vulnerable

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Vulnerability is essential to the spiritual life.  When we are vulnerable, we live out of a posture of helplessness, dependency, and defenselessness.  Our guard is down, our mask is off, and our worst foot is forward.  Vulnerability makes us aware of just how weak and how fragile and how flawed we really are. 

But it provides some of the richest soil for God to grow his life in us.  Vulnerability is God’s way of showing us that we cannot manage, manipulate, and control life on our own.  It is through our weaknesses, our flaws, our failures, and our thorns that we experience the sufficiency of his grace.  Thus, our neediness is a place for God to display his power and his love. 

And yet we do whatever possible to keep from looking or feeling vulnerable.  We mask our inadequacies, we rationalize our failures, and we cover up our deficiencies whenever possible.  But when we do this, we miss a great opportunity to experience God’s grace, power, and love.

So let us embrace our vulnerability rather than hide it.  For in our weakness, God does some of his very best work. 

Lord Jesus, your grace really is sufficient for me, so I do not have to be.  Forgive me for trying to carry on the charade that I am strong and adequate when I am really weak and inadequate.  Help my vulnerability become a place of your strength.