Are we ruined apart from God? I think so. There is only one set of materials worth building anything out of and God is the sole possessor of those materials.  Being ruined is to be built up with our own stuff or the stuff of others. Our own building materials have no real quality. They may look nice but will fall apart  in short order. We cannot make anything of substance apart from God.

We should discover what God values. Those things should take priority in your life. We must choose to build with God-materials and not our own. Any sense of false pride or accomplishment can be replaced by Godly humility and service. What sort of stuff does God build with? I want to surround myself with those things.