Being Brave--Vulnerable!"

Being Brave- Vulnerability!

^“Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”

 2 Corinthians 12:9 New Living Translation (NLT)

This week’s quality of being brave is being vulnerable. To me, vulnerability and last week’s authenticity kind of go hand-in-hand. If you are authentic, you are willing to let people see all of you, and if you are vulnerable, you kind of go one step further and are willing to let others see your weaknesses, specifically.

In Being Brave, Kelly Johnson defines vulnerable as, “ ‘capable of being wounded.’” That’s such a profound definition. We live so often with our walls up, and being vulnerable is the act of taking those defenses down, lowering them in order to let others in. However, with every brick that we remove from those walls that surround us, we open ourselves up to not only the possibilities of increased relationships, but also increased hurts.

And you guys—HOW often do we see this in our kids at MFH? I mean, just think about a handful of the kids that you see on a weekly basis—most have built up skyscrapers around themselves to keep people out, all in response to the pain that they have already experienced in their lives. We all know that healthy boundaries are good, and are important to keeping functionality in most aspects of our lives. However, in building boundaries, we have to acknowledge that there are times to keep the walls up, and there are times to let the walls down.

One of my favorite quotes in the world is from author C.S. Lewis, and, fittingly for today, has to do with vulnerability in love:

    "To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly be broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements and lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket-- safe, dark, motionless, airless-- it will change. It will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable...The only place outside Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers...of love is Hell." 

And, as Lewis mentions, this is not just romantic love. This vulnerability that you have to embrace to love can include your family members, your friends, your spouse, and can even apply to your relationship with God. Being vulnerable can be difficult, and it can be scary. But—when we look at the alternative, and think of a life where no one really knows or loves the real us—isn’t taking that scary step worth it?

I encourage you today, on this day centered around love, to let your self be truly known, and therefore, truly loved. Find strength in our verse from 2 Corinthians, and let God fill in those parts of you that you feel are not enough. Don’t worry about your weaknesses that may show through, trust that God Himself will cover in those voids, and that His power is working in your life!

Discussion Questions:

1.      What situations make you feel the most vulnerable?

2.      Why do you think it is so hard for us to let others see our flaws?