“I’ll take care of it.”
“I can handle it.”
“I’ll get it done today.”
These are all phrases I find myself using pretty regularly. They’re pretty self-reliant, aren’t they? And just looking at them, they make me seem like a pretty capable person. Self-sufficiency is key, right?
In my own life, I feel like there’s a lot of pressure to be able to handle life on my own. I look around and see other people doing it, so why can’t I? So I tell myself I can. And usually, I can. Sure, the balance of life isn’t always perfect, but most of the time I can work out my schedule so that I get everything accomplished. But is that really the point?
I get so caught up in this idea that I have to have it all together. You look on social media and only see the best of people. We see people for a few minutes a day and we all put on our best faces. We’re afraid of showing weakness. We’re afraid of being vulnerable. We’re afraid to admit that sometimes, we do need help. We bury the ugly in hopes that no one will see it, and then we somehow feel better about ourselves because we’re successfully fooling everyone else. But is this healthy? Does the phrase “fake it ‘til you make it” actually benefit us?
In Genesis, God created the very first man, but knew that he would need a companion. God didn’t put Noah on the ark without his family. Even Jesus surrounded himself with believers; the twelve disciples. And Paul writes in Hebrews 10:23-25, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching”.
Not only does keeping our problems a secret hurt us, but it also prohibits us as Christians from practicing love with one another. We are called to fellowship with one another, and share our lives with one another. If someone is struggling, other Christians need to come along side and support them through their struggle. But if we aren’t sharing our burdens, then we also don’t get to practice supporting others. We keep everything focused on ourselves, which also results in a self-centered attitude. Do you see how it affects so many different things in our lives? We cannot fix our flaws if we do not acknowledge them.
The solution is this: be intentionally vulnerable. Have the courage to be afraid. Be confident enough to admit insecurity. Contradict what the world preaches to find a safe haven in each other. We are called to love and be loved. We can find solace in the peace of the Savior, and in fellowship with one another.
Don’t live alone. Do life together.
