by Bonnie White, Women’s Minister
Did you know that the term vulnerability comes from the Latin root meaning “to wound”? Because of this, vulnerability is often seen as a negative thing to be avoided at all costs by both men and women. Weaknesses, failures, needs, and desires are all to be covered. Softness and sensitivities are to be hidden by performance, perfectionism, humor, or even outright lies. For many, self-protection becomes the primary focus in fighting against feeling or being perceived as vulnerable because who wants to be wounded?
This battle with vulnerability can be especially difficult for women because scripture speaks of them as the “weaker vessel” (1 Peter 1:7), pointing to their physical delicateness designed by the Lord for his good purposes. To many of the women who are struggling with their sexuality and identity, femininity itself is viewed as a weakness and to be a victim. They may have experienced their femininity abused or experienced others responding harshly to their soft emotional expressions. Instead of protecting and nurturing their vulnerability, others took advantage of it.
Embracing God’s Good Design
As a result, the fight to embrace God’s good design of the vulnerability of femininity becomes a major battle in their hearts and is often a big part of their journey at Living Hope. The fight to see the good in femininity begins by understanding that God’s Word has something different to say than the world and our experiences about vulnerability. God’s Word says that instead of covering our weaknesses or failures, we can boast in them, knowing that when we are weak, God’s strength shines through and that through it all, HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT.
“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
God communicates that whatever struggles or vulnerabilities we may have as women, His unmerited favor and love are enough. God will be strong through our weakness when we surrender to Him.
Strength Through Weakness
Now, how does this translate for the women at Living Hope? It means trusting the Lord with the softness and sensitivity found in our femininity and vulnerability, even when it is scary. It means believing that femininity is a good thing that God designed, and it does not have to be covered up. There will be those who do not rightly view femininity or vulnerability, but even in those moments, Christ’s grace is enough to trust God through it, believing that when we are weak, He is strong.