Brokenness could be understood in the discipline that comes with the training of an unbroken horse. It has to do with breaking the horse’s spirit in order to control the horse and bend its will to the trainer’s will by a struggle until the horse completely yield per time to the directives of the trainer. The training of a horse is a balance between stretching to learn something foreign to the horse’s nature, to becoming adapted to it and yet creating a trusting environment between the rider and horse. The most important element in the process of this training is communication. The horse bends from a natural stand point of following his own will to doing the will of the horse rider.

To be unbroken means the horse has not yet been trained to carry a rider, pull a vehicle, behave well around human beings, or follow the directives of its trainer. While brokenness means the horse is well-trained and could be relied on to perform reliably and safely. It involves teaching the young horse to accept a saddle, a bridle and the weight of the rider on his back. The horses will understand leg and seat aids, be sensitive to the reins, know how to pick up the correct speed at a lope or sprint, and the transitions between steps will be smooth. They may respond to leg aids to move sideways and know how to do a rein back. In different situations such as at shows or on the trail the horse will be quiet, obedient, and will not be startled easily.

In the same token when a believer is well broken or well-trained, it simply means that he is not offensively kicking against the leadership of the Holy Spirit. He hears directives that are in-line with the Word of God and obeys instinctively without offense such that he can be called transformed progressively as the old carnal nature is mortified continually and he put on Christ, and walk in the spirit from one level of obedience to another. It is the putting to death of our own will to follow, imbibe and infuse the will, character and the nature of Christ, which is the nature that the first Adam had before the fall, being in the image and likeness of God. [Genesis 1:26]

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abide alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” John 12:24

Ever since the fall at the Garden of Eden, we humans have been a stiff-necked, headstrong, stubborn, rebellious, obstinate and self-willed or centered lot. Many of us have been shaped by the same forces that Paul describes to the Gentile Christians in Ephesus this way: We were …

“… following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, following the desires of body and mind, and so we were by nature children of wrath like the rest of mankind” (Eph. 2:2-3).

To fully put on the Christian character of Christ, such as meekness and zeal, requires from us substantial internal change, because these servant-like, godly qualities wage war against the stiff-necked self-will and rebelliousness of our fallen nature. True character cannot be acquired simply by accepting the abstract theory. There must be a change or transfiguration within us, a death to ourselves or human nature. Some Christians have used the word “brokenness” to describe this necessary change. Rightly understood, I believe this idea can be of great use to us as we learn the character of Christ and determine through brokenness to access and inculcate these fruit of the Spirit [Gall. 5:22-24].