The Junk Drawer: Bloodstained Pews - Monday
2 Corinthians 12:9
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. (NLT)
Being vulnerable is hard. It takes guts. It takes courage. It takes reliance on God for the outcome. It’s no joke. We live in a world with two primary mentalities. In the first, we only let people see the best of ourselves. We don’t show the hard moments, the difficulties, the trials, or the downfalls. In the second, we overplay the hard moments where our identity becomes wrapped up in where we struggle, what we have to overcome or live with, or how hard things are and we become victims.
In God’s design, though, there is a middle ground. The middle ground is vulnerability and trust - where we acknowledge the hard things as well as the good. Where we don’t pretend we don’t have weaknesses, but where we acknowledge that God is strong where we are not. Where we trust in God’s power to create wholeness in us.
Something I’ve learned about being vulnerable is, that while it’s hard in the moment, it always leads to freedom. In just saying that out loud, there is so much freedom in admitting you don’t have it all together. And there’s just as much freedom in acknowledging that God does have it all together, and he can carry the stuff that gets too heavy for us sometimes. We don’t have to hide that. In fact, if we’re honest with one another about our imperfections, we’ll realize that we all have things we struggle with, that we’re not proud of, that feel like too much. And the more we’re willing to share the ways we struggle and how God has redeemed those stories and walked alongside us in the trenches, the more folks will know the hope that there is in knowing Jesus. That’s really the whole point, isn’t it?
Monday’s Reflection
Open up to God in prayer today, and admit to Him the things that you’re struggling with. Be honest about your weaknesses, and ask Him how he can use your story to show others His glory. We would love to come alongside you in prayer. If you’d like us to be praying with you, head to https://southland.church/care and text us! It would be an honor for our team to be able to serve you in that way.