Have you ever been in a group setting where the opportunity to be vulnerable in front of the group came up and there was a long pause of awkward silence? Inside you wanted to be vulnerable, but the voices quickly rushed in that said they were going to make fun of you, no one else would be vulnerable and that no one would like you if they knew that about you. Your heart started pounding through your chest. Your throat tightened up. You didn’t know what to do. I’ve seen. It go both ways in that group. One where everyone stayed silent and one where someone stepped out and shared. The one where the person was vulnerable opened the door to deeper relationships and stronger community while the other group stayed very surface level and growth was inhibited.
In Matthew 14, Jesus put the disciples in a boat and sent them across the Sea of Galilee while He remained behind to pray. That night, while they were a long way from Jesus, a storm blew in. The waves beat against the ship. The rain poured down and the wind was trying to impede their progress and push them backwards. Just then they saw a crazy sight that scared them. They saw someone walking on the water. Fear gripped their hearts. Was it a ghost? Was it coming to attack them? A voice called out trying to calm them saying it was Jesus. Peter, decided to be vulnerable in that moment of uncertainty and said, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water” (ESV). He wasn’t sure if it was Jesus, and he knew he couldn’t walk on water, yet his vulnerability allowed him to get out of the boat in a storm of rain and fear. He was the only one who walked on water that night.
In Matthew 11:28 Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus gives us the opportunity to be vulnerable with Him. To admit you can’t do it on your own is hard. To say you need help isn’t easy, yet Jesus extends His hand to us the way He did to Peter that night as He began to sink and called out to Jesus. If you could carry the burden and do everything on your own you wouldn’t need faith or God. By going to Him, admitting you can’t do it and casting your burdens on Him, you’re giving Him margin to move in your life. You’re giving Him the opportunity to call you out of the boat onto a storm tossed sea to walk with Him. Will you be vulnerable enough with Him to do that or will you stay in the boat? One truly offers rest and the other a false sense of security. The more vulnerable you are with Christ, the deeper your relationship will be.
Photo by Egon Filkor on Unsplash
Devotions by Chris Hendrix 