Brokenness and Damaged aren’t God’s Words

I remember when I finally decided to stop running from God and run to him, I had just left a church service where the message was “You may broken, but your God’s masterpiece.” I remember going to my car, burying my face in my steering wheel and telling God, “I know I’m too broken for you to use, but thank you for bringing me back to you.” While this service, this moment allowed me to experience a beautiful moment with my Savior, I also recognize the falseness of my brokenness belief, damage debacle.

When I am working with clients, I often have them explore their belief system, especially about themselves. Many clients select “I am damaged goods” or “I am broken” as a part of their belief system. In addition, the church even uses statements like we are a “broken people.” Even in my own reconciliation with Christ, the title of the message promoted that I was broken. But this belief, this verbiage isn’t scriptural. 

  Nowhere in scripture does God refer to us as broken or damaged. Within the New American Standard Version, broken is used 136 times and not one of those is used as an adjective to describe God’s children. David in the Psalms refers to himself as a “broken vessel” (Psalm 31:12). This reference in context is reference to David’s distress because of his sin. Job states his “spirit is broken” (Job 17:1), but not himself a “broken” person. In addition, in the New Testament, again, Jesus does not refer to us as a broken people. And nowhere in scripture are we a “damaged” people. Our hearts, our spirit may face brokenness as Psalm 34:18 and Psalm 51:17 states, but we are not a broken, damaged people.

  Often these statements appear theological and “sound right,” so many theologians, teachers, etc. have used them to spur others to rightness with God. And maybe broken and damaged sound better than being called sinners? I simply do not know how these statements have come to be. But, as a therapist and Christ-follower, broken and damaged carry such negative connotations because often people embody those words to believe they are broken (often beyond repair) or damaged (enough to throw away or not be used any longer), and none of that is truth. We are sinners. Genesis-Revelation conveys that. We are in need of a Savior because in our sinfulness, we cannot approach God’s throne. But, oh the love the Father, “See how great a love the Father has given us, that we would be called children of God; and in fact we are” (1 John 3:1). Notice we are not called damaged or broken, but children of God. Here’s more truth: 

You are…..

·      “Royal Priesthood, a people belonging to God” (1 Peter 2:9). 

·      “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12)

·      “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Romans 8:16-17)

Know that you matter, you are God’s child. You are not damaged and you are not broken. You are enough that he died on the cross so that you may be with him. Allow yourself to feel his love, hope, peace and truth for you today.