Today we are sharing a guest post from our friends at Trueface. This is from their new 365 day devotional that will be released next month. Their idea with this book is to present one idea per day: keeping it simple so it can be profoundly applicable. You can find out more and preorder the devotional at www.trueface.org.
VULNERABILITY VS. TRANSPARENCY
Why is it you can be around someone telling you personal things about themselves and yet you still feel outside their loop? Maybe it’s because there’s a chasm of difference between transparency and vulnerability. Transparency is choosing to disclose yourself to others but in ways you choose. You’re being open but you’re in control, with little intention of letting anyone in. Preachers have often been accused of this selective openness. In vulnerability, you not only tell the truth about you but also allow others in to help. You’re giving others permission to know the pain of your weakness, allowing them to care for you.
You’re not only allowing yourself to come out of hiddenness, but you are also no longer pretending you can solve what you’ve revealed. The important point is not that something gets fixed, but that nothing ever has to be hidden. Have you been transparent or vulnerable with the issues in your life? Who would you let in to ask for their care and help?
1 Peter 1:22