Tarnished

You've been tarnished
And you've been stained
All the varnish you've used to cover up with is peeling away


Yet even now return to Me with nothing less
Than your wounded, broken heart
Cling to Me, your gracious King
Be shattered glass of empty jars and rend.
Rend, rend, rend
Rend your heart


Lyrics from "Rend" -- Jimmy Needham


Jimmy Needham's music has captured my heart in incredible ways.  Music is the vehicle God uses to reach the deepest places of my soul and heal all the wounds I've acquired over the years. But as I was listening to this song while I was at work today, I realized that I had no idea what the word rend actually meant.  It's the title of the song and is repeated over and over again--how can I enjoy listening to a song that I don't know the true meaning of?


I looked up the word on dictionary.com... It may not be the best resource and I was slightly skeptical that I would find an answer that would satisfy my curiosity based on the context of the song.


Here is what I found:

rend/rɛnd/ Show Spelled–verb (used with object)

1. to separate into parts with force or violence: The storm rent the ship to pieces.

2. to tear apart, split, or divide: a racial problem that is rending the nation.

3. to pull or tear violently (often fol. by away, off, up,  etc.).

4. to tear (one's garments or hair) in grief, rage, etc.

5. to disturb (the air) sharply with loud noise.

After reading all five of these definitions I was slightly disappointed.  Of course, one could insert the nouns in the definition with "heart" and get a fairly clear idea of what rend means.  For example "to disturb [the heart] sharply with a loud noise" or "to tear [one's heart] in grief, rage, etc."

Did I mention I'm at work and have a fairly short attention span? I read 5 of those definitions completely disregarding the sixth, and most important definition of them all.

6. to harrow or distress (the heart) with painful feelings.

You don't even have to insert [heart] for it to make sense!  If rend means "to harrow or distress the heart with painful feelings" then what is the significance of the word rend in this song?  It seems on the surface that God is asking us to distress our heart with painful feelings.  That sounds uncomfortable.

But what's more uncomfortable is masking the pain and heartache of living in a broken world through facades of perfection and success. The significance of the word rend within this song should have an incredible impact on how, as Christians, we view our relationship with God.  


To rend your heart, as it's mentioned in the Bible, is to give your heart fully to the Lord, which could mean allowing what we may perceive as weakness to determine strength.  In Joel, chapter 2, there is a reference to rending your heart.  With a disaster coming upon the people of Judah, the Lord is pleading with them to rend their hearts.

¹² "Even now," declares the LORD, 

       "return to me with all your heart, 

       with fasting and weeping and mourning."

 ¹³ Rend your heart 

       and not your garments. 

       Return to the LORD your God, 

       for he is gracious and compassionate, 

       slow to anger and abounding in love, 

       and he relents from sending calamity.

So what happens when we rend our hearts?  Sin is exposed.  God is asking us to give our whole hearts to Him.. not just bits and pieces.  He wants to refine your heart and heal the sin in your life.  I know that I often feel as though I can hide the "bad" parts of my heart from God--either by not thinking about it, or attempting to fix my sin quickly and quietly on my own.  But the reality is we need God's help.  We can't do it on our own.  We are broken--terribly broken.  When our sin is revealed it seems a burden too heavy to bear on our own.  There is good news though--He wants to carry every burden we have.  

In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul describes that he has burdens, but that does not necessarily mean he is held down by them...

 

⁹But 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. ¹⁰That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."

When we rend our hearts, we're giving God the power to take over our burdens, freeing up room in our hearts to live the Spirit-filled life.  When God takes on our burdens, it's easier for us to be loving, kind, and peaceful and truly joyful.  

For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

I would encourage you, if you're reading this and believe that God wants to take your burdens from you, to willingly surrender them to Him.  Rend your heart--give Him everything you have.  Acknowledge the pain your going through, or the sin in your heart. Scripture tells us we have nothing to lose from surrendering sin--we can only gain because through our weakness we are relying on His strength.  Because he loves us that much. 

Isaiah 54:10

¹⁰ Though the mountains be shaken
       and the hills be removed,
       yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
       nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
       says the LORD, who has compassion on you.

Be broken. Boldly. Sweetly.