2. It’s spiritually empowering.
James also says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6 NLT). It is impossible to lead in ministry without the grace of God. And how do you find the grace you need? You find it by humbling yourself before God and others.
Remember, pride prevents power!
3. It’s relationally attractive.
Everybody is wearing a mask, and it’s what we expect others to do as well. When we choose to throw our masks away, we surprise people with our authenticity. Being real is the fastest way to endear yourself to others.
We tend to love people who area real, honest, humble and vulnerable, and we tend to despise people who are deceitful, arrogant and hypocritical. Paul told the Thessalonian believers, “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News, but our own lives, too” (1 Thessalonians 2:8 NLT).
When you share your strengths, you create competition. But when you share your weaknesses, you create community. You let people know, we’re all in this together.
Pastors are often incredibly lonely people. Why? I believe it’s in large part because they’re so afraid of the cost of being vulnerable.
4. It’s a mark of leadership.
We only follow leaders we trust. The first requirement for effective leadership is credibility, and the more honest you are, the more credible you become.
Real leaders lead by example. They go first. If your desire is that the church, group or organization you’re leading be a place where people are open, you must be the first to open up.
You must decide whether you want to impress people (which you can do from a distance) or influence people (which you can only do up close).
5. It increases the impact of your preaching.
The concept of preaching from our vulnerability is something I’ve written about before because it’s a really big idea. In the previous generation of great preachers, we usually asked what’s the most powerful way to preach this? Now, we should be asking what’s the most personal way to preach this?
You will always be more effective as a personal witness and a storyteller than as a skilled orator. As you preach and lead, try to answer these questions…
- What struggles and weaknesses should I share with others?
- What progress am I making that others could learn from?
- What am I currently learning, especially from my failures?
Remember this: The minister is the message.
