Vulnerability is a good weight loss plan. Facing my impending doom, I couldn’t eat lunch or dinner. My stomach was in knots from all of the butterflies fluttering around in there. God had asked me to do something HARD, and I dreaded it all day long, sunup to sundown. Like a lamb lead to the slaughter, I went to teach my Philippians Bible study.
God asked me to share with my faith-filled church my struggle with chronic migraines and my greater struggle of believing God would heal them. But not many in my church confess out loud that they lack faith. We don’t admit publicly that you are struggling to hold fast to God’s promises. And it’s hard to confess to just anyone your struggles and imperfections. So we often just pretend and say that we are fine.
That night, dressed in my new outfit and under the bright lights, I confessed my struggle in front of my church, and via video, before the whole world. (this video is right after the confession)
Usually after I am extremely vulnerable, I feel awful afterward, regretting that I had been so honest. But after this day of butterflies and loss of appetite, I felt free. Elated. Even joyful.
We all have skeletons in our closets. We all have areas of weakness and brokenness that we don’t want anyone to know about. We keep our sin, grief, and pain covered up with a brightly colored scarf and hot pink lipstick. When friends inquire about our lives, we lie through our teeth or just avoid the truth.
Recently I had the opportunity to pray with a friend at church. I have known her for years and she has been such a blessing to me. But there, at the altar, she confessed that she had troubles within her marriage. She shared things with me that broke my heart. How is it that we have hugged and talked for years, but I never knew this hidden secret that she kept to herself?
We try so hard to keep our sin, brokenness, and weakness hidden, but God’s word tells us to do the opposite. In James 5:16 says, “Confess your sin to one another and pray for one another so that you may be healed.”
God knows that confession is good for the soul. The thing that you most don’t want people to know is the very thing that you need to share. The thing that causes you the most guilt and shame is what God wishes that you would tell someone.
The thing that you are most afraid to tell, you need to tell the most.
Tell someone that your marriage is in shambles
Tell someone that you are afraid God will never send you a husband
Tell someone about your struggle with depression
Tell someone that you worry about what will happen to your children when you die
Tell someone that you aren’t really sure if your prodigal child will come home
Tell someone that you don’t know if God is really good
Tell someone that you are on the brink of bankruptcy
Tell someone about your abortion
Tell someone that you were a homosexual
Tell someone about your prescription drug addiction
Imagine how wonderful it would feel to invite a friend into your brokenness, weakness, and sin. Vulnerability is extremely difficult, but it leads to immense freedom and relief.
And you might even lose a few pounds in the process.
Lisa
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