One day I found myself sitting on the bedroom floor looking at divorce papers with tears running down my face. I couldn’t wrap my brain around the fact that I was now a divorced Christian and a single mother. I was embarrassed and ashamed to show my face at church. My hopes of sharing in ministry with my husband were dashed. My dreams of ministering to women in the church were gone. God can’t use me now. I am damaged goods.

Stacy was 17 years old when she snuck out of the house to attend a college party with her friend. The next morning, she woke up in a strange bedroom next to a passed-out stranger. She was in pain all over her body. She knew she had been raped and now is paralyzed with fear. Stacy is damaged goods. – Abused

Ken was 7 years old when he and his younger brother returned home from school to find his dad standing at the door with his suitcase. His father said that he had to go away. His mother was crying while his brother clung to his father’s leg as he walked out of the door. Ken vowed to never trust again. Ken is damaged goods. – Abandoned

Lory, a real estate agent, was chasing after the American dream—a big house, fancy car, and designer clothes. When the economy crashed, she found herself buried under $2.5 million of debt. She lost everything. She’s too embarrassed to return to her church. Lory is damaged goods. – Bankruptcy

Jeff was a 55-year-old senior manager of a large company when two executive vice presidents came to his office. He feared that they somehow discovered that he had been using the company credit card to feed his 20-pills-a-day opioid habit. He’s ashamed and afraid to face his family. Jeff is damaged goods. – Addiction

Damaged Goods

Although our stories are different, Stacy, Ken, Lory, Jeff, and I have something in common. We are damaged goods. We feel like the bin of discounted merchandise that is dented, crushed, torn, missing parts, and has ripped labels. No one wants to pay full price for damaged goods.

When life hits us hard, we feel like something is broken and unfixable inside of us. We consider ourselves to be flawed and no longer valuable or desirable because of something we have done or something that was done to us. We believe our lives are ruined due to a tragedy or a painful history. Feelings of shame, guilt, and worthlessness become our identity and control our lives.

We expect to live flawless lives from birth to death. When something happens such as a divorce, death of a loved one, sexual abuse, a failed business, or a dysfunctional family, we believe the universe has fallen off its axis and all is lost forever.

We Are Damaged Goods

The world tells us that we are not damaged goods—we just need more self-esteem. Some Christians would say, “You’re not damaged goods because you’re a child of God.” Well, I have some countercultural news for you. The Bible describes us as damaged goods. When God created mankind, He made us in His own image and declared us good (Gen. 1:27). Genesis 1:31 beautifully declares, “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”

However, that little incident in the Garden of Eden changed everything. Adam and Eve were perfectly created human beings who disobeyed God and ate the forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3:6). Sin entered the beings of Adam and Eve. Mankind had fallen from perfect peace with God to being under the judgment of God (Gen. 3:16-19). We became damaged by the great fall in the Garden of Eden.

God Redeems Damaged Goods

The Redemption Plan

Everyone is damaged goods because “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). In our brokenness, we search the world looking for things that can fix us. Through the pursuits of relationships, money, position, status, and material things, we try in vain to repair our damaged parts. We discover there is no one and nothing that can purchase our “as is” condition.

Ultimately, discounted merchandise will be incinerated. We are damaged goods due to the fall and that separates us from God. God’s holiness demands that unclaimed damaged goods be discarded.

However, the good news is that God has a remarkable redemption plan. God redeems damaged goods through the blood of Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:7). The hope for all damaged goods is found in God’s one and only Son, Jesus, who is the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14). In Christ, we no longer live as damaged goods, but as the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). Through faith we are saved from incineration to reconciliation with God (Eph. 2:8).

Benefits of God’s Redemption Plan

God’s redemption plan has many benefits for redeemed damaged goods. In Christ, we have eternal life (John 3:16). We are adopted into a whole family of redeemed damaged people (Gal. 4:5). We are no longer in bondage to sin (Rom. 6:14). The dominion of darkness is replaced with the kingdom of God’s Son, in whom we have the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:13-14). As new creatures in Christ, we enjoy a life full of the goodness and peace of God.

God Uses Damaged Goods

God specializes in using damaged goods for His glory. Jesus gave Himself to redeem us and to purify for Himself damaged people for His own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14). We are called to teach and make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19-20). As damaged goods, we are privileged to be used by God and to share the joy and hope of the gospel to other damaged goods.

Questions for Reflection

We want life to work out the way we think it should. When life hits us hard and messes up our perfect plans, how do we see ourselves and our plans? What has happened in your life that makes you feel like damaged goods or that your life is ruined? As a result, how should you view your life in light of your faith in Christ?