This is the official definition of being vulnerable. She is married to Daniel, has four sons, and together they belong to Immanuel Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas. The definition of ‘vulnerable’ from the Cambridge dictionary is: ‘able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced or attacked.. That requires a tender or a vulnerable heart. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. The fear to be let down after being truly opened to another person But a quick look around reminds us that something is tragically wrong. God didn’t fashion us void of feelings and emotions. When God created Adam, he declared it wasn’t good for him to be alone (Gen. 2:18). “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Everything in life is uncertain, and the most uncertain and fallible thing is probably our feelings. We were made to love and be loved. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. And we dare to be vulnerable to love … Let yourself feel everything with full intensity. When we love Jesus, our love will flow out to others (1 John 4:20). But that’s the point. It can be losing a loved one, a breakup, a major disappointment, or just sharing in someone else’s pain. So happy or sad, vulnerability happens. It’s not just… Courtney Reissig is the author of Glory in the Ordinary: Why Your Work in the Home Matters to God, The Accidental Feminist: Restoring Our Delight in God’s Good Design, and Teach Me to Feel: Worshiping Through the Psalms in Every Season of Life (January 2020). Choose The One Who Can Love You The Way You Need, 10 Things I Learned About Love From Watching My Friends Get Their Hearts Broken, The Truth About Intimacy And HS, From Someone Who Has Had It For 23 Years, 18 Quotes About Vulnerability That Will Inspire You To Be Brave, What Happens When You Make Yourself Vulnerable, To Say ‘Yes’ To Love Is To Say ‘Yes’ To Pain, This Is Why Strong Girls Are The Most Vulnerable In Love, A Quote That Will Completely Change The Way You Think About Love. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. we do not focus on who hurt us, whether in the past or the present or potentially in the future. You have to take responsibility for it. Be vulnerable. So also Christ loved through the darkest moments of the cross because he knew at the end he’d be glorified and his people would be redeemed. What can Americans—especially followers of Jesus Christ—do in a time when it seems that our very republic is more fragile than ever before? Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. We often react by withdrawing into ourselves, or by withholding our loving behavior, or by trying to control our partner’s loving behavior. “To love at all is to be vulnerable. The Countries Where It’s Most Dangerous to Be a Christian in 2021, The FAQs: What Christians Should Know About QAnon, The Fantasy Ideology of the American Insurrectionists, Damn the Curse of Ham: How Genesis 9 Got Twisted into Racist Propaganda. I would wake up haunted by the thought that the man I loved so deeply would either die tragically or leave me for someone else. vulnerable meaning: 1. able to be easily physically, emotionally, or mentally hurt, influenced, or attacked: 2. able…. Children rebel against us. Loving another does not ensure unending happiness. Don’t rely on anyone or anything to create it for you. To give them the power to destroy you or rebuild you. In fact, Christians more than anyone else can love with reckless abandon since we know this isn’t all there is. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. When we numb feelings like fear, embarrassment and pain, we also numb excitement, hope, gratitude and happiness. Lewis, The Four Loves. “To love at all is to be vulnerable. For once we love someone, they have the unique power to hurt us as nobody else can. “To love at all is to be vulnerable. Now, the danger your body senses is you becoming emotionally attached and developing feelings. While there’s no promise of cost-free love, we know the deeper purpose behind it all. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. For over a decade, David Tian, Ph.D., has helped hundreds of thousands of people from over 87 countries find happiness, success, and fulfillment in their social, professional, and love … To Love is to be Vulnerable. Vulnerability begets love. This is one of my favorite quotes from C.S. It takes no bravery or resilience at all. It wasn’t good for Adam to be alone because the Trinity isn’t alone. It comes in many forms and over many different things. Letting ourselves feel happy is often a way to feel more vulnerable, not less. The alternative to tragedy, or at least to the risk of tragedy, is damnation. Elisabeth Elliot knew better than most what it meant to love and lose. But when it comes to actually being vulnerable in real life, many of us struggle to open up. And on my most frightened days, I’m reminded of those wise words from my friend—to love is to be vulnerable. It’s hard. Sign up for the Thought Catalog Weekly and get the best stories from the week to your inbox every Friday. Dedicated to your stories and ideas. That makes love hard. Learn more about working with Thought Catalog. Anyone can leave. When firmly rooted in its foundations, this is the kind of love that can last through the seasons. A mother can love through the difficult months of pregnancy and the agonizing hours of labor because she knows at the end of the pain comes the baby she loves so deeply. You will probably get hurt, most likely disappointed, but what’s living if you aren’t going to love in the full capacity you are capable of? Lewis. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But who would live sealed in spiritual cellophane just to keep from ever being hurt? Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. But love also begets vulnerability. This isn’t a new concept. To love another is a choice. The Gospel Coalition supports the church by providing resources that are trusted and timely, winsome and wise, and centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s the only way to live. Vulnerability means that you’re willing to jump headfirst into love. How do you show vulnerability without crossing over into needy territory? Spouses disappoint us. The only alternative would be to live without love—to be alone forever. The point is that I rarely allow myself to be vulnerable with other people. He knew the joy that awaited if he loved to the end (Heb. Vulnerability means you’re comfortable crying over the things that upset you instead of pushing away all of your emotions. She is unsure of what other party’s intention might be … If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Christians can love with the same freedom. CS Lewis has a famous quote from The Four Loves that begins with “To love at all is to be vulnerable …” He says that if you want to protect yourself, you can’t love anything at all, not even a pet, especially not a parrot. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. “To love at all is to be vulnerable,” says C.S. All of this requires opening our souls to others, thus making us susceptible to relational pain. You have to take the risk and ultimately know that your happiness is dependent upon you and your mindset. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. One is that love makes us feel vulnerable, which then scares us. Like many other expecting and new moms, I struggle with nagging fear that something tragic will happen to my babies. They posted a quote by C.S. November 4, 2014 November 4, 2014. You may unsubscribe at any time. ( I may have added the last bit. allowing your partner to know you fully: your,! 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