Heartache. Disappointment. Loss. Depression. Loneliness. Feelings of despair can overtake us and cause us to mentally, emotionally, or physically breakdown. But what does the Bible say is the answer? How does trusting God and applying biblical instruction in our lives lead to healthy and hopeful living? How is God’s grace sufficient?
Bible Gateway interviewed Jacob Armstrong (@armstrongjacobc) about his book, Breaking Open: How Your Pain Becomes the Path to Living Again (W Publishing Group, 2022).
What message are you communicating with the title of this book?
Jacob Armstrong: Breaking Open is all about acknowledging a common ache, acknowledging that we all have places of pain, and that it’s actually in acknowledging this ache and facing it that we find the path to true life. As a pastor for 20 years of people of different ages, races, and life experiences, I’ve seen lots of differences in people. Culturally, financially, and politically.
But all the people I’ve had the pleasure to be around have one thing that’s familiar to them; one shared experience. What we all share is an ache. Everybody I’ve ever talked to has this same ache. It’s a longing. And I feel it too.
Everyone aches to be whole, to be healed. Most of the time, though, we wouldn’t put it in those words. We just know we’re broken because our child is addicted. We ache because the depression of our youth is now the depression of our golden years. We’re stretched to the point of breaking because our career ambitions position us to commit to a pace we can’t sustain. Miscarriage, divorce, loneliness. In all of it, we ache. We ache for some way to walk through this life and not give up or give in.
We hear from Jesus in 2 Corinthians 12 that his strength is made perfect in our weakness. In our places where we feel most insufficient, Jesus’ grace is sufficient. That’s what Breaking Open is all about. Yes, we will all break in this life, but we don’t have to break down; we can follow the example of Jesus and break open.
How does the Bible speak to your theme of breaking open and not breaking down?
Jacob Armstrong: The Bible is filled with stories of people who faced breaking moments. What we might even call break downs. So, I’m not against break downs. Sometimes it seems that our only option is a good old-fashioned, on-the-floor meltdown.
But, what we see in the Bible is, with God’s power, these breaking moments don’t leave the people down. They break in an open way that leads to healing and life. Nehemiah hit the ground in anguish for days before he rose to rebuild a wall, a city, and a people. Esther almost broke as she faced her wailing uncle, then resisted safe silence and finally spoke up. Saul felt the dust of the Damascus road on his skin before he stood with new eyes to see. We might call those breakdowns, but there was something else happening there too. Something much different. For Nehemiah, Esther, Saul, and others, these moments were actually the first step on the path to living again.
But, the best example is how Jesus encountered brokenness. Instead of using a supernatural force field to hold suffering at bay, he embraced it. Fully. And he himself broke. On the cross, but also in the way he served and sacrificed for those he encountered on earth. Jesus experienced brokenness, but he did it in a way that brought healing, that brought others in, and brought life.
Jesus invites us to live a healed, whole life as those who break open toward God. That’s right. For Jesus, this isn’t about leading us down a road where we break. He knows the road we’re on is broken, so he’s leading us to hope, healing, and wholeness.
Briefly summarize your chapter titled, “Space not Pace.”
Jacob Armstrong: Yes, this is one of my favorite parts of the Breaking Open journey! So often in life we encounter difficulty and suffering, and what we do is we pick up the pace. We go faster. We neglect what we’re feeling. Again, we just kind of sit on top of the ache and as long as we keep moving, we can kind of ignore it.
But, that only lasts so long. Eventually we’ll have to face the ache, the grief, the pain, the disconnection, whatever it is we’re feeling. In my chapter, “Space not Pace,” I talk about how Jesus is actually inviting us to create space in our lives, rather than simply pick up the pace. In fact, the pace of life is often times out of our control. Circumstances dictate whether we have to go fast or go slow. What we can control is how we intentionally create space to meet with God. The Bible tells us that God desires this. In Psalm 18, David says, “He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me.”
God is working a great rescue mission. The rescue involves getting us into a more spacious place where we can experience the delight of God. This doesn’t happen by ignoring how we’re feeling, but getting some space to be with Jesus. I imagine many of the people that go to Bible Gateway on a given day are doing just this. Getting some intentional space and time with God. That’s a great place to be.
What is a favorite Bible passage of yours and why?
Jacob Armstrong: Oooh, tough one. I have a few that I really lean on in my journey and struggle with anxiety. Philippians 4:6-7 that promises a peace that transcends all understanding is always on the tip of my tongue. Proverbs 3:5-6 that speaks of a way to trust in God is very important to my faith. But, my life verse is 2 Corinthians 12:9 I already mentioned. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. I remember that Jesus is grace is enough. Enough for me right now. Enough for whatever I’m facing. And that actually God’s strength is not perfected in my strong places, but my weakest ones. Man, I love that. I believe it. I cling to it.
What are your thoughts about Bible Gateway?
Jacob Armstrong: I use Bible Gateway every day. And I have for a long time! I use it a lot for my sermon and teaching preparation as a pastor. I love how quickly I can access a verse and see it in different versions. I write my sermons on Tuesday, and every Tuesday the tab to Bible Gateway stays open for easy access!
But, I also use Bible Gateway in my own personal study and reading. Every morning in my devotional time, I still use the old fashioned kind of Bible; you know, the one with pages that you turn. But most of the time after that I’m accessing the Bible through Bible Gateway. Again, it’s always at my fingertips whether I’m sitting at my computer or holding my phone. So, thank you Bible Gateway for getting God’s Word out to so many of us!
Breaking Open is published by HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., the parent company of Bible Gateway.
Bio: Jacob Armstrong is a published author, speaker, and pastor of Providence Church in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee. Jacob and his wife, Rachel, founded Providence Church in 2008 with a vision to see people who feel disconnected from God and the church find hope, healing, and wholeness in Jesus Christ. Providence Church has been one of the 100 fastest growing churches in the nation the last three years.
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The post How Is God’s Grace Sufficient in My Weakness?: An Interview with Jacob Armstrong appeared first on Bible Gateway Blog.