[Scripture: Philippians 2:5-11]
Jesus shows us that there is power in being vulnerable.
This passage talks about the incarnation of Jesus Christ. “Incarnation” in Christian doctrine means living together and helping each other. The second person of the trinity became the most vulnerable person to suffer, be subjected to ridicule, be physically attacked, and be crucified on the cross. It was the most shameful death, which he purposefully accepted and embraced for everyone.
Jesus Christ humbled himself and took action to love and respect the lives of all humanity. Finally, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth.”
The World’s Definition of Strength
Most people believe that being strong is the most courageous thing that everyone wants to be! For example, my father always said, “Do not cry in front of people, but act like a strong man.” It seems that my father wanted to be seen as a strong man, and he wanted to be Superman for his children. He tried to provide enough money to pay all his bills and achieve financial stability. He seemed ready to fight everyone and everything to protect his family.
Do you know what the reality is? I have seen many families torn apart because of the false belief that strong fathers are good fathers. They think they are strong enough to support their sons and daughters, but the reality is they are stubborn.
However, the biblical definition of being strong and courageous means being humble, embracing weaknesses, and respecting those who are weaker than oneself. The most important thing is trusting God.
Being Vulnerable to God
Most Christians think that it takes strong faith to be a solid Christian, but Jesus Christ did the opposite. He set the example of being strong through human weakness to complete his spiritual journey. In Philippians 4:5-11, Jesus Christ encourages us to be vulnerable. Vulnerability in these passages is not only just being weak, harmless, and gentle, but also being humble before God and being a person who trusts God the most.
An example of Christian weakness is to give up one’s own interests and take up the cross of shame through the power of God. “Vulnerability” by worldly definition means being easily hurt or failing on the path to success, but vulnerability in Christ is the opposite. Our weakness is our strength when we trust our God in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Power of Trusting God
Lisa is the type of person who can easily communicate with almost everyone, and she is naturally able to speak in public. However, I am not that kind of person. I was the type of person who didn’t like to talk in front of people. When I tried to speak in front of people, I felt dizzy, my heart raced, and my hands and feet shook so much that I couldn’t stand it.
I still remember the first year of my Bible college class. One day, the teacher asked me to pray for the class. I could not finish one sentence of my public prayer. After that, the subject of my prayers was asking God to give me courage and wisdom to finish my prayers well in class. I am not eloquent, still timid, and tremble while public speaking, but God called me to be a preacher, not only for Korean-speaking congregations but to English-speaking ones too. I trust that God will make something happen. I am not confident in my ability, but I trust God because I know what my weakness is and what God’s strength is. So, I like 1 Thessalonians 5:24, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” This gives me strength whenever I read it.
Being Courageously Vulnerable Means Courageously Trusting God
Nick Vujicic was born without arms and legs in Melbourne, Australia. When he was in school, he became a target for bullying because of his disability. As a result, he fell into a serious depression. He attempted suicide several times. But a turning point came for him when his mother showed him a newspaper article about a man with a serious disability. The man’s story inspired him to accept his physical disability as God’s plan for his life. Now, he is one of the world’s best inspirational speakers. Your weakness should be your strength when we trust God.
Practical Applications
I will share two practical applications with you. They are about how Christians need to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
First, Christians need to identify their strengths.
In 1 Corinthian 2:3-5, the Apostle Paul said that “I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God.” After the Apostle Paul identified his weakness and embraced it, he used his strength and wrote a letter to the Corinthians. He said in 2 Corinthians 11:6, “I may be unskilled as a speaker, but I’m not lacking in knowledge. We have made this clear to you in every possible way.” Paul wrote fourteen of the twenty-seven New Testament books including the book of Hebrews. Identify your strength, and use it more in your life.
In the Old Testament, one of the most courageous stories of all time is the story of David and Goliath. It illustrates the magnificent power of the courage of David when he came to the battle with the Goliath. How did David accomplish such a great task? First, he trusted God. He believed that God was way stronger than Goliath. And then, he identified his weakness. He knew that Goliath was bigger and stronger than him, so he avoided a close-combat fight and attacked from a distance.
The second practical application is to practice getting out of your comfort zone. When you identify your weakness, you should try to develop it by starting small. If you are an introvert, it is not easy to say “hello” to others or to a stranger, but you can smile at them first. You can get used to being courageous without a lot of pressure. After that, you will get to the point where you can take bigger steps.
Christian vulnerability means humbling yourself before God and putting your trust in God. Jesus humbled himself by becoming obedient to death because he trusted God’s mighty hands that brought him out of the power of death and exalted him to the highest place.
In the same way, when you struggle with the fear of uncertainty, trust God and his promises and sing a song like this; “I am weak, but thou are strong. Jesus keeps me from all wrong. I’ll be satisfied as long as I walk, let me walk close to Thee.” May God’s unstoppable grace and power pour out upon your life through His Spirit.
2022.03.14. Pastor Cloud Poy
@ Photo on Unsplash
