Vulnerability

A crisp chill in the air will soon give way to dancing flakes of white, but long before we venture into December the convenient stores will be peddling Christmas. I’ve already started to see commercials, and we’ve not even made the threshold of November!

However, I am grateful for the extra time to reflect on our Savior, and with Rev. Mark’s new sermon series on Daring Greatly (emphasizing the importance of vulnerability) God’s vulnerability through the Christmas story is being shown to me.

Have you ever thought about our Almighty being vulnerable? The fact that God came taking our flesh and being born as we are…a helpless, fragile infant. In the John account of His birth, the Scripture states that He "revealed" Himself to us.

Why would the Creator and Sustainer of all take our simple, mortal frame only to endure the same joys and sorrows, fears and disappointments, hope and dreams from the stable to the cross?

I believe it is because God wanted more than anything to be in relationship with us. God allowed Himself to become vulnerable, because the only way to be deeply connected with someone is through sincere vulnerability.

When we aggressively hold back, we don’t experience real acceptance, because the person trying to connect with us never knows who we truly are….only what we are pretending to be. To be known and cherished for who you are is to be vulnerable. Being seen and accepted means putting you at risk of being rejected. Nobody likes rejection; we’ve all experienced that crippling blow. But the equation is pretty straight forward: Heartfelt, real relationships need connections. Making connections means being vulnerable. Being vulnerable means risk. Eeewww.

Yet STILL God becomes one with us, fully sharing in our lives, so we may know and deeply connect in His. WOW! God loved us so much that He risked EVERYTHING to be connected with us. He became vulnerable for us to know Him and in return allowing ourselves to be known! His mortality teaches us that He values and accepts us UNCONDITIONALLY!

Vulnerability does NOT equal weakness but an UNCOMMON STRENGTH leading to authenticity and availability…Two powerful tools that God can use for His glory.

So in this moment, I charge us as followers of the King to embrace vulnerability rather than using our faith to fight against it! Will you join me?