Give More of You

“Mom, have you ever had an embarrassing moment at school?” my daughter inquired of me while we were discussing the events of the day.

Her question came after she had just shared what she considered a mortifying experience with me. I had listened to her and tried to console her by telling her that it was not the end of the world and that everyone has had one of those moments. I was caught off guard by her question and I pondered on it for a while before telling her what I considered an embarrassing moment I had in school. Later on, I heard her ask her father the same question “Dad, have you ever had an embarrassing moment?” Why was it so important to her to know that we had experienced something similar? Why didn’t my encouragement suffice? Why did she require more of me?

I thought on this experience and I realized that like my daughter, people require more of us. Yes, your faith is great, preaching the Word is spectacular, giving a scripture is awesome. However, people want to know that we are real, that we are flesh and not robots that spill out programmed responses. They want to know that we have experiences, that we feel pain, that we fall down, that we mess up, that we are afraid sometimes, that we are daily conquering those fears. People want to know that the you they see now has not always been that way.

People want to know more. They require more of our attention, more of our heart, more of our story. They require us to be vulnerable, genuine and human. They want to hear our story. They are not simply interested in the canned (sometimes Christian) responses such as “Hang in there,” “It’ll work out,” “You’ll be okay,” “Everything happens for a reason.” Sometimes we have the best intentions, but our intentions can sometimes appear as a brush off if the other person does not sense our authenticity.

Our first instinct is to be strong, to be a rock, to have great faith, especially in the presence of others. But God honors our weaknesses because it allows us to depend on Him. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 reminds us that God’s power works best in our weakness. God is not looking for perfect people to minister to his people. He can take our imperfect stories and lives and work through us anyway.

And what if there is no story to share? While your story may not be the exact situation that the other person is facing, we have to listen intently to what the person needs most. Do they need encouragement, compassion, a listening ear, love, a hug? Ask God to direct you and give you appropriate moments to share. I am not advocating that we make every moment a “here’s my story” moment, but I am advocating that when the door is open for our story, we seize the opportunity and share. It could set someone free from bondage, it could encourage another to keep fighting for a friendship or relationship. It could thwart someone from giving up on God. You never know the power of your story, but trust that God has crafted it not just for you, but for the benefit of others. He has crafted your story so that his glory can shine through.

Lord, forgive me for being afraid and ashamed to speak up about my weakness so that Your power can be seen. People don’t need me to give a canned Christian response. They want to know that I too sat in their shoes; they want to know how I overcame or better yet, how I am overcoming. Give me the courage to share my story as I interact with others. May my relationships be based on authenticity, not a façade.