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Jason.

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Jason is the founder of Ignite Student Ministries, a dynamic ministry igniting youth, young adults and university students to passionately pursue Christ and transform society in high schools, work places and universities around the world.

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Wise in our Brokenness

Jason VanaJason Vana

Photo Credit: Joe Houghton (Creative Commons)

Sharing our brokenness isn’t easy.
Putting our weakness on display isn’t second nature to us.

It requires pulling down the walls around our heart. It means opening ourselves up to ridicule and rejection. It leaves us standing before someone completely vulnerable and giving them information they could easily use to turn around and stab us in the back.

It’s intimidating.
Scary.
Goes against everything we’ve been taught.

And leaves us vulnerable to more hurt and pain.

We don’t like showing weakness in front of others. We don’t want to put ourselves in a place where others can hurt us even more. We strive to keep ourselves from being at the mercy of someone else.

It’s not fun to share our brokenness.
Especially within the church.

We’ve all heard stories of the friend who opened up in a church setting and regretted it. We all know that person who dared show their weakness and was judged for it. We all can recount the time someone was ridiculed, mocked, looked down upon and treated as scum for what they shared.

The youth leader who was fired for sharing a losing battle with porn.
The long time member who was ostracized for admitting to a gambling addiction.
The high school girl who was excluded because she just doesn’t “fit in.”
The young man who was taunted for questioning his sexuality.
The faithful follower who was condemned for a moment of doubt.
The looks and gossip and rumors that spread when a family member, friend or even ourselves shared about a moment of weakness.

The very community meant to bring healing can bring the deepest wounds.
So we hide, we run, we cover up our weakness and pretend everything is okay.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.” – 2 Corinthians 13:11

Sharing our brokenness shouldn’t be done haphazardly. Putting our weakness on display isn’t meant to take on a shot-gun approach. Not everyone attending your church is trustworthy enough to know your faults and flaws.

It’s okay to be cautious.
It’s wise to be selective.
It shows a level of maturity not to be open with every single person you meet.

Some people can’t handle your brokenness.
Some shouldn’t be entrusted with your weakness.
Some “Christians” are more concerned with pointing out sin than bringing restoration.

Opening up takes time.
Sharing your brokenness is a process.

We need to look for people who rejoice in restoration.
Those who can effectively handle the brokenness of others.
Those we’ve seen to be trustworthy in the little things.

And then take the risk of opening up.

We’ll never know in advance how someone will handle our brokenness. There is no guarantee our weaknesses will be met with love and acceptance. We will always face the chance that we may be mocked and ridiculed for our flaws.

But that shouldn’t stop us.

We need to be smart about who we open up to, but we need to open up.

How do you determine with whom you’ll share your brokenness?

Jason is the founder of Ignite Student Ministries, a dynamic ministry igniting youth, young adults and university students to passionately pursue Christ and transform society in high schools, work places and universities around the world.