Vulnerable

My Belief

A few days ago I got stuck in NY for the evening and I had the chance to really catch up with a good buddy of mine named Johnny. Johnny and I talk all the time but it is usually surface level and just for fun. During this particular evening we got a little deeper and were talking about our personal walk with Jesus. We chatted a lot about how our schedules and the details of our jobs affect us in that walk. We both admitted that there are times when we stumble a good bit and find ourselves vulnerable to all sorts of temptations and sins. Johnny confessed to me that there is a particular group of friends that causes him the most trouble. He said that he always knows that he is not going to act the way Christ would want when he hangs out with these guys. Johnny admits that he is torn because these are “good buddies” that he has known for a long time but he finds himself vulnerable to do things he would not if he was with a different group of friends.

For me it was clear that my vulnerability is fatigue. When I am tired I feel that my guard is down. At the end of a long day or after a bad night of sleep I don’t feel like the same person. I feel that my mind is vulnerable to all the filth that is around me all the time. I feel that my “love” for people is cold. I find it difficult to be patient and deal with people in a manner that people can see Jesus in me. The worst part for me is that when I am rested I genuinely care for people and want to find ways to share Jesus with them. I feel that it is my duty to tell them because the consequences are so dire that they have to know. BUT!!! when I am tired there are times I just don’t care. I feel low in my energy and I am just trying to do my job or get through the rest of the day. Having this conversation with Johnny was good for me because it helped me put my finger on little pieces of this problem that were already floating around in my head. Now that I have classified it and labeled it, I am committed to praying that the Holy Spirit will help me confront this sin in my life.

Scripture

2 Corinthians 12:9 ⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

Ephesians 6:10-11 ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Application for Life

Recognizing the problem is always the first step! Johnny and I both see a new point of vulnerability in our lives and we both know what we need to do to conform this area to the WILL of God. We have to pray and ask the Lord to help us in our times of weakness. I am going to do my best to keep myself from the fatigued mindset that causes me to stumble. I am going to ask God to fill me with His Spirit so He will give me strength in my times of weakness. I feel the Lord has put me where I am to serve him and I don’t want to blow it because of my own human weakness. In His Word I am told over and over again to rely on Him for strength instead of in my own ability. Now that I recognize a new aspect of my own vulnerability I will rely on the Holy Spirit in me to show the power of God in my weakness. Only in this way will I be able to defend against Satan’s fiery arrows.