Most man made things can be fixed when broken. Some things, especially mechanical devices, will look and function as if they were brand new after a proper repair. Others, like china mugs, will never be quite the same even after the most attentive and professional reassembly. Certain objects lend themselves to being repaired quickly and easily. I was able to fix my brother-in-laws camera in a matter of minutes because it disassembled easily and the new part virtually snapped into place. Some devices, however, require a lot more finesse and a certain amount of destruction in order to get them working right. Most wires or cables, for instance, have to be cut with a surgeon’s precision so that they can be repaired or replaced.
As I said before. Most things can be fixed; the question that arises, however, is whether or not it is worth the time and effort needed to get them working right. A china mug cracked or shattered can, theoretically, be fixed. Trouble is, the repair is lengthy, difficult and not really adequate. Broken handles never stay on very long; cracks or chips in the mug itself are both unsightly and unhealthy. In other words, objects made out of china aren’t worth the trouble. If your favourite mug ever needs reassembly, there is no hope for it.
The sad truth about most human beings is that we are all broken in some way. Other than Jesus himself, no person past, present or yet to be born is absolutely and perfectly intact. We all have some kind of spiritual missing or broken bit. We all do things that frustrate, annoy or even anger God. The price we pay for being able to make our own choices is that we are not guaranteed to make the right ones. Usually we make good and healthy decisions, decisions that honour and please God. Every once in a while, however, we go off the rails and choose poorly. The result is painful and embarrassing for us, and hurtful to our Heavenly Father.
Unlike man-made objects, not one single human being, is beyond being repaired and made whole by God. We might find that hard to believe within our limited understanding. Our sense of justice and fair play tends towards the “eye-for-an-eye” approach to our wrong doing. God, however, doesn’t work that way. There is no way we could ever make things up to God as we should and God’s mercy is too great for Him to expect us to pay for our sins. Jesus bore the cost of our mistakes and our willful disobedience. For God, fixing us is not about justice; it’s about love, grace and mercy.
There is, of course, a two-part condition we must meet for God to fix us when we’ve sinned. We have to confess our sins before Him honestly and openly, and then accept His holy way of life and turn away from sin. Once we’ve given ourselves to God, we are forgiven and restored to spiritual wholeness. It’s then up to us to try to live up to that promise. Should we blow it, God is willing to fix us again, on the same terms. That’s true for every time we blow it, no matter how far we stray. God’s love means that no matter how broken we are, we are infinitely fixable and always worth the cost.
As I said before. Most things can be fixed; the question that arises, however, is whether or not it is worth the time and effort needed to get them working right. A china mug cracked or shattered can, theoretically, be fixed. Trouble is, the repair is lengthy, difficult and not really adequate. Broken handles never stay on very long; cracks or chips in the mug itself are both unsightly and unhealthy. In other words, objects made out of china aren’t worth the trouble. If your favourite mug ever needs reassembly, there is no hope for it.
The sad truth about most human beings is that we are all broken in some way. Other than Jesus himself, no person past, present or yet to be born is absolutely and perfectly intact. We all have some kind of spiritual missing or broken bit. We all do things that frustrate, annoy or even anger God. The price we pay for being able to make our own choices is that we are not guaranteed to make the right ones. Usually we make good and healthy decisions, decisions that honour and please God. Every once in a while, however, we go off the rails and choose poorly. The result is painful and embarrassing for us, and hurtful to our Heavenly Father.
Unlike man-made objects, not one single human being, is beyond being repaired and made whole by God. We might find that hard to believe within our limited understanding. Our sense of justice and fair play tends towards the “eye-for-an-eye” approach to our wrong doing. God, however, doesn’t work that way. There is no way we could ever make things up to God as we should and God’s mercy is too great for Him to expect us to pay for our sins. Jesus bore the cost of our mistakes and our willful disobedience. For God, fixing us is not about justice; it’s about love, grace and mercy.
There is, of course, a two-part condition we must meet for God to fix us when we’ve sinned. We have to confess our sins before Him honestly and openly, and then accept His holy way of life and turn away from sin. Once we’ve given ourselves to God, we are forgiven and restored to spiritual wholeness. It’s then up to us to try to live up to that promise. Should we blow it, God is willing to fix us again, on the same terms. That’s true for every time we blow it, no matter how far we stray. God’s love means that no matter how broken we are, we are infinitely fixable and always worth the cost.
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