"Can You Be Broken and Whole at the Same Time?"
- Jun 12
- 4 min read
This sounds like a very silly, even ridiculous, question. If I drop a glass plate and it breaks into many pieces, how in the world can it be considered “whole?” It can’t. But we’re not talking about glass plates—we’re talking about our hearts and our emotions—particularly how we respond to what we call “Godly Brokenness.”
What is Godly Brokenness?
Godly brokenness is the humble surrender of a heart that recognizes its need for God and allows Him to transform weakness, sin, wounds, and suffering into greater Christlikeness.
Many of us spend a good part of our lives trying to hide our brokenness. We conceal our wounds, suppress our disappointments, and mask our struggles because we believe that being broken means we are somehow incomplete, unworthy, or unusable. We often assume that wholeness is the absence of pain and that healing means never feeling weak again. I (Jerry) have often said that “Godly weakness doesn’t sell tickets in the western church!”
But what if God sees things differently?
What if, according to Scripture, a person can be both broken and whole at the same time?
Many people define wholeness as having everything together. They imagine a life free from emotional scars, personal failures, unanswered questions, or spiritual struggles. Yet when we look at the Bible, we find that some of God's greatest servants were deeply wounded individuals.
David was a man after God's own heart, yet he experienced betrayal, grief, failure, and profound regret.
Paul carried what he called a "thorn in the flesh," a persistent weakness that God chose not to remove.
Peter bore the memory of denying Jesus three times, yet he became a foundational leader of the early church.
None of these people were perfect. None were free from brokenness. Yet all were whole in God's sight because their identity was rooted in Him.
What is God’s Definition of Wholeness?
Biblical wholeness is not the absence of scars; it is the presence of Christ.
Jesus never promised His followers a life untouched by pain. In fact, He said, "In this world you will have trouble." Yet He immediately followed that statement with hope: "But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
Wholeness comes when our hearts, minds, and spirits are surrendered to God. It is a condition of being rightly connected to our Creator, not a condition of living without wounds.
Strength in Weakness
One of the most powerful lessons in Scripture comes from Paul's struggle with his thorn in the flesh. Three times he pleaded with God to remove it. God's answer was not immediate healing but a deeper promise:
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Paul learned that weakness was not an obstacle to God's work; it was often the very place where God's power was most visible.
Our culture celebrates self-sufficiency. The Kingdom of God celebrates dependence on Him.
Brokenness reminds us of our need for grace.
A cracked vessel can still be full. A wounded heart can still be faithful. A struggling believer can still be spiritually whole.
Living Whole While Still Healing
Being whole does not mean you have arrived. It means you belong.
You can still be grieving and be whole. You can still be struggling and be whole. You can still be healing and be whole. You can still carry scars and be whole. Jesus Christ is our best example of being broken through His work on the cross but being whole in His submission to His Father.
The Christian life is not a journey from brokenness to perfection. It is a journey of growing trust in the One who makes all things new.
God is not waiting for you to become flawless before He uses you. He works through imperfect people every day. I can personally attest to this truth! One of my “Life Scriptures” is 2 Corinthians 12:9, as referred to earlier. Both Denise and I have lived and ministered from a place of brokenness and the journey continues. In fact, many years ago Denise wrote an excellent and personal article entitled, “The Journey of Brokenness.” If you are interested in reading this, click on the title. It is included in our other book, Loving God, Loving Myself.
Can you be whole at the same time you are broken?
Absolutely! Actually, as stated in Alan Nelson’s book, Broken in the Right Place, “Brokenness is not the opposite of wholeness; it is the continuing precondition for it.”
Wholeness is not found in having an unscarred life. It is found in having a surrendered heart. Through Christ, our brokenness no longer defines us. His grace does.
You may still be carrying wounds from yesterday. You may still be healing from losses, disappointments, or failures. Yet if your life is anchored in Jesus Christ, you can be whole even while healing.
The world says, "Fix yourself, then come."
Jesus says, "Come as you are, and I will make you whole."
Blessings,
Jerry and Denise Basel
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