Dented, Bruised, and Sometimes Busted

I love getting a good deal, especially on a high ticket item. But who doesn't?

Many times stores will discount an item when the packaging is damaged or you see a discount bin when you walk through a store that has items in there that are just missing a label, or the box may be just cut open on the side.

Sometimes life gives us the unexpected.  Lessons that knock us to our knees and bruise, dent, or even bust us open in some way.   When that happens sometimes we let it remove the label of who we are in Christ.  A mother looses her only child it takes away her role as a mother. A divorce can take away the role of a mother or father. When things like that happen in our lives we feel as though we are that discounted item just thrown into the discount bin. With all the dents and bruises that we receive in life, we tend to begin to believe the lie of the devil that we are not good enough and we are no longer worthy to stand before our God.

We all have been damaged in some sort of way.  As young children we all dream of what we want to be like as we grow up and when we fail to live up to our own expectations or someone else's expectations, we feel like that item tossed into the discount bin.  How often do we look at those items in the discount bin and judge them because of the type of damage it has or because of the missing label.  I know that I have done that all too often.  How often do we look at others and are quick to judge them and throw them into the "discount bin"? I dare say that we all have been quick to judge someone without really knowing the story.

Sometimes, we end up in that discount bin with all the other busted and damaged items.  But, we have hope! We have hope in Jesus who paid the price for our sins and for all of our dents, bruises, and damages.  Psalm 34:18 says, "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."  That verse provides hope for us that the Lord is always going to be close and near to us even when we feel as though we have been thrown into the discount bin.

Are there people in your life that think they are the damaged good that was thrown into the discount bin?  Take some time and pray for them and reach out to them and give them the chance to be taken out of the discount bin and show them the love of Jesus and that he is close to those who are broken and he will restore us and repair our brokenness and take us out of the discount bin and give us a new label.