Today's Devotional Thought
September 09, 2010 by Rachel Piferi
Vulnerability
As you look deep into your heart, where are you most vulnerable? What are those secrets, experiences, fears, or failures that are tucked deep inside of your heart and soul that you share with few, if any, other people?
In her book, “God Has a Dream for Your Life,??? Sheila Walsh writes the following:
“I believe that one of the greatest adventures in life is learning what it means to love and allow others to love us. It is easy to let others into our inner circle when life is going well, but it is life changing to welcome companionship when our dreams are falling apart. Our broken places show us at our most vulnerable. Naturally, we tend to guard those places most. But ironically, it is there that we can be most known, received, and helped.???
Do you let people into your vulnerable places? Have you let someone into your vulnerable places before and found that they couldn’t be trusted? Maybe they mistreated the vulnerability that you shared with them. Maybe they even shared it with others. And maybe right now, you are feeling like people cannot really be trusted with those vulnerable corners of your heart.
Friends, I want to be honest with you today about people. Many people cannot be trusted with the most vulnerable contents of your heart. Even some good intentioned people can mistreat your heart due to their own insecurities, fears, or shortcomings. And, you can be left feeling betrayed, mistreated, and unloved by people who you trusted deeply.
So, the answer is trust no one, right? People are human and they’ll always let you down. So, let no one into those vulnerable corners of your heart. It’s safer that way and all of the data seems to point to that being the best course of action. Right?
Wrong!
As Sheila has mentioned in this passage, it is by inviting people into our vulnerable places that we truly connect to others and can be helped by others. And, it is from those vulnerable places that we can help others too.
The key is knowing who to trust with an invitation to the deepest corners of our heart and soul. We know Jesus is already there. But, who should we invite from this side of heaven to sit along side us as we talk to Jesus about these deep corners of our heart?
I suggest that you ask Jesus who He thinks should come down to the vulnerable and painful recesses of our heart. Ask Him to show you who can be trusted. Everyone cannot be trusted with that information and you can often identify people who can be trusted by watching their behaviors with other people’s information. If you know someone is sharing other people’s information, then they will likely share yours too. If you know someone is talking about another person behind their back, then they will likely talk about you too. This type of person should not be trusted with our vulnerabilities. But, just because this type of person can’t be trusted does not mean that there is no one out there who can be trusted. There are plenty of Christ-following, love filled people out there who will love you enough to guard your vulnerable places. People who love the Lord and because they love Him, can fully love you and tenderly care for your vulnerabilities.
We were not intended to do life alone. It is okay to trust certain people with your vulnerabilities. And, sharing these vulnerabilities will allow you to truly connect to and help others. If you have someone in your life who is your confidant, then tell them again how important they are to you. If you do not have someone who can be trusted to enter the deep corners of your heart, then pray that the Lord send someone to you who can be your trusted friend.
It is okay to be vulnerable. But, don’t be vulnerable with everyone. Everyone is not capable of guarding your vulnerabilities. But, certain people are capable and will treat you beautifully during your vulnerable seasons. Ask the Lord to send them to you today.
December