Too many of us have lived life as if the word vulnerability was the ultimate cuss word. It seemed nasty and made us think of people who were frail and feeble. Individuals who couldn’t handle the pressure, people who lacked confidence. Scrawny. Pathetic. Pitiful. Certainly not characteristics we strong, Bible-belt-living, mask-wearing, approval-seeking individuals would dare to be called.
Vulnerability = weakness. Pure and simple.
Right?
Wrong.
I am vulnerable and I’m okay with it.
What I’ve learned since my private stranglehold became public is that vulnerability is not a bad word, but a beautiful one. Vulnerability is the key that opens the door to a life of freedom, purpose, and authentic living. In a world where we all long to be connected, to know and love others deeply, to embrace our true self, to shout out, “I AM OKAY BEING ME,” vulnerability gives us the strength to do so.
Fact is, we ALL want to live a life true to ourselves.
No one gets up in the morning and says, “I can’t wait to be fake today!”
Yet so many of us are. Why?
Shame? Guilt? Lack of self–worth?
When thoughts of being vulnerable pop up, we depress them instantly, sending them back down where they came from or covering them up with our own self-prescribed medicines of drugs, porn, gossip, food, TV, lust, hate. Pick your poison.
Each day we choose to walk away from vulnerability, from a true authentic embrace of all that we are and were created to be. We take a step further into a stiff, flavorless existence that resembles a police officer at a crime scene: “Nothing to see here; keep moving along.”
What I want to challenge you to think about today is this: on the other side of vulnerability lies the life you’ve always desired. A life free from others’ expectations. A life free from doubt. A life perfectly created for you. A life of joy, hope, and acceptance.
Why do I believe this? Well, because true vulnerability is accepting that God’s grace has already covered ever spot and blemish on your record. All of it. The grace of the Father says you are a new creation, completely perfect and blameless. And if there is no blame, there’s no shame. There’s nothing that you’ve done or will do that could ever embarrass God. You are ready to live a life free from shame. Because God loves you right where you are and wants you to live freely and with the purpose he created you for. Free, humble, loving, and vulnerable.
Think of Jesus. Is He not the perfect picture of vulnerability? He was God in human skin, who walked this planet and boldly went about his calling with true vulnerability. Putting all His faith in the Father’s hands. Going after the hurting, bucking the system, challenging everything that had been done before him all while knowing that ultimately it would end with him naked, murdered on a cross in front of his best friends. Knowing the outcome wasn’t pretty, he pressed on. That’s the kind of Savior I want to follow.
If my Savior is willing to live a life that vulnerable, then I am too.
What about you? Can you take a step towards living authentically today? Can you take the mask off and accept yourself and others for the flawed, imperfect people we are?
Or is vulnerability still a cuss word to you?
