“The spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, but who can bear a broken spirit?”

Proverbs 18:14 (NKJV)

I have had too many – far, far too many – friends and family who have suffered from physical ailments and personal adversities of varying kinds. And in the midst of their struggles I have seen the reality of the depth of meaning we can glean from the verse quoted above. It amazes me how important this truth is as we face difficulties of different types and magnitudes.

We could simply focus our attention on Covid-19, could we not? Just today I discovered that a pastor friend of mine has been hospitalized for several days with Covid, and two long-time friends have also been diagnosed with the virus. My wife, daughter and I have all had the virus, and we know so very many others who have suffered the ravages of this illness. Sadly, we have also known several who have passed away from complications brought about by the disease.

We also know several who are battling diseases of different kinds. Heart diseases, cancer, diabetes, and various other maladies. Added to these health issues are many other life challenges that can quickly rob us of our sense of joy and contentment, and cause us to become embittered toward life in general.

The writer of Proverbs states assertively that the spirit of a man will sustain him in sickness, and, we could add, life difficulties of other kinds. But, once the spirit is broken, who can bear it? The writer here is speaking of the human spirit. It is the spirit of man that gives vitality to life, that buoys one up under the pressures of life, that maintains a sense of purpose in life even in the face of life’s difficulties, troubles, diseases, and dilemmas.

But what happens when the spirit is broken? What happens when we no longer have the buoyancy to bounce back from the hurdles and obstacles that come our way? It can happen suddenly, or it can be a very gradual progression. It might be brought on by the dreaded “C” word given by the doctor after extensive tests. Or, it can be the gradual wear and tear of fighting a chronic disease day after day, with the body becoming weaker and weaker, and the loss of hope for the future.

Whether sudden or gradual, we might find ourselves living under that dark cloud of uncertainty that is consistently eroding our sense of well-being. Instead of viewing each day as a step in the direction of wholeness, we begin to see each day as just another in a long succession of days with little hope, little joy, little peace, little love. We feel the whole world closing in on us, robbing us of our desire to even survive.

When one reaches this point of utter hopelessness, is there any thing that can be done? When the doctors say they have done all they can do and the best now is to strive to keep you or your loved one comfortable in the time they have left, is there anything to look forward to? Any thing that would give a sense of hope?

I would like to offer a couple of suggestions for anyone who might be experiencing the agony of a broken spirit. It could possibly be an adversity affecting you personally, or it may be affecting someone you deeply care for.

First, and foremost, a broken human spirit desperately needs a fresh infusion of the Holy Spirit. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Holy Trinity. He has actually taken residence in us, and it is by His presence and power in our lives that we are enabled to face anything and everything this life can throw our way. The Apostle Paul is a graphic case in point here. In the first chapter of his second letter to the Corinthians he makes an astounding assertion. Listen carefully to this declaration:

“For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust that He will still deliver us, you also helping together in prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many.

2 Corinthians 1:8-11, NKJV

Paul admits that he despaired even of life, having the sentence of death hanging over him. But even though his human spirit was being severely tested, he was strengthened by the indwelling Holy Spirit, and in the midst of a most horrific trial he could still have hope for the future.

Second, we need to remind ourselves constantly that we are here for God’s glory. Our individual lives are to be lived for His glory and His alone. An incident recorded in John’s Gospel illustrates this point well. In John 11 we have the very familiar story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. However, before this miracle was performed, Jesus informed His disciples that Lazarus’s death was for the glory of God. There is certainly a sense of consternation on the part of the disciples, as well as Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. Their hope was that Jesus would arrive before Lazarus died so that He might perform a miracle of healing. But alas, Jesus did not. As a matter of fact, Jesus purposely stayed away long enough for Lazarus to die, and be buried four days before Jesus’ arrival.

Mary, Martha, the disciples, and the crowds gathered to mourn the death of Lazarus, must have all been wondering why Jesus acted in such a strange and unusual way. But the lesson Jesus wanted them, and us, to learn is that everything that comes our way in life is to be viewed as an opportunity to glorify God.

So, we need a fresh infusion of the Holy Spirit, and we need a reminder of the fact that this life provides us with the arena to bring glory to God in all we do. Then, third, we need to constantly remind ourselves of the promise given by Paul in his correspondence to the Romans:

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Romans 8:18

This life offers each of us amazing opportunities for testifying to the greatness of God. It doesn’t matter if what happens to me tomorrow seems to be good or bad from my limited human perspective, it presents me with the avenue to point people to the goodness, the grace, and the abundance of God. It is my opportunity to testify to my personal faith that all things do indeed work together for the good of those who love God. It is my “preaching platform”, as it were, to proclaim just how awesome God really is, and just how much He loves me and cares for me, even in the midst of situations that might temporarily cause a momentary lapse of a broken spirit, but one which can quickly be mended by the indwelling, enabling, empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

So, whatever comes, let’s let our light shine before men so that they might see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.