A Testimony of Faith and Repentance

Since I was a kid, I’ve always felt “purpose”. Most people would think, “Ah ya, that’s great. People need purpose!” Well, ya. Of course. Only… My “feeling of purpose” was and has been undefined for most of my life. Imagine it as if you walk into a room and suddenly forget why. That moment when you’re temporarily driven crazy because you cannot recall what that purpose was for the life of you. That’s me. That is the feeling I live with daily. What is it? What am I not getting? What am I forgetting?! Only on a life-sized scale. Over time, you wonder. You don’t know your why, and eventually, you question whether you have any purpose. This often can lead a man to ill-hearted and poor choices. Granted, I have no PhD. But what I know, I know in my gut. That instinctual tool that we as men and humans have. And I have been HUMBLED into understanding MY PURPOSE. Through pain, suffering, and self-inflicted bad choices, I have learned. If you know what I’m talking about, if you the least bit can agree, then I encourage you to continue reading. 

2 Kinds of men?

I always remember fictional characters and movie lines saying, “There are two kinds of men in this world….” Followed by some type of profound observation that only a professional writer could come up with. Well, I call it bullshit. There’s a multitude of different types of men in this world. There’s the guy who was born into a broken home and came out on the other end, holding together a career, family, and continuous faith. Or, there’s a guy who comes from a happy, complete home. Mom and Dad stayed together and were happy. This dude turned to booze and loose women. Obviously, these are polar opposites, and a guy can fall to one side or the other or a million different places in between. 

My point is that this world is full of broken men. And not just broken men, but broken-hearted men. From Wall Street to Skid Row. My Brothers, let me tell you what I know. 

What’s the Answer?

We are all looking for rescue. Broken-hearted men are plaguing our world, from the tough guy to the pushover. Making bad decisions daily that spread brokenheartedness to those they love.  They disappoint their mothers, wives, children, and probably most often, themselves. This was me. If I’m not careful and don’t do the work daily, this IS me. Your mama and your wife can only love you so much. Eventually, the strain you put on them will cause them to break. Caring for someone so religiously when they don’t put in the effort hurts, and thus…we spread the brokenheartedness outside of our manhood. 

But Jesus, let me tell you about JESUS. He doesn’t get tired. He knows your worth. He knows your purpose. He knows that even though you’re a foul-mouthed sailor who looks for a fight, who has been unfaithful, who has broken hearts and rules…he knows your worth. That’s my Jesus and brother; it’s your Jesus, too. 

I’m talking to my man. My kind of broken-hearted man. We’ve cheated. We’ve stolen. We’ve broken things that don’t belong to us. But there is glory for us. Just like there’s glory for those who came from that picture-perfect life. Brother, I’ve found my purpose, and His name is Jesus. And he pulled me out of the proverbial fire that would turn into a definite real fire. He slapped me with love and told me to get my shit together. He told me my broken path of pain and suffering can be redeemed. He told ME what my purpose was. And my purpose is the brokenhearted because I know them so well. Because I am him. 

There is Hope

Brothers, I tell you, there is light. There is hope. From addiction to adultery, I have been saved. I have been saved from the foulest and most embarrassing acts of rebellion and disobedience. With a tongue that was once sharp as a knife, He made a mouth that cries compassion and understanding.  I could not tell you the bible page for page and explain every scripture’s theology and deeper meaning. But I can tell you where I was. I can show you through stories of who I was. And most importantly, I can promise you that YOU, TOO, are not too far gone. My brothers, we are many. And unfortunately, there are more of us still on the side of broken than whole. But I plead with each and every one of you to band together in true discipleship. Let’s lead our families the way we were designed to. Let’s realize that the devil on our shoulders is nowhere near as strong as the God in our hearts. Let us rebuild the relationships and hearts that we have broken. Let us lead others like us to Christ. 

One of my favorite sayings is, “God uses broken people like you and me to fix broken people like you and me.”

I believe it wholeheartedly. We can move mountains with Christ almighty through TRUE discipleship and brotherhood. 

Break that addiction, whatever it may be. That vice is not as important as your eternal salvation. 

The lake of fire has plenty of room, but the gates to the Kingdom are narrow. Follow Christ. Lead your wives and children. Be a traveling church, and let’s fight the epidemic of the broken-hearted man. 

“As iron sharpens iron, one man sharpens another.”

— Psalms 27 :17

Join the Redeemed Legion

Feel the call to make a change? Join the Redeemed Legion today and stand alongside brothers who’ve journeyed from brokenness to redemption. Let’s embrace the transformative power of faith, uplift each other, and light the way for countless others. Become a beacon of hope.