Woundedness causes us to shut down, but the
transformation process requires vulnerability and openness. No one is more
vulnerable than a child. Choosing to be vulnerable feels unsafe and
counterintuitive to most adults because of the hurt they’ve experienced as a
child. Jesus’ relationships with his heavenly father, earthly family,
disciples, and friends were characterized by openness and a willingness for his
heart to be seen. Vulnerability and transparency with safe, caring people are
essential for wounds to be healed and our life to be transformed.
Every human being has a variety of needs; physical,
emotional, social, intellectual, and spiritual. Although a newborn has all
these needs, they have almost no ability to meet any of them. As a child grows
older, needs become more complicated, but the ability to empower ourselves to
meet some of the needs grows as well. There will, however, always be some level
of gap. God’s plan to address this gap is to facilitate meeting needs primarily
through other people. Sometimes God intervenes directly himself, but most of
the time needs are met by living a “one another” relational lifestyle.
The Bible clearly tells us God wants us to experience an abundant, full, prospering life, even in this broken, troubled world. That can only come about when we understand loving well is the key and put all our energy into identifying and pushing through the barriers. The abundant life encompasses love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There’s no way we can achieve any of these fruits without a vulnerable and transparent heart.
Many Christians find it shameful to admit it
feels unsafe to trust those parts of us that are most precious with anyone,
even God. One of the hardest parts of the healing process is tolerating that
horrible exposed feeling while trying to connect with what is true. Being able
to trust God’s motives and receive love from Him cannot take place without the
uncomfortableness of feeling weak and vulnerable.
In William Young’s book, The Shack, each member of the trinity pursues the main character,
Mack. Their intimate, probing questions shine a light on his deeply buried
thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. Like most of us, Mack is caught off guard by
God’s ability to look past the surface and he feels acutely uncomfortable at
his transparency. When Adam and Eve were in relationship with God in the Garden,
they lived an open, vulnerable lifestyle. The decision to protect themselves
introduced fear. It’s at that point the Bible tells us they saw their nakedness
and were ashamed.
I imagine this was what Judas experienced at the
last supper when Jesus said someone there would betray him. Jesus didn’t
mention Judas by name, but I’m certain Judas felt like there was a huge
spotlight from heaven showing the darkness in his heart. Jesus loved Judas
dearly and was giving him an opportunity to confess his heart attitude. But
Judas was not able to tolerate his own guilt at being exposed. Rather than
clearly seeing Jesus’ loving motives and responding to his loving kindness,
Judas ran away from what Jesus offered and betrayed him. The weight of seeing
his own cowardice and inability to receive Jesus’ love sadly brought Judas to
despair and he chose death.
Are you willing to become vulnerable, trusting in the heart of your heavenly Father?
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