I have never liked being vulnerable. I have never been one to open up to someone and tell them something I am struggling with or having a hard time with. I always saw it as venting and whining. What I didn’t realize is that its a very Biblical thing to share with one another the things that you struggle with. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
I have learned that the thing I need to avoid is being vulnerable to the wrong people and being open for the wrong reasons. If I am opening up to someone about a struggle or frustration than I should by no means open up with the intent of gossip. Gossiping is sinful and it cuts others down. Opening up and showing your heart and inner struggles to someone is exposing a part of you that only yourself knows.
I am really blessed to have in my life people who I know I can trust to open up to. How do you know if you can trust someone to open up to them? Its simple and complicated, depending on the depth of your faith and trust in the Lord. If you can’t first trust the Lord, then you will always go to people and see if they will listen and then have no trust in them. You may tell them things, but you will always wonder if they have your trust. You may even find yourself picking and choosing what you tell people regarding your struggles because if they did say something to others, than you would at least know what was being said. Then there is the fear that what you said will turn into gossip and a fabrication of the truth.
Do you see how distrust can lead you to a place of more tension? I was this person for many years. I knew I could trust some, but I still worried about what I was telling people. I would often find myself worrying for hours about something I shared with someone. I wondered what they would think of me and if they would tell others. Deep down, what I was really concerned about was rocking the boat of comfort and complacency.
Putting your trust in God and believing in His promises requires discipline. If that sounds like a huge commitment, it is. Healing is also a huge commitment. It requires change and a breaking from comfort zones and complacency.
Being vulnerable is like cutting open a wound that can’t heal. Sometimes, you want the wound to heal quickly so you can get on with your life, but at the same time, there is an infection in it. Opening up the wound and exposing the source of the infection is the first step to cleaning out the wound and eventually healing.
God is the author of love and healing. Put your trust in Him. Get to know the God of the Bible by opening it up and reading about Him.
