, www.sharonjefferson.org or 419-222-3966.