It would be great if the things in our life that we use or value did not get broken, but they do. Some of those things we may get frustrated about, but they are not something we use often or value highly. Anything else is something we want to find a fix for as soon as we can. It happens to the best of us because accidents happen, or things wear out.

My husband would tell you that if the washer, dryer, oven, stove, or HVAC stops working, I will be an unhappy girl because I count on those things as needed and necessary most every day to help life run more smoothly. I would tell you that if something with one of our cars or the roof of our house develops a problem, I will be concerned but he will be more unhappy as he sees a problem to tackle to take care of us.

If I accidentally let an inexpensive glass drop and shatter, I will be frustrated about the mess and trying to capture all the little pieces of it that seem to go everywhere. If I accidentally break a fine piece of crystal or something that once belonged to my mother, I will be very upset either because of the cost of the replacement or that it will not be fixable or replaceable.

But other things break and are not easily fixed that may haunt us for an even longer time. What kinds of things? Relationships with others whom we have cared about, organizations we trusted, or leaders we believed in and learned they were not what they appeared to be are a few examples. These sorts of things leave imprints on our hearts that may not be fixable and are difficult to heal.

Our image of ourselves can be broken when we make the poorer choice, act on impulse, or take a risk we knew we should not have taken. Some of these may be small, others may be big and less likely to be redeemed by us or those who care about us.

When things get broken, our response tells us a lot about what we value and how we are valued by those around us who are witnesses to the brokenness.

Our bodies get broken in innumerable ways from a cut that may require a few stitches to a cancer that cannot be cured, from a mild allergic reaction that causes us to be uncomfortable to something that poisons us and takes our life. Our bodies also start breaking down as we age and are not always fixable from the wear and tear of living life.

Many things in the world are broken and despite the best efforts of the brightest minds and most creative researchers much of it cannot be fixed. It was broken a long time ago and the consequences of that terrible day in the Garden of Eden have shadowed us on every level since then. Sometimes our own efforts to fix things have made it all worse. And that can create hopelessness and despair in the most optimistic of us.

But there is good news in the midst of all the brokenness of all sizes, shapes, and kinds. On that fateful day when Adam and Eve set aside from following what God directed, He already had a plan for the brokenness that would result and multiply century by century. He knew it would never be enough to make sacrifices of goats, lambs, and more. This was too big of a break. It would require Him to make a sacrifice of his only Son who was perfect to set things right.

When Jesus offered himself up as the sacrifice for those who would believe and accept Him, He made us complete even though we were broken and unfixable. He did for us what we could not do for ourselves no matter how hard we might try. Paul shares that great truth with us as follows:

“For the full content of divine nature lives in Christ, in his humanity, ¹⁰ and you have been given full life in union with him. He is supreme over every spiritual ruler and authority.”

Colossians 2:9-10 (GNT)

Living in this life will never give me all the fixes that I need. Precious antiques handed down cannot be replaced, a lost relationship may not be repairable, a disease may not have a cure, and we will not be able to halt the process of aging and all that comes with it. Living in this life we will always make mistakes and poor choices even if we seek not to do so simply because we are imperfect and unable to do life perfectly on any level. But the good news is that because of that one perfect sacrifice by Jesus, we can be complete in Him and in the life after our earthly one we will be changed completely.