#iCONVICTION: Walking in God-opened Doors

I recently taught a sermon in my church entitled “Unashamed: Broken Before God.”  Before I go any further, I need to pause a moment in awe of the fact that ‘I recently taught a sermon in my church.’  It wasn’t the first time, but I am blown away by God’s grace every time. You see, it is only because of God’s faithfulness to make much of Himself through my brokenness that there is even a platform for me to stand on. I am unashamed to claim that.
There’s an old saying, “A broken vessel is an open vessel.”  I not only know that to be true, but I have lived that truth. I am broken and better for it. As I have attested many times before, (in fact now through six years worth of writings), it was the brokenness of my own doing that became the impetus for me to see God so vividly and to hear Him so personally. 
I remember when I was in prison and it was inevitable for the question to come up about what I would do in the future. I’m sure many would think my attitude was somewhat delusional because I would boldly state that God had a specific plan for my life and He would bring it to pass in His timing. I would be even more explicit with close family and share the actual vision of what God placed on my heart about my future. I would tell them that I saw myself speaking on multiple platforms, pouring out on others what God had so faithfully poured into me during my time away in isolation.
Since my prison release, I have seen this vision come to fruition, and I will continue to go where God alone has opened the doors. I have been humbled to stand on platforms from Cali to Boston, with many future engagements to come, such as the ACS Music Fest in May, before the Christian band Mercy Me, and again this summer at the event, a Closer Walk, held in Wildwood on the beach with the band Unspoken. 
Another ‘God-arranged’ engagement will have my wife and me traveling out to Colorado Springs in June to meet with Dr. James Dobson and his ministry team for a radio interview. (I was raised on Dr. Dobson.) 
Pretty crazy stuff that I know I don’t deserve, but I’m realizing God was preparing me for this all along, showing me that the pathway to blessedness must humbly pass through brokenness. The world may throw away what’s broken, but God looks to pour into such vessels because they are finally open.
It was through my brokenness that my ears were in tune to another realm as I read the living Word each day and knew that God had a perfect plan for my imperfect life. It was through my broken heart that He began mending and molding His grace into my disgrace. And it was through brokenness that I learned the most about God’s faithfulness.
The hard truth about life is this: Trials, difficulties, and specifically brokenness are a means by which faith is exercised and increased. God allows adversity as a way for us to get to know Him more deeply. And since mostly everyone can relate to some form of pain, I’m saying that it is usually our hurts that make our platforms most effective as the clearest way to highlight God’s healing. So when trials come and our innermost soul is tested, we shall say:
“I will wait and see what good God will do to me by it, assured He will do it.  Thus, we shall bear an honorable testimony before the world, and thus we shall strengthen the hands of others.”  – George Mueller
Matthew Maher is a former professional athlete and author of the newly released book U MAY B THE ONLY BIBLE SOMEBODY READS: R U LEGIBLE? His “Decisions Determine Destiny” assemblies are funded by State Farm and service youth in the tri-state area. He is also the Director of Student Ministries at Coastal Christian Ocean City. He served four years and seven months in N.J. State prison and was released August 2014. You can learn more at www.themattmaherstory.com. Follow him on Twitter @mattmaherstory and on Instagram @matthewmaher7.