RESTORATION: From Brokenness to Wholeness
SPRING 2025 ISSUE | 5 minute read
1 Peter 5:10 But after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called us to His eternal glory through Christ Jesus, will restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
I remember the first time I walked into a Restoration Hardware store. Based on the name, I expected to find antique furniture—pieces with dents, scratches, and stories to tell—restored to their former glory. But to my surprise, everything was brand new. The store wasn’t about restoring old furniture; it was about recreating the look of something aged while keeping it completely new. That’s not restoration—that’s imitation. To be honest, I was frustrated. I could pull from my grandparents’ attic for free what they were selling for thousands of dollars.
The God we serve, however, is the Master of true restoration and it is also free. He doesn’t cover up brokenness with a fresh coat of paint and call it fixed. He doesn’t replace us with something else or discard us on the heap of unusable clay. Instead, He takes what we have shattered—our lives, families, churches, and dreams—and makes them whole again. And here’s the amazing part: what He restores is not only made whole; it becomes stronger than before.
Recognizing Our Brokenness
The challenge we face as believers is that brokenness in our churches is often seen as something to hide rather than acknowledge and embrace. Yet, we faithfully study and quote the writings of the Apostle Peter—a man who experienced a devastating fall that many might have considered beyond repair.
Peter, one of Jesus’ closest disciples, experienced a profound moment of brokenness in John 21. After confidently declaring that he would never deny Christ, he failed in the most heartbreaking way—denying Jesus three times before the rooster crowed. Overcome with guilt and regret, he must have felt unworthy of his calling. Yet, this very Apostle, restored by the Lord, later became a voice of hope for all who endure trials. Though suffering can leave us feeling broken, Peter reminds us that a new day is coming, and that God can and will restore.
Like the Prodigal Son and Peter, we all have moments of brokenness. Sometimes, it’s because of our own choices. Other times, it’s because life hits us hard. But no matter how we end up broken, God never leaves us there.
God’s Invitation to Restoration
One of the most beautiful truths of the Bible is that God is not afraid of our mess. He is not waiting for us to clean ourselves up before coming to Him. In both stories, we see Jesus extending an invitation to restoration.
For the Prodigal Son, the father ran to meet him, arms open, before the son could even finish his apology. For Peter, Jesus personally sought him out after the resurrection. Instead of condemning him for his failure, Jesus asked him three times, “Do you love Me?” (John 21:15-17). Each question was to reaffirm to Peter that his calling and purpose were still intact.
Restoration is always God’s idea. He doesn’t discard the broken pieces—He rebuilds them into something greater.
It would be easier if God just handed us a brand-new version of ourselves, like Restoration Hardware does with its furniture. But God isn’t in the business of replacing—He’s in the business of redeeming.
Stronger Than Before
Here’s the thing about true restoration—it makes what was once broken stronger than before. The Prodigal Son came home, not just as a servant, but fully restored as a son, experiencing the depths of his father’s love in a way he never had before. Peter went from denial to boldness, preaching at Pentecost where thousands were saved. His failure didn’t disqualify him; it prepared him.
When God restores, He doesn’t just put the pieces back together—He reinforces them, making them unbreakable. A broken bone, once healed, becomes stronger at the place of the break. That’s what God does with our brokenness.
You don’t have to settle for an imitation of wholeness. Let the Master Restorer take what’s been broken and make it stronger than before. The path from brokenness to wholeness is not always easy, but with God, it is always possible.
Bishop Chad Fickett
Youth & Discipleship Director
Virginia Church of God State Office