As a clinical counselor, I meet with young women who, coming into my office, carry the broken remains and ruins of what once existed. They come to me in hopes that I will be able to help them restore and rebuild what they can sense deeply has been lost.
When God created us, we were crowned with dignity, free from shame, gifted with authority, known by Him and one another, and endowed with countless other qualities reflecting His glorious image. But, being deceived, we fell. Because of sin, God’s very good creation was ruined. We no longer reflected love, we rejected it. And our attempts to rebuild and restore ourselves only left us more ruined.
Believers and followers of Jesus know this is not the end of the story. God, in His mercy, always had a plan to rebuild and restore us Himself. That plan is Jesus – His only begotten Son, who freely descended into the world to love and save us, even by dying on the cross for our sins. He gave His life to save us from eternal death. He was torn down to raise us up. He was broken to make us whole. We were God’s enemies, but He loved us. When we repent and believe the Good News of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, we receive the gift of His Holy Spirit – a new seed to produce new, glorious life in us.
And as we simply abide in His love, that holy seed of His Spirit transforms us into “oaks of righteousness,” producing fruit that contains holy seeds of its own, which fall to the soil of others’ souls and can produce new life in them (Is. 61:3). In fact, He says of His redeemed people that we “will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated” (Is. 61:4)! Imagine that! What greater miracle is there than the ruins themselves – us – becoming rebuilders with God?
So, back to the young women who sit on the couch across from me – carrying ruin, yet longing for restoration. I know that I, on my own, cannot rebuild their ancient ruins. But the Holy Spirit, who lives in me and brings the dead back to life, can. He empowers me – and every one of us who believes – to love as He has loved us first. To offer kindness, especially when it is least deserved. To comfort, even as we have been comforted. To testify to the truth of what God has done, even at the risk of being rejected or despised.
As we use our glorious, reclaimed freedom and authority not to serve ourselves, but to humbly serve God by loving others, we are rebuilt ourselves. One small (or great!) act of love and faithfulness at a time, we join God’s work of rebuilding and restoring what’s been ruined. This is the most meaningful work we can have. And even when we are yet feeble and far from producing fruit, this is the promise we have been given and are sure to receive as we trust Him and remain in His love.
So thank you, Jesus! And come, Holy Spirit! Continue to rebuild us, restore us, through your endless, unfailing love. Empower and enable us more and more to join you in your mission and do the same for others. For the glory of your name, Amen.
{If you enjoyed today’s blog post, you might also like this episode of The Love Offering podcast, where Rachael talks with Leeana Tankersley about the darkest chapter of her own story and how waiting patiently in the darkness allowed something incredible to take root within her. You can listen to the episode here.}
About the Author:
Elysse lived in deep darkness (Is. 9:2) for many years, looking in all the wrong places for the perfect love, hope, joy and peace of Jesus. She ended up in jail, 12-step rooms, and abortion clinics, involuntarily committed at a mental hospital, down dark New Age spiritual rabbit holes, and finally, at the foot of the cross. Now she gets excited about pointing the spiritually poor and needy to the truth of God’s unfailing love for them in Jesus. She loves to support teens and young adults as a clinical counselor, organize beautiful gatherings for her local community, bring biblical wisdom to life through creative worksheets and resources, and write about what God has done and is doing on her website, broken + beloved. She resides in Orange County, California with her husband and their two puppies.
