I am grateful for the modest culture here in Ireland. Their fear of exposure means I don’t have to avert my eyes when strolling down the beach on a warm summer day. Even in the changing areas at the beaches, most people wear large hooded robe-like towels to change from their swimsuit to their clothes. Exposure can lead to ridicule or criticism, and no one wants to face that in a swimsuit, let alone their birthday suit!

As professional Christians, we can be like the modest Irish swimmers not wanting to expose our vulnerabilities. We’re the ones with the ministry training and high-level degrees in theology, so people often look to us to have all the answers and perfect relationship with the Lord. And, yet, we also struggle. We are human, after all.

Being vulnerable is good. It takes courage and bravery to expose our true feelings and desires and even admit when we are wrong. It preaches the Gospel message in profound ways, and we, as well as the people we minister to, need the Gospel message preached to us routinely. It reminds us that God is God, and we are not.

Sharing our vulnerabilities also helps us act like the body of Christ as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 12, working together in our unique giftedness. Where I am weak, my sister is strong, and vice versa. The more we unite in the body, the more we reflect Christ’s glory. The more we reflect Christ’s glory, the more the Gospel is preached.

So let’s shed our metaphorical hooded robe-like towels and embrace our vulnerabilities. Let’s share our dreams, failures, joys, and sorrows with our fellowship of believers. It will draw us nearer to the Body of Christ and nearer to our Savior.