By Jonathan Wilcox

Two values that make g+p unique are the emphasis on authentic unity and engagement in the city. But exactly how do we cultivate deep, authentic relationships and engage the city with the good news? To do this, we need to be open and honest about who we are as people, including our weaknesses and strengths. In short, we need to be vulnerable people.

Although most of us value transparency and vulnerability in others towards us, it can be very scary to be open and vulnerable towards others. We are afraid of being hurt or judged, and often we fear both. So, we hide behind a mask of normalcy. To courageously engage other fallen individuals from a vulnerable place, we need to understand the main reason we hide and how to overcome by understanding who we are.

How do we avoid being vulnerable?

As Pastor Vince has mentioned often in his sermons, we are prone to projecting an idealized image before the public so we can be affirmed. We like to post on social media about our perfect family or tout our “correct'' political alignment or academic/athletic triumphs.

There is nothing inherently wrong with sharing our accomplishments with others, especially if it helps us authentically relate to them. All too often, however, we are afraid of people finding out who we actually are, so we choose to wall ourselves off behind our accomplishments. Doing this serves to deceive both ourselves and others and thus destroys authentic relationships.

Why do we choose to project only our best self?

Although there are several good answers to this question, I think the main reason is our own fear and shame. Just as Adam and Eve in Genesis 3 tried covering themselves with fig leaves, so we also try to cover our own insufficiencies through broadcasting an idealized image.

How do we overcome this tendency to hide?

Many of you have seen me with my walker around church. This is a result of a 10-year battle with a progressive neurological condition. The journey has been difficult, but it has also helped me understand the value and opportunity that comes with vulnerability.

Back when my body was healthy, I loved Jesus and wanted to share him with others, but I was also obsessed with my own agenda, intellectual prowess, and image (especially in church). Although I didn’t realize it then, I was shooting myself in the foot with these sinful mindsets.

As my condition has become more visibly obvious over time, I’ve realized there is no point hiding my external weaknesses, mostly because I can’t. My weakness is out there for the world to see whether I project an image or not. In God’s mercy, He has provided a heart peace along with this realization, and I have become more open to sharing internal weaknesses as well. Amazingly, as my weaknesses have become more evident, opportunities to minister have become more abundant.

There are two key Gospel truths that have helped me be comfortable with who I am which can help all of us to live more vulnerably before others. The first is that we are made in God’s image, and therefore we do not need to construct our own. Second, because we are redeemed, we don’t have to fear the judgments of others

Genesis 1:26-29 describes mankind as the pinnacle of God’s creation. We are image bearers; we have the divine likeness inscribed into our very being. Furthermore, we have God’s blessing and are privileged with authority over all creation. Therefore, we can rest secure knowing that because we bear His image, we don’t need to construct one.

In our broken and dangerous world, fear and hiding are often self-preservation tactics. In other words, we fear what might hurt us. Ultimately, we fear death, which Scripture tells us is a direct result of sin.

Powerful fear requires a more powerful cure to overcome it. Knowing the God-man, Jesus Christ, is just the cure.

One of my most cherished passages in all of Scripture is Romans 8. Verse 1 starts with “there is now no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The chapter ends with a resounding acclamation that nothing, not even death, can separate us from God because of Christ (Rom. 8:38-39). Since believers are in the Spirit and no longer subject to judgment for failing to keep the law of God, we are truly free and can soar as eagles, no longer shackled in a performance-based rat race.

Since we bear God’s image and are made right with Him because of Christ’s work, we have nothing to lose.

Because we are freed from bolstering our own image and freed from the bondage to fear, we can live openly and honestly before others. Having a vulnerable posture does not mean we wear our hearts on our sleeves in all situations without regard for any other situational factors. There is wisdom and prayer involved in what we share with whom. Ultimately, though, when we are fearful or tempted to project an ideal image of ourselves to others, let's return to the authoritative judgment of God’s word.