I Won't Post Ugly Selfies On God's Messageboard 2016.12.23
I had attended a mtg last night where we were planning for our next North Singles meeting where our topic will be (about) "heart". Someone had mentioned an exercise in being vulnerable, and had picked two of us to demonstrate - The faces that those two people made, it was obvious that they did not feel comfortable with this. (I will admit - I was one of the two).
What is it about us that drives us to show only "our good face", even amongst friends? We are a society of where we only post the "good pictures" of ourselves on social media... And yet, we associate with a community (our church) where it should be a place where we can be vulnerable, but fail to do so often.
To be vulnerable means being honest about sin, insecurities, weaknesses, or just the mess that is our life. It encompasses guilt from the past, low-level anxiety or sadness. There's a fear in opening up - "What if I do, and the other person responds flippantly? Responds with cliches, silence or judgement?" "It was difficult enough to share in the first place, but now, that ain't ever gonna' happen." Being vulnerable can be just as difficult as responding to vulnerability where safety & understanding is readily available.
We are disciples, so we are well aware of our shortcomings - That is why we have dedicated our lives to following God. And yet, we hide our humanity to others, or we judge people for theirs. We are broken people who live in a world that is just as broken as we are. We experience depression, illness, sadness, grief, relationship issues, loneliness, lust, anxiety... just like everyone else.
And yet, we belong to a God who offers us something for our vulnerability - a way to life. When we share our brokenness, we show everyone God's power. We show our transformation to our growing likeness to be like Jesus.
26Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29so that no one may boast before him. 30It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31Therefore, as it is written: "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord." | ||
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 |
Paul tells the Corinthian church that God uses them because they are "foolish", "weak" & "lowly". He uses these people so that "no one may boast before Him". God alone gets the glory. He doesn't use the powerful, or influential, to do His work. He intentionally uses the weak to do His best work. And when we recognize that we are weak, we can stop trying to keep up the facade, and instead look to His sufficiency & goodness.
