The Peace of Spiritual Vulnerability
Among the many lessons of Lent, my journey to the Cross this year yielded a deeper appreciation for the spiritual discipline of confession and a new understanding of the peace of spiritual vulnerability.
Embracing authenticity before God and others through spiritual vulnerability, forges intimacy with God and connection with others in the bond of peace.
But too often we prefer hiding the truth about ourselves from others and even God in an attempt to control outcomes and manipulate people. At other times, we despair of our own brokenness to the extent we feel unworthy of connection.
embracing vulnerability
Over the past several years pursuing a healing journey, vulnerability enabled me to fully live broken. Though remarkably painful, removing carefully constructed masks requires courage and authenticity with others.
But the resulting freedom and healing not only opens a pathway to greater connection with others, but helped me know myself in a more authentic way.
Brene’ Brown, in her work, Daring Greatly, explains: “Vulnerability is the core of all emotions and feelings. Vulnerability is the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, courage, and creativity. It is the source of hope, empathy, accountability and authenticity. If we want greater clarity in our purpose or deeper or more meaningful spiritual lives, vulnerability is the path.”
Ultimately about risk, vulnerability invites us into the light; a place of truth, with a willingness to be seen and known. While we often think hiding behind anonymity or a people pleasing mask presents a more acceptable persona, we sacrifice true connection, and worse, we lose our real selves.
spiritual vulnerability
One thing became painfully clear to me on my own journey; all of my carefully constructed defense and protection mechanisms designed to keep others from seeing my brokenness, only stifled my spiritual growth.
If I run from vulnerability with others, I run from spiritual vulnerability with God.
The difference, however, is that while I may experience success in covering my brokenness with others, God sees all. But my bringing a false self to Him results in my inability to truly know Him, experience His love, and become the person He created me to be.
If, on the other hand, I lean into spiritual vulnerability with God, while not revealing anything unknown to Him, the process opens my heart to receive healing, love, and a deeper intimacy.
The process of being real with God, myself, and others, though painful, results in humility born of a fuller understanding of grace, which inspires vulnerability, compassion, and ultimately spiritual growth.
the peace of spiritual vulnerability
By far, the surpassing blessing experienced on my healing journey was the peace of spiritual vulnerability. Because at its essence, vulnerability is about honesty; owning our stories both before others and God.
“We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. As a fair exchange—I speak as to my children—open wide your hearts also.”
When we honestly and authentically come before God without pretense, He delivers us from the bondage of sin and woundedness.
Peace becomes a tremendous gift, as we no longer feel the need to strive or earn God’s love and acceptance. He meets us right in the middle of our brokenness, redeeming it as He empowers us to then open our hearts to others.
Pursuing the Peace of Vulnerability
At first, vulnerability feels hard, especially if like me, you made a career of hiding your brokenness from God and others. But what feels like weakness in admitting our brokenness becomes strength when placed in the redemptive hands of God.
I found the following steps helpful in shifting my perspective from one of hiding or protecting, to one of openness and engagement.
- Face your fears. The greatest hindrance to vulnerability both with God and others, is fear of rejection. Face this fear by identifying your own avoidance tactics and triggers. Notice especially how you avoid certain topics even with God.
- Meditate on Psalm 139, but especially Psalm 139:1-2, 23-24. Slowly bring vulnerability to your relationship with God, then outwardly in other relationships.
- Choose humility over fear. Humility brings honesty and authenticity to relationships. Pride hides; portraying a guarded or defensive front. Choose humility by identifying topics and triggers which create a hardened, protective exterior for you.
- Meditate on Matthew 26:37-39, as Jesus demonstrated humble vulnerability in the face of great pain.
- Meditate on God’s view of humility in Psalm 51:17, and His response in Isaiah 42:3. The honesty of humility gives you courage to be known by God and others.
- Acknowledge inadequacy and shame. Second only to rejection, shame presents a serious hindrance to vulnerability both with God and others. Breeding feelings of inadequacy, shame keeps you on an endless guilt trip. Worst of all, it destroys intimacy by pushing you into performance to avoid closeness.
- Meditate on Psalm 40:12, recognizing the source of your shame and inadequacy in past sins. Confess any unconfessed sin, and accept forgiveness and remember God no longer holds them against you. (Psalm 103:10-12)
- Trust God. Pandering to fears and pride yield avoidance, hiding, and distancing from God and others, while betraying the true source of your trust: yourself. Trusting your own devices undermines vulnerability and intimacy, while isolating you from God’s redemptive plan for your failures and weaknesses.
- Meditate on Proverbs 3:5-8, recognizing the blessings of trusting in God rather than your own ways.
- Meditate on Isaiah 26:3-4, recognizing true peace comes from complete trust in God.
the healing of vulnerability
Continuing to walk my own healing journey, choosing the truth of scripture over my emotions, spiritual counsel over my own opinions, and implicit trust in God, builds vulnerability in my life.
As I establish deeper intimacy with God, the peace of spiritual vulnerability removes self-focus, and acknowledges God’s hand in my story. Bringing a fearlessness in relationships to be known and loved.
Ultimately allowing God’s redemptive power to flow through my authenticity to others’ brokenness.
tell his story link up
I am thrilled to be the new host of Tuesday’s Tell His Story Link up! Jeanne Takenaka and I share the link up on alternate weeks, with Jeanne hosting the first and third Tuesdays, as well as the occasional fifth Tuesday, and my hosting the second and fourth Tuesdays!
Each week we gather here as storytellers, word weavers, and encouragers to make His name known. Our story is God’s story and this small corner of the blogging world, where we come together each Tuesday, needs you.
This is a place where poetry, snapshots, prayers, and stories find a safe spot to nod in agreement that what we have to say matters. I am glad you are here and would love to have you join the #TellHisStory community!
Click over here to read more about the #TellHisStory community and find a button to add to your site.
Let’s Link Up!
Write your own #TellHisStory post, straight from your heart onto your own blog.
Link up and invite your friends by posting the #TellHisStory badge onto your own blog (Find it on the Tell His Story page).
Enter your post each Tuesday at 6:00 AM EST when the link-up opens by clicking the blue link button. Be sure you link to a specific post, not your entire blog page.
For each link you post, visit one or two neighbors and leave your own encouragement. And, maybe visit other sites as well and leave a little love. Sharing on social media is always appreciated. Use the hashtag #TellHisStory so others can find us.
This linkup is intended to be a place where people can find encouragement and community rather than having a primary purpose to sell products. Please link posts that focus first on encouraging readers.
