God’s transformative power is targeted to those who recognize their need for His work in their hearts. This may seem like a simple statement, but too many Christians live with little awareness for the deeper work of the heart they need. Yet there is a foundational power to always knowing there is more that God can do in your heart.
In fact, the Gospel Jesus delivered was prophesied by Isaiah as one that was delivered to the “poor.”
To preach good tidings to the poor Isaiah 61:1
To preach the gospel to the poor Luke 4:18
Now what does that mean?
Poor is Not Just a Financial Thing
Poor is deeper than just financial condition. This good news from a good God is not just meant for those who are financially broke. Certainly the work of the Kingdom of God is for the financially poor, but too often, the rest of humanity distances themselves from their own spiritual need.
Too often when we think of the poor, we think of those destitute or in a heavy crisis of need. Yet we fail to see that we are all spiritually poor in and of ourselves. We are all in need of help. And just because you became a Christian, doesn’t mean your process of help ends. In fact, the heart healing and transformational work has just begun.
This word poor, even in the Old Testament language had so many different meanings. I can speak of those who are lowly and heart humble. It can speak of the meek. It can be someone is who is weak and recognizes their need. They may be depressed in mind or circumstances. They may be afflicted. It covers a whole gamut of areas.
The point is, the poor is actually all of us. The only difference is, those who recognize their need and those who deny they are in need.
Jesus confronted this modern sophistication and arrogance that distanced believers from the deeper work of God. In Revelation, He called them to repentance, saying, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.” Revelation 3:17
When God is talking about the poor he is also talking about those who recognize their need. This “need awareness” keeps a powerful aroma of humility in your heart. You have a need for God. You have a need for deeper healing. You have a need for help. There is also a healthy need in relationships that are you aware of. The healthier you get, the more you realize, in humility, your need for God and those He has placed in your life. You are never distant from that.
Cover Ups
This is a tough issue in modern society because we are taught to hide our brokenness at all costs. I spend many hours with various people who attempt to hide and mask over their brokenness. They can even use a lot of Scriptures and spiritual statements to distance themselves from their need. Within a matter of 30 minutes, however, when the spray paint wears off, you see some of the pain, the burdens and the heart ache they carry.
The Pharisees did everything they could to cover up their broken hearts and deep needs. It’s easy to view their religious culture with a condescending eye. Yet the church today likes to cover up brokeness as much as possible. We too can find ourselves living like whitewashed sepulchers; impressing those around us with great outward expressions but little attention given to what’s underneath.
Why do we do everything we can to keep people from seeing our brokenness? Fear. We are just afraid.
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit
Jesus declared a blessing to those who are “poor in spirit.” In fact, the blessing to them was massive, “for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” All the resources of heaven are available to those who recognize that in and of themselves, they are spiritually bankrupt and in need of help.
I believe our mistake with my biblical precepts is that we think that once salvation occurs, there is no need to cultivate a healthy need with God.
I am in no way advocating that living poor in spirit or with healthy need means we should see ourselves with a broken perspective or that you walk around with a false humility, rejecting yourself and dwelling in somber pity.
Poor in spirit means you are never far away from recognizing your genuine need for God to do a further work in your heart. You are never far from needing more healing and transformation. You recognize you are in process and are always in process. You are sobered to where you’ve come from and how God has brought you through.
Never Too Far
Even though God has freed me of so much mental torment that I struggled with for years, I never forgot what it’s like to be in such torment. I never want to forget where God brought me from and what I used to battle. I keep a sense of sobriety about it, because it keeps me grateful, grounded and aware of my need for God.
So when I sit down with someone who has depression and can’t shake it, or I am consulting with someone who has been struggling with anxiety for years and nothing’s changing, I don’t yell at them to just “get over it.” Because I remember what it’s like to be neck deep in those same battles.
Having an emotional breakdown like I did in the early 2000s brought me to my knees and helped me recognize my need for heart healing. Like many I see today, I dodged around those issues for years, thinking I was invincible and without any brokeness.
The junk that arose out of unhealed brokeness awakened me to go deeper with God and never forget my need for regular heart healing. I believe that when you distance yourself from the need of heart healing, you can allow the inner Pharisee to rise up.
‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’
Matthew 13:14-15
A Condemning Conditioning
Many people struggle with being vulnerable and acknowledge their brokenness, because they have been abused by condemnation and accusation from the enemy. They think that dealing with brokenness means they are coming into agreement with an identity of brokenness. They struggle with talking about the past or admitting to weakness, thinking those areas will give the enemy more room to tear them down. This could not be further from the truth.
True vulnerability is an amazing power we carry. In fact, weakness can be our greatest strength. But if condemnation is going to rule our culture, then it’s hard to admit struggle and be open about our deeper need for heart healing.
Functioning in Brokenness
We live in a society that likes to maintain a social image; a sophistication that hides our brokenness. We can keep jobs, go to parties, attend church services, lead, preach, teach and even achieve great accomplishments. But deep down inside there is an unmet brokenness that we just keep shoving down. So we keep hiding. Yet we can often scratch our heads and wonder why God is not manifesting breakthrough power in the way that we know He could.
We are still hiding in our need; our need to humble ourselves, recognize we need help and position our hearts in a way that doesn’t distance ourselves from what we all need.
The Angry Reaction
The religious people got angry at Jesus, when He presented the Gospel that involved healing of the heart. Touching at their heartbrokenness triggered an anger reaction.
it’s the same reaction you get from believers today. It’s amazing that in writing about the love of God and the process of heart healing, so many anger reactions gets stirred up. Are they angry at me? No. They are angry because there is pain underneath. When you touch pain, often the response is a defense of anger.
They got so angry at Jesus. The Bible says that they were strategizing on how they could try to throw him off of a cliff. What were they so angry about? He was hitting at the root problem was that their hearts were still broken and they needed healing and restoration to it.
Invitation into the Process
I believe that we have made the mistake of describing salvation as a one time event that solves everything, versus inviting people into a new world, a new identity and new journey. We have developed very weak believers by making the decision of salvation something that solves all their problems, rather than showing that this amazing covenant sets the stage for a beautiful journey of transforming experiences.
This voyage is propelled with good news, from a Good Father, who loves you and will be with you all along the way. I spend a lot of time helping people to lean into the process, because growth, maturity, heart healing and transformation is all a process.
God puts no pressure on you to arrive. He is so loving and gracious. But life with Him causes us to face our issues and grow. It just a part of what hanging out with Him is like. Yet so many still seek to appear as though they have arrived with no awareness of brokenness and no recognition of weakness.
There is Always More
As someone who lives with a heart that recognizes every single day I need God I need more healing. I need more transformation.
God accepts me. He is willing to grow with me. That does not mean I am less of a believer or less of a person because I have need. It means I’m just honest about my journey. From glory to glory I am being changed.