I know that I am broken. Broken by the effect sin has had on my life. No one has to point it out or remind me. It is clearly evident. The proof is in my thoughts and actions. I am not whole, complete, or perfect. I would never attempt to deny that I am damaged goods.
The problem is that our society is intolerant of imperfection. This intolerance has caused us to become a disposable society. If anything gets chipped, broken, or worn out we toss it. We rarely attempt to repair anything. If it is broken, we dispose of it and replace it with a new and improved model.
It is not surprising in such a throw away culture that we have come to see broken people as trash. We are ready to throw the imperfect on a refuse heap and leave them to rot. It is sad, but it is common to find this attitude even in the church. We have been influenced by the world’s ideology and often treat people as cheap and disposable. They are imperfect and broken, so we feel justified in labeling and segregating.
It is probably safe to say that each one of us knows what it is like to lose patience with someone else’s brokenness. If we are honest, we must admit that each of us has been ready to toss the imperfect. We tend to be quick to discard those with obvious faults, thereby encouraging church members to hide their flaws and cracks for fear of being tossed aside. Pretending that we are ok is not the answer. Recycling is!
It is clear from God’s Word that each one of us is damaged, broken, and ready for the trash receptacle. Sin has left us damaged. Our own sin breaks our spirit and eats away at our minds. The sins perpetuated against us by others break our hearts and crush our emotions. We are broken and deserve to be discarded.
But praise God, in spite of the fact that I am damaged goods, God has chosen to keep me. There are reasons he does this. He has a sentimental attachment to me because I am his creation. He loves me because I belong to him. He sees value in me. He wants to keep me near to himself. He is also fond of recycling. He doesn’t like waste, but delights in taking old junk and making it into beautiful artwork.
As we look into scripture, we see many broken people. Some were physically broken. Mephibosheth was crippled. Jacob had an injured hip. Hannah was barren. Spiritually broken people are included in the history of God’s people too. Samson comes to mind. Elijah was emotionally broken and tired. Hosea was suffering from a broken relationship. Job had a broken soul, spirit, and body. And the list goes on.
People are now and always have been broken. If this was where the story ended, it would be sad and hopeless. It doesn’t end there though. God recycles what society would or has discarded. The glorious truth is that God shows grace and mercy to the broken. He offers to remake us into something new, whole, complete, and special. He sees the value in what others see only as discarded junk. Once he remakes us we are no longer trash, but we are useful, valuable, and uniquely designed to bring honor and glory to the Most High God.
Are there times when you question your value and usefulness because you are chipped or cracked? Have you been left on the trash heap outside the church? Have you been discarded because of your brokenness? I have. And from my place in the landfill of societal rejects, I saw Jesus walk towards me and smile. He picked me up, held me close and took me as his own precious possession. I belong to him, and he is recycling what once was trash. Turning me into a showpiece that brings glory to his name. “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:10).
There is no question about it. I am damaged goods. I have flaws and cracks that are evident to all. But because of God’s unique ability to see value in what society has discarded, and because of His recycling efforts in my life, I know “I am broken, but I’m not trash”.