A Time to Mend

Last night at church during prayer, a 6-word sentence was spoken that landed on my head like a heavy blanket: “God wants to mend the church.”

I had never before heard such a statement.

I tried sorting through what meaning I was to glean from the sentence as well as attempt to understand why it landed on my head with such force.

In Ecclesiastes we learn that there is a time for everything; the list is long but in verse 7 we find there is “a time to tear and a time to mend.” 

Webster’s defines “mend” as: repair, patch, put into good order something that is injured, damaged or defective. Mend implies making whole or sound something broken, torn or injured. To remove or correct defects.

Having a mother who is a seamstress, the word mend has always pertained to an article of clothing to me.  

If God wants to mend the church—He must surely be referring to His people—me and you.  If we need to be mended, it would go without saying that we would first have to acknowledge that we are broken and in need of repair. This act alone would require laying down one’s pride and praying for God’s gracious gift and stamp of humility.

One thing I do know—a broken person cannot fix him or herself.  

Psalm 147:3 reassures us that we have never been expected to self-heal, “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Only a Heart Specialist can mend a broken heart.

One of my favorite chapters of the Bible, Isaiah 61, paints a beautiful picture of why our Savior came to earth, “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners.” (vs.1b)

Pride, our greatest nemesis, often paralyses a believer, making it difficult to acknowledge the truth we hope no one can see.  This truth is that we are a broken, captive prisoner unable to break our own chains of bondage. Only the Spirit of Truth can reveal truth whilst simultaneously offering freedom. But first, we must confess that our time of mending is at hand.  How can we lead others to the Heart Specialist if we are not willing to trust our own hearts in His hands?

The sharp knife of betrayal, hurt, and injustice sometimes pierces the deepest from within the walls of the church, causing the tear to feel irreparable.  God still desires to mend such a heart; making the mended heart stronger than it had been before. Hence making the church stronger than before.

I pray that God will give us a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, and that He will mend His church, the brokenhearted—starting with me.

Stay the Course…

Sheila