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Thursday, December 8, 2016

My Thoughts on the Power of Vulnerability



Below is a video a friend sent to me. Good stuff here, but … 

It reaches out to the things of God, and because it does not acknowledge the author of those things, it falls something short. 
 
I want to share with you my response. Here’s the video and a polished version of the letter I sent in reply …



Hold on to your seat dear friend. My brain is running wild today!!!

Did I ever tell you I was a Sociology major in undergrad? That’s what this lady studies. I love Sociology, even though there is virtually no career in it :o).

Oh, there is soooo much good stuff in this video … and yet it only grazes the hem of God’s cloak and at points, holds a palm to His Truth. I can almost hear Him calling to her saying, “Here I am. This is what you are looking for,” and her, clapping her hands to her eyes, responding, “Anything but you, God. I will find a way to do this without you, so I will use things OF YOU (because they are true), but will leave YOU out of it.” 

With that in mind, I wanted to supplement her thoughts with the following …

1) The first slide she showed states, “If you can’t measure it, it doesn’t exist.

You cannot, nor will you ever be able to, measure God—Does He exist?
At one time we thought cells were the smallest units of the body. And then we discovered cells had parts that required further study. Today, there is much research being done on one of those parts—the mitochondria. To me, it is the height of arrogance that human beings think they can ever know or measure the entirety of the far reaches of the universe, and the minutest of parts within it. And not knowing them, do they exist? In fact, all scientists would agree that the more we know, the more we know we don’t know.

Read that last sentence a few more times. It’s important!!!

The more we know, the more we know we don’t know.

That sentence probably would drive this woman crazy, because she cannot put it in a properly wrapped box :o). Truthfully, sometimes it drives me crazy too (being a control freak myself). But when I lament that I can’t control God, I remind myself how much I’ve screwed up my life so far, and am grateful He thought enough to fix it for me. Maybe I’ll just give the driving to Him in the first place.

2) She suggests that looking for certainty is always a bad thing (talking of religion, showing a mean/angry face).

This suggests to many that certainty in any faith is always about mean, angry, opinionated people whose only goal is to blame, shame and hate. And though that exists, it is not the entirety of religion, faith, belief system, or whatever we choose to call this thing today. However, no matter how many opinions there are on what color is the best color, or whose house is the grandest, there are things in this life that are just plain truth. We might not all agree on what they are, but it does not mean the truth of it is somehow moveable. How the earth was formed happened exactly how it happened. Whatever way it happened is true, even if some think God spoke it, or it came from a random explosion. Those opinions do not determine what actually already occurred.

Yes, we do seek certainty to find security in our lives. We are wired to look for it, just as we are wired for connection (as she so aptly described at the beginning). So in other words, we are wired for the certainty that we are connected … This is where Jesus comes in. Jesus brings back the certainty that we are connected to our loving Father who created us FOR connection with HIM. So in this, our wiring finds its home. 

Certainty in a loving, sacrificing, purifying God achieves everything this researcher wants to find in order to achieve connectedness through vulnerability. More on that as we go …

3) She says we need to see ourselves as worthy. 

You know, I believe we are all especially gifted in ways our Creator chose for us. If you were to ask me what those gifts were, I could probably even tell you a few of my own—only cuz I study this issue and like to talk about it a lot! However, I could also tell you a lot about what I truly SUCK at. Seriously! And there are those things I don’t know I suck at because I’m too enmeshed in my biased opinions of the world to see with a clear view. One of my giftings is as a mother … but sometimes I even suck at that!!! Oh the pain I’ve seen on my daughter’s face at words that were spewed at her in anger—not even anger at her, but thrown at her just cuz I needed to vent.

Am I worthy? 

Yes. Not because I’m such a great person but two other things make me worthy.

One, my Creator made me for a purpose and it was a perfect purpose. My faults will even be used in that purpose and that’s a really cool thing to watch!!! He’s just so stinkin’ powerful He’s better than a fireworks display!!! Really! Sit back and take a gander at His raw ability. THIS is where He is truly amazing.

Two, Jesus has purified me. He is in the business of making me worthy. I didn’t get there on my own.
I don’t know about you, but that takes a lot of pressure off me because no matter how hard I try, I still know I am a weak, vulnerable sinner. I like to know I am not alone in this. That God has my back!

4) She says to love with no guarantee.

You, my dear, have a guarantee!!! Don’t let anyone tell you that you don’t!!! You have Agape love that cannot be won by your so-called worthiness and it cannot be taken away for ANY reason. This is my foundation for peace, because when I’m feeling stupid, dorky, ugly, fat, old, <insert any negative adjective and you will touch what I sometimes feel> I can REST on the CERTAINTY that God loves me no matter how vulnerable I am. His love is so powerful it lifts me up from any abuse, whether from those around me, or even myself.

5) She says I am Enough.

I am not enough. Read any of Paul’s encouraging letters to the churches and you will often see the words “in Him” or “with Jesus.” We are not enough if we don’t have Him. With Him, we are MORE THAN enough—our cup overflows!!! The good news is, I don’t have to work harder to be enough, I just need to work IN HIM.

No matter how many times we chant mantras of self-love in the mirror, they will all fall away the minute we look at our reflection and notice the flab, the wrinkles, the bad hair day (I’m speaking for myself of course!!!). We will get cut on by co-workers and bosses, betrayed by family and friends, hear complaints from customers and wonder, “Who am I to see myself clearly when all these people tell me I don’t measure up?” Then, all those mantras of self-worth become empty words. However, WITH HIM we are reminded that we are fearfully and wonderfully made according to HIS purposes. (That HIS part is important!) Being omniscient and stuff, He knows what He is doing!!! So then, the question is not “who am I to contradict them,” but “Who are THEY to contradict God?!”

My final response to this video on the Power of Vulnerability is this …

His Power is made Perfect in my Weakness!!!

Do you want to stand on your own power? Or would you rather stand on HIS?

Love,
Connie