By Rankin Wilbourne, Lead Pastor

The most popular, most listened to TED talk ever given was by Professor Brené Brown, entitled “The Power of Vulnerability.” Several people had sent me links to this, so I finally listened to it last Friday. (You can find it here.)

Brown is a research scientist who by her own admission went into research to avoid vulnerability, to maintain control, and she was unnerved by her own findings. She discovered that the most joyful, grounded, courageous, “whole-hearted” people were the ones who “embraced vulnerability.” She was running away from the very thing her research was driving her toward. After a year of therapy, this discovery led to what she called a “breakdown” or “spiritual awakening,” her preferred term. Vulnerability feels like weakness to most of us, but it is not weakness. It takes great courage.

What gives someone the courage to be vulnerable?

In Brown’s terms, “you have to know that you are worthy.”

This knowledge gives you the courage to dare to be vulnerable, to be known, to take risks. Having the courage to face your shame (feelings of unworthiness) is the only pathway to healing. Otherwise, you cut yourself from feeling altogether (you become a sociopath), from gratitude, from others, from life. “Empathy,” she says, “is the antidote to shame.” Three things struck me about Dr. Brown’s wonderful talk:

1. Why has this been the most downloaded of all of the TED lectures? World-renowned thought leaders in cutting-edge information fields, and yet THIS lecture has drawn the largest audience.
2. The best of empirical research has corroborated what the Bible has always told us. Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek.” And the Psalmist counsels that “a broken and contrite heart” is the acceptable sacrifice God desires (Psalm 51).
3. The gospel, more than any other resource, gives us the courage to be who we are, before God and before others. And only the gospel can deal with the core of our shame because only one voice can tell us, “You are worthy.” The voice of God. Where else will that verdict be safe? How else is that verdict not in danger of being over-ruled?

In Christ, God has said, “You are worthy.” It takes enormous courage to believe that. It’s even a step beyond admitting your need. Faith, not in yourself, that is true vulnerability, where all you have to plead is something, some one, outside of yourself. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Jesus says.

Scripture Memory for This Wednesday

Review Week: Take some time today to review the scripture passages for this month: Romans 5:3-5, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 and Psalm 73:25-26.

Click here to learn more about our scripture memory challenge.