6 Things To Do When You Are Feeling Vulnerable

You never realize how vulnerable you are or can be [come], until you find yourself at a crossroad and when you are in a valley of despair. It is in then, no doubt in your quest for truth, that some of the most unimaginable revelations come to the surface.

On the one hand, the darkness of fear with its clenched fist lunges at you and like a boxer ready to knock out it’s opponent, it punch you hard right below your ‘belly button.’ As it begins to peel away the layers of your past, and sometimes even your present, vulnerability begin to magnify both guilt and shame.

You gasp for air as the tears begin to fill your eyes. You pretend not to hear the voice of faith. Instead, you allow feelings of anger. You tell yourself, ‘I could handle this. S/he’s not getting away with this.’

On the other hand, the weight of God’s glory blows like a trumpet and pops open the deafness within your spirit.

She says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage; yes, wait for the Lord!” [Psalm 27:14 NASB]

As if to say, ‘don’t you dare do anything stupid!’

She continues, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” ~ [Matthew 11:28 NIV]

By then, you are left feeling deflated by life, helpless and overwhelmed.

Have you ever been there? Did you think someone contacted me and spoke to me about you?

The One Thing That Keeps Us Humble

All of us I believe, have something dealing with in our life, past or present that is considered a ‘thorn in the flesh.’ You’ve prayed many times about it and every time you rise from your bent knees you go away with the hope that this time, God will answer your prayer.

It brings me to the next point by way of this quote from Walter Anderson that says:

We’re never so vulnerable than when we trust someone – but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy.”

The sad truth is, waiting makes us vulnerable. Letting go of that which we have no control over and trusting someone else completely with it and our lives, we are exposed to vulnerability.

The question you may ask is, ‘why does it have to be that way?’ While there is no clear cut answer for that question, we have assurance in the word of God where we find truth everlasting.

Additionally, it was John F. Kennedy who once said, “The supreme reality of our time is….the vulnerability of our planet.” That is to say, the planet on which we live is open to attack, harm and even damage.

Similarly, as long as we live on planet earth, we will be exposed to situations and will face challenges that make it possible for us to be physically, emotionally, mentally and even spiritually wounded and hurt.

All trust involves vulnerability and risk, and nothing would count as trust if there were no possibility of betrayal. ~ Robert C. Solomon

Things To Do When You Are Feeling Vulnerable

1) Admit – be honest with where you are currently. No need to feel ashamed. Simply come clean with yourself and admit that you have inadequacies and limitations. Like you, all of us have been there. The Apostle Paul was too, but a strong reminder is that every weakness that you have is an opportunity for God to show His strength in your life. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

2) Pause and be still – it is okay to take a break from the everyday affairs of life, to be still and clear your head. I have proven that it pays to stay clear of rushing to judgment or making quick fix decisions to the situation that only end up with deadly consequences in the long run.

3) Tell yourself you are not alone – this may seem unrealistic on the spur of the moment but truth is, God is right there with you. It is His promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us. Give Him the opportunity to prove His faithfulness and to demonstrate His loving presence with you.

4) Solicit the help of another – find a mentor or a trusted source who have walked the same path as you, and who is more versed [smarter] in the matter. I’ve had to ‘swallow’ my pride and seek the guidance and wise counsel of others and to rely on faith that God who begun the work in me and called me to the task is faithful to complete it. (Philippians 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 5:24)

5) Position yourself to learn – No one have all the answers all of the time to everything. Always be teachable.

6) Organize and improve – spend more time organizing and planning for the days ahead. Start making daily checklists. Pay close/r attention to details. Be willing to change as a way of improvement, get rid of bad [old] habits and let go the methods/strategies that are no longer working. Push through! You are going to make it!

Can you relate to this post? Do you need help? Are you feeling vulnerable and do not know what to do? I will be happy to pray for you.