I had a great time with the men at Life in Christ Fellowship on Wadhams Road in St. Clair last week. We had lots of great food and fellowship, and as I shared my own personal testimony I was honored to challenge these men – as I do all men – to learn the meaning of vulnerability and to operate with each other, friends and family at a deeper level then our usual conversations about the weather, sports and politics.

Vulnerability first requires insight into what is happening in ourselves emotionally and spiritually and then choosing to verbalize this to others from a state of trust and openness. We talked about the Pharisees in Matthew 23 and Jesus’ words that sum up the concept that some of those in our community that look the most “put together” are actually the ones that were most out of sorts with the principles that He told us lead to life everlasting. The Pharisees were, as He said, “white washed tombs” and were “as dead bones” inside.

How many of you can relate with the need to truly become vulnerable, and with the reality that this vulnerability will often take us past the pharisaical state of looking good on the outside without allowing others to see the areas that are “dead” inside of us? Once we bring these dead areas into the light, an amazing thing that can happen – the light drives out the darkness (John 1) and our hearts begin to experience a lightness and ease in place of heaviness and aloneness!

What about you? What are you learning about vulnerability? Anxiety and depression are empowered by repression, and exposing of our hearts is a crucial step towards lightening what is heavy and dark inside of us!