It's okay to be broken. It's okay to be vulnerable. It's okay.

I think that we as Christians (or maybe it's just me) have this misconstrued idea that we have to be strong all the time. I remember when I moved away from Michigan the first time and I had a few really close friends who were amazing on fire Christians and when I moved back about 6 months later, none of them were following God anymore. I was talking to a friend about it and he told me that they used me as a pillar to lean on and when I left, they had nothing left to lean on. Of course they should have been leaning on God and not me, but this put a huge burden on me that I needed to stay strong for people.

This was 3 years ago and up until a few months ago, I was even afraid to share my feelings or what I was struggling with  because I had this idea in my head that I had to be strong ALL the time or people would be disappointed in me I wouldn't be the person that they thought I was (Oh and I'm kind of shy which doesn't help.) Thankfully, I had people stronger than me who I trusted and that encouraged me (by force) to get out of my bubble and talk about what I was going through. This was just a first step thing...from bottling everything up inside for so long (and other factors from way back when), I developed an over sensitivity when people tried to talk to me about something I was doing wrong especially if they approached it the wrong way. I honestly never receive it well at first and it takes a while for me to think about it and realize that person was right on. I just never want to admit it but I will think about what they said and work on it.

About 3 weeks ago, I felt like I needed to tell a friend who was in a leadership position over me that it was okay for her to be broken and  it's okay for her to vulnerable, she doesn't have to be strong all the time. Yesterday, another friend who is also in a leadership position over me was talking about how about 3 weeks ago, God revealed to her that it was okay to be broken and vulnerable. I didn't really realize until today that it was also a word for me. Why else would two friends who are completely unaware of each other's existence get the same word from God and I heard it for one of them and from one of them?

Vulnerable means  "open to moral attack. criticism, temptation, etc." 


Being open makes you vulnerable but sometimes when someone that looks up to you and realizes that you're not strong all the time will encourage them to know that they aren't alone in this and things will get better as long as you take that first step. Admit that you're having a hard time. Admit that you're struggling. God will use someone else to help you through this. You don't have to be strong all the time.