The word “courage” comes from the Latin root “cor” which means “heart”. Courage originally meant “To speak one’s mind by telling all one’s heart.”
During a recent trip with Paul Manwaring to the U.K., Paul frequently talked about and lived-out before us the “keys” of authenticity and vulnerability. “Keys” to what? I believe that authenticity and emotional vulnerability are keys to living whole-hearted and connected.
As humans, we are “wired” for connection. Babies instinctively look for a human face, for eyes that are happy to see them - and then seek for the heart behind those eyes to connect with. Our greatest joys and our greatest griefs have to do with the quality of our attachments to others. Authenticity and a healthy vulnerability make it possible for us to live connected - with God, with loved ones, and indeed with our own heart.
Jesus lived His life on this earth whole-hearted – truly authentic and vulnerable. And He got exasperated with those who taught and modeled a religiosity that was full of pretense and hard-heartedness. Jesus was consistently authentic about who He was – even though it was sometimes offensive for many. Jesus was vulnerable to those who were close to Him. And we are invited to live like Jesus.
And while its tempting to think that if we had the same power that Jesus had – that vulnerability would no longer be a challenge for us; this is clearly not true. Jesus lived with vulnerability. So did His powerful ambassadors including the apostles Peter and Paul. Leif Hetland lives in great faith and power - and also with vulnerability.
There are powerful forces that work against authenticity and vulnerability. These include shame and fear. How we respond to these forces either limits or expands the realms of our lives.
During our UK trip, the Holy Spirit showed me several people who were locked-up by a fear of disappointment. It was scary for them to trust God because of past disappointments. I could relate. I’m chagrinned to acknowledge that for most of my life; I’ve limited my hopes and endeavors so as to avoid being “devastated” by failure or disappointment. But, it turns out that failure and disappointment are just part of living – not a “life sentence” upon our identity. The whole-hearted do not live in fear of failure and disappointment – and that frees them to be “present” and engaged with the gifts and opportunities of each moment.
Invitation to go deeper:
Do you have “no go” areas in your life because of fear of disappointment (or another fear)? Simply acknowledging this to someone will remove most, if not all of the shame. And then, I encourage you to ask Jesus: “What would it look like for me, if I gave You my fear of disappointment?” Then wait and watch in your imagination what He shows you (or the feelings He releases). With the truth that Jesus reveals, I’ve seen many people now choose to reach inside and hand over that fear to Jesus. Declare: “I break all agreements with “fear”. I will no longer look to fear to keep me safe. Instead I look to Jesus to be my protector”. Sometimes, people feel something like tendrils of fear trying to hold on. Simply ask Jesus to remove those tendrils. After that fear (and often associated spirit of fear) are removed, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His light, His love, His power, peace, and clear thinking (from 2 Tim 1:7). You can also ask Jesus what He would like to give you in exchange for the fear. Jesus is wonderful and often surprising in how He responds.
Engaging with our vulnerability - or trying to "numb" it:
Author and speaker Brene Brown writes:
“Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement.”
So, I invite you to reflect about how you respond to the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure of your daily life. Many of us react by trying to “numb” or distract ourselves with food, TV, shopping, the internet, drugs, alcohol, or video games. We crave control, certainty, and a “safe” distance.
Experiencing the Truth that frees us:
How do we find the strength to live authentically and vulnerably instead? Only in experiencing the truth that we are eternally loved and celebrated by our Abba. Only in experiencing the presence of our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty (Hero) God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Is 9:6) do we receive the continual grace to live whole-hearted. And where our hearts are still fragmented, Jesus has come to restore our hearts to wholeness. (Is 61:1)
Our heart connection with the Trinity empowers us to live authentically and vulnerably. And being real and vulnerable enables us to have deeper heart connections with God and with each other. It starts because He loves us first.
His love gives us courage!
During a recent trip with Paul Manwaring to the U.K., Paul frequently talked about and lived-out before us the “keys” of authenticity and vulnerability. “Keys” to what? I believe that authenticity and emotional vulnerability are keys to living whole-hearted and connected.
As humans, we are “wired” for connection. Babies instinctively look for a human face, for eyes that are happy to see them - and then seek for the heart behind those eyes to connect with. Our greatest joys and our greatest griefs have to do with the quality of our attachments to others. Authenticity and a healthy vulnerability make it possible for us to live connected - with God, with loved ones, and indeed with our own heart.
Jesus lived His life on this earth whole-hearted – truly authentic and vulnerable. And He got exasperated with those who taught and modeled a religiosity that was full of pretense and hard-heartedness. Jesus was consistently authentic about who He was – even though it was sometimes offensive for many. Jesus was vulnerable to those who were close to Him. And we are invited to live like Jesus.
And while its tempting to think that if we had the same power that Jesus had – that vulnerability would no longer be a challenge for us; this is clearly not true. Jesus lived with vulnerability. So did His powerful ambassadors including the apostles Peter and Paul. Leif Hetland lives in great faith and power - and also with vulnerability.
There are powerful forces that work against authenticity and vulnerability. These include shame and fear. How we respond to these forces either limits or expands the realms of our lives.
During our UK trip, the Holy Spirit showed me several people who were locked-up by a fear of disappointment. It was scary for them to trust God because of past disappointments. I could relate. I’m chagrinned to acknowledge that for most of my life; I’ve limited my hopes and endeavors so as to avoid being “devastated” by failure or disappointment. But, it turns out that failure and disappointment are just part of living – not a “life sentence” upon our identity. The whole-hearted do not live in fear of failure and disappointment – and that frees them to be “present” and engaged with the gifts and opportunities of each moment.
Invitation to go deeper:
Do you have “no go” areas in your life because of fear of disappointment (or another fear)? Simply acknowledging this to someone will remove most, if not all of the shame. And then, I encourage you to ask Jesus: “What would it look like for me, if I gave You my fear of disappointment?” Then wait and watch in your imagination what He shows you (or the feelings He releases). With the truth that Jesus reveals, I’ve seen many people now choose to reach inside and hand over that fear to Jesus. Declare: “I break all agreements with “fear”. I will no longer look to fear to keep me safe. Instead I look to Jesus to be my protector”. Sometimes, people feel something like tendrils of fear trying to hold on. Simply ask Jesus to remove those tendrils. After that fear (and often associated spirit of fear) are removed, ask the Holy Spirit to fill you with His light, His love, His power, peace, and clear thinking (from 2 Tim 1:7). You can also ask Jesus what He would like to give you in exchange for the fear. Jesus is wonderful and often surprising in how He responds.
Engaging with our vulnerability - or trying to "numb" it:
Author and speaker Brene Brown writes:
“Vulnerability is not weakness, and the uncertainty, risk and emotional exposure we face every day are not optional. Our only choice is a question of engagement.”
So, I invite you to reflect about how you respond to the uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure of your daily life. Many of us react by trying to “numb” or distract ourselves with food, TV, shopping, the internet, drugs, alcohol, or video games. We crave control, certainty, and a “safe” distance.
Experiencing the Truth that frees us:
How do we find the strength to live authentically and vulnerably instead? Only in experiencing the truth that we are eternally loved and celebrated by our Abba. Only in experiencing the presence of our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty (Hero) God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace (Is 9:6) do we receive the continual grace to live whole-hearted. And where our hearts are still fragmented, Jesus has come to restore our hearts to wholeness. (Is 61:1)
Our heart connection with the Trinity empowers us to live authentically and vulnerably. And being real and vulnerable enables us to have deeper heart connections with God and with each other. It starts because He loves us first.
His love gives us courage!
Russ Fochler
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