All of my life I have always suffered with perfectionism. I have always felt the need to be the best that I can be. This can be a good thing in a way because you should always try to strive to be better than the person you were yesterday. But it can also have a negative impact on your life. Because I feel the need to be the best that I can be, it ends up with me always feeling like I can never make a mistake or show my vulnerability. I have always viewed vulnerability to be a weakness, but I am here to not only remind myself, but you that vulnerability is valued. I know…I can never wrap my head around that too. The mindset that vulnerability is a weakness and making mistakes should never be allowed will sometimes get implemented into relationships I have with others, especially with God. This is something I have to work on every single day and try to put into practice to be vulnerable with not only God, but people too. My mindset with the world is that the moment I open up, they will take advantage of me and use my vulnerability as leverage which can be true depending on who it is, but that is where gaining trust plays a key factor. With God, I sometimes feel ashamed to open up 100%, but I have to push past that feeling because God does not want just the “perfect” parts of our lives, He actually wants it all. He wants to hear the negatives, positives, embarrassing stories of our day, etc.

“Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken” (Psalms 55:22 NIV).

God does not view us as perfect. He views us as imperfect.

“Revealing your imperfections instead of hiding them doesn’t drive people from you — it draws them to you. Imperfections are relatable. They humanize us and our creations, and they encourage people to connect with us in ways they’ll never connect with things that appear perfect” (Josh Spector).

This quotation stood out to me because of how Spector makes vulnerability look positive. He changes the viewpoint on vulnerability from a weakness to it is a way to make a connection with others–like God. This post is not only a reminder to myself to start viewing vulnerability as a relationship-builder/maker, but is a reminder to you as well. Our relationship with God will only grow when we “cast our cares on the Lord”. The only way to do so is by being vulnerable.

We got this. Take a moment at some point today to tell God something that is heavy on your heart. It may be hard at first, but it will be so relieving to finally let the weight off your chest.

We were not made to be perfect…we were made to be imperfect.

Amen.

References:

Spector, J. (2017, March 28). 5 Reasons To Embrace Your Imperfections. Medium. https://medium.com/an-idea-for-you/5-reasons-to-embrace-your-imperfections-d364b36722#:~:text=Revealing%20your%20imperfections%20instead%20of,with%20things%20that%20appear%20perfect.

NIV Bible