3 Ways Vulnerability Is Powerful
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This past weekend I spent two nights at a mom’s getaway with 23 other moms with kids of different ages. Some of us knew each other well and others of us had never met. Each time I venture out to these kinds of gatherings, there is a bit of anxiety that gets in the way of me wanting to actually attend. Will everyone get along? What will we talk about? Wouldn’t my time be better spent doing other things? How will my family manage without me at home?
Every one of us has things we can give God glory for in our stories! Are we making a point to give him credit and let others know what he has done? It takes practice, it feels weird, but it is a powerful way to remind us that God is alive and active and cares about every detail of our lives.
Have you ever felt like you must be the only one that has a certain struggle? Do you ever feel ashamed of how you’ve failed? Shame, loneliness, secrecy, and isolation keep us from finding freedom and growing a real community around us.
I struggled with depression and anxiety for years. When the days were bad, I would cry alone, usually in my car, wondering why I was the only person I knew who was broken in this one terrible way! Turns out that is not true at all, as I’ve shared about my own struggle, many others have confirmed that they also have battled their own minds. It’s those conversations that led me to finally get on medication that has brought healing to my mind and body that I was unable to attain on my own.
Our world wants to highlight our differences. All around us dividing lines are being drawn in our culture but the truth is we all have more in common than we think. Those of us who follow Christ are regarded as “brothers and sisters” (1 John 4:20) meaning we all share a heavenly Father. This common ground is the glue that brings unity to our community. We are each a part of the body of Christ, and we can only appreciate each other's God-given roles when we are willing to open up about the strengths and weaknesses that we each have.
The bottom line is that we all need to take a little more risk when it comes to our relationships. Hurt is a real possibility, and the enemy of our souls keeps that fear in front of our faces, so we never realize that true joy and connection is the more likely outcome of our willingness to be real and committed to the believers in our lives. Ecclesiastes 2:9-12 tells us that two is better than one because we get more done together and that’s the truth. We need each other.
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