On this deeply instructive episode of ReflectionsTuesday, Pastor Ayo Agunloye continues the ongoing series on Brokenness with a powerful message titled “Steps Unto Brokenness.”
Having already explored:
- the meaning of brokenness,
- the necessity of brokenness, and
- the hammers and fruits of brokenness,
this episode turns to a deeply practical question:
How does a believer actually become broken before God?
The message makes it clear from the outset that brokenness is not mystical, dramatic, or instant.
Brokenness is a process—not an event.
🎧 Listen to the Full Episode Below
This is a message to listen to slowly and prayerfully. It does not merely inspire—it provides practical steps for yielding fully to God.
💔 Brokenness Begins With Willingness
The first and most important step toward brokenness is simple but profound:
You must be willing to be broken.
Pastor Agunloye emphasizes that God does not force people into brokenness. A person may go through hardship, pressure, correction, or discipline and still remain unbroken.
Brokenness begins when a person sincerely says:
“Lord, I am willing. Break me. Shape me. Let Your will be done in me.”
This willingness is what separates a yielded heart from a stubborn one.
🐎 The Broken Horse: A Life Fully Yielded
Throughout the message, Pastor Agunloye repeatedly uses the imagery of a broken horse.
A broken horse:
- Responds immediately to its master
- Goes where it is directed
- Drops its own preference for the rider’s command
- Does not struggle for control
Likewise, a broken believer becomes:
- Ready to obey
- Ready to yield
- Ready to follow God’s direction at any time
Brokenness is when your life stops revolving around your own will.
🌊 The Warning From the Life of Jonah
One of the strongest sections of the message examines the life of Jonah.
Pastor Agunloye explains that Jonah is an example of a man who:
- Knew God
- Was anointed
- Had a prophetic calling
…yet remained deeply unbroken.
Even after:
- the storm,
- the sea, and
- the belly of the fish,
Jonah still resisted God’s heart.
A person can obey externally while remaining unbroken internally.
This becomes a solemn warning:
- Suffering alone does not produce brokenness
- Trials alone do not guarantee surrender
Brokenness requires willing yieldedness.
✝️ “Not My Will, But Yours”
The message repeatedly returns to the example of Jesus Christ in Gethsemane:
“Not my will, but Thine be done.”
Pastor Agunloye explains that brokenness does not mean:
- you stop having desires,
- preferences, or dreams.
Rather, it means:
- God’s will becomes higher than your own.
Whether in:
- relationships,
- career choices,
- relocation plans, or
- personal ambitions,
the broken believer ultimately says:
“Lord, I surrender my preferences to You.”
📖 The Word of God: The Hammer That Breaks
Another major emphasis in the episode is the role of Scripture.
Quoting Jeremiah 23:29, Pastor Agunloye reminds listeners:
“Is not my word like a hammer…?”
Brokenness grows when believers:
- actively seek God’s will,
- meditate on Scripture, and
- obey what they discover.
He warns against reading the Bible merely for information.
The Word must move from information to transformation.
A truly broken believer does not simply admire Scripture—they apply it.
🙏 Seeking God’s Will Intentionally
A major step toward brokenness is intentionally pursuing God’s direction.
Pastor Agunloye beautifully references the song:
“Shepherd of my soul, I give You full control…”
This becomes the posture of a broken believer:
- listening,
- following,
- trusting,
- yielding.
Whether on the mountain or in the valley, the prayer becomes:
“Lord, wherever You lead, I will follow.”
⚖️ Obedience Even When It Is Costly
The message stresses that brokenness is proven most clearly in costly obedience.
It is easy to obey when obedience is convenient.
But brokenness is revealed when:
- obedience hurts,
- obedience costs something, or
- obedience contradicts self-interest.
Pastor Agunloye gives practical examples:
- refusing to lie even under pressure,
- choosing truth over convenience,
- depending on God rather than personal cleverness.
Brokenness replaces self-dependence with trust in God.
🤝 The Role of Discipleship
One of the most practical portions of the teaching highlights the importance of discipleship.
Pastor Agunloye explains that:
- many believers want inspiration,
- but avoid accountability.
True discipleship:
- confronts the heart,
- exposes hidden attitudes, and
- helps believers grow practically into Christlikeness.
He distinguishes sharply between:
- mentorship (which may develop skills), and
- discipleship (which shapes the heart).
Discipleship breaks the “freelance” Christian mentality.
✝️ Carrying the Cross Daily
Another powerful section of the message explains the meaning of carrying one’s cross.
Pastor Agunloye clarifies that:
- your cross is not merely hardship, sickness, or difficult people.
Rather:
The cross represents death to self.
A broken believer lives with the consciousness:
“I have been crucified with Christ.”
This produces:
- humility,
- freedom from pride,
- freedom from self-defence, and
- willingness to let Christ respond through them.
🔍 Always Stop and Search
In a beautiful connection to the earlier “Stop & Search” series, Pastor Agunloye emphasizes the need for continual self-examination.
Even after hearing God clearly, believers must remain:
- sensitive,
- listening, and
- open to correction.
Using the example of Abraham and Isaac, he explains that Abraham remained attentive enough to hear God say:
“Stop. Do not harm the child.”
Brokenness requires:
- ongoing sensitivity,
- continual surrender, and
- regular spiritual examination.
🌟 Final Reflection
“Steps Unto Brokenness” is one of the most practical teachings in the entire Brokenness series.
It reminds us that brokenness is not:
- emotional weakness,
- outward suffering, or
- religious appearance.
Brokenness is:
- yieldedness,
- surrender,
- obedience, and
- complete dependence on God.
The more broken a believer becomes, the more clearly Christ is revealed through them.
The episode closes with a heartfelt prayer:
“Lord, don’t leave us alone. Don’t give up on us until we become what You want us to be.”
This is a message every believer should revisit carefully.
Listen again. Reflect deeply.
And prayerfully ask God for the grace not merely to admire brokenness—but to walk in it daily.
