For a few years, I didn’t much like Kiss singer/bassist Gene Simmons. At the time, his epic ego and claims of endless sexual conquests (which, thankfully, we no longer hear about) were major turn-offs.
All that said, I felt like I was downing an ice-cold drink on a sweltering day when I read an article about his 2011 appearance on the U.S. cable TV talk show Chelsea Lately.
Interviewed by host Chelsea Handler, Simmons was surprisingly frank and humble when put on the spot about his sexual infidelities.
With longtime girlfriend (and, since 2011, wife) Shannon Tweed in the audience, Simmons said “I’m damaged goods, and I need Shannon in my life. I need her to fix what’s wrong with me.”
Wow! For a man who has bragged about bedding more than 4,000 women, this confession is simply astonishing. And it opens the door to explore two important ideas.
1. “I’m damaged goods.” Gene, you can take comfort in the fact that you’re not alone. Like it or not, every person on this planet is damaged goods. Every one of us has somehow dropped the ball and missed the target of what we could be.
Looking for proof? Consider this revealing statement from a man who had a deep and life-changing spiritual encounter with Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is God’s Son): “Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.”
Oh, our damage may not be as obvious or as potentially hurtful as Gene Simmons’, but please notice that the statement doesn’t address degrees of damage. Why? Because in the end, it doesn’t matter. And that fact alone should keep the rest of us from feeling smug.
2. “I need her to fix what’s wrong with me.” Shannon, are you feeling the pressure yet? I know I would be if my wife made this declaration about me. Think about this: if all of us are damaged, then how is Shannon supposed to ‘fix’ Gene when she has her own failings?
Still, this doesn’t mean Shannon can’t do anything for Gene, just as it doesn’t mean my wife is incapable of helping me.
Serious Jesus followers believe two things: that God cares about every person on this planet, and God can — and does — work through all people, no matter what their issues, to achieve His goals.
When my wife & I got married, our pastor told Lori that I would be the prime resource God would use to repair her hurts and eliminate her weaknesses. Then he told me the same thing about Lori. All the two of us had to do was let God have His way.
So, do you want to let God fix you like he’s fixing me? Then invite His son, Jesus, into your life and let Him have His way. If you’re serious about it, and get hooked up with a Jesus-following church, then you’ll soon start to experience positive changes in your life.
Frank's Cottage 
thanks for the reminder Frank – love to sit with my coffee and read for a spell at the cottage.
Yup. We’re all damaged in some aspects of our lives. True, the flaws might not be obvious to others, but in our hearts, we know we fall far short of perfection. And its hereditary. Since Adam and Eve fell into sin, we are all born with a sinful nature.
But submitting ourselves, and our sinful nature, to Jesus Christ works wonders! Through repentance (turning away from our old, sinful human nature) and fully submitting to Jesus Christ, baptism in water for the remission (washing away) of those sins, and the infilling of the Spirit of God, we truly become new creatures! It worked for me!
My only regret is having stumbled along in darkness for so many years before I discovered the Light of God’s Word!
Thanks for your thoughts, Brook! I probably stumbled along just as many years as you. 🙂
I think King David, from the Bible’s Old Testament, is an amazing example of this concept. He was arguably the best King and leader the world has ever seen, starting from Goliath. He was also one of the best examples of someone with complete and unwavering faith in God. He was also an amazing man of action for God. And he was also a sinner… adultery followed by murder, for example. But he asked God for forgiveness and he repented. And God kept using him for His work!
Most (all?!) of us are not the leader that David was, nor do most of us fall as hard as David did (thankfully!), but we all sin and for some reason God forgives us all! He truly must love each of us to have such patience and forgiveness for each of us. King David. Gene Simmons. And me.
Great stuff, Paul. Thanks for contributing to the conversation! 🙂
sometime we have to keep falling to realise what’s wrong and hit rock bottom before we begin the long hard journey back.