Happy Sunday!
Today’s Sunday reflection is about something beautiful my pastor said last Sunday.
He was doing a sermon on relationships and he said “our hang ups are usually the best handles.”
What he meant was that our “hang ups,” or whatever we think our issues/insecurities/whatever are, are usually the handles that open doors to making really meaningful connections with other people. If we want to go beyond superficial with people, and have deep relationships, we need to become comfortable sharing our hang ups.
I mean, you guys know how open I am with my food issues here. But, when it comes to real life and making friends, it actually makes me a little nervous.
I’m going to be starting a women’s Bible Study tomorrow, and we’re doing a book I’ve already read which is all about changing your thoughts. So, I already KNOW that I am going to need to be open and honest, and I’m nervous!
I mean, I know they could just read my blog and be in-the-know, but there is something about baring all your insecurities with someone in real-time.
However, there is also something beautiful about hearing someone say, “me too.”
Not that I want someone to say, “hey I have crazy food obsessions too” because, I do not wish my mental battle on anyone. But, there is something so encouraging about baring it all for someone, and then finding out that they know how you feel because they’ve been through it, or have been through something similar, and understand.
It’s hard to be honest with our issues with others because our culture tells us that we shouldn’t have these things. We see perfect people, with their perfect lives, all over social media and we think “that person has it ALL together, why can’t I be like that person?”
And then we hide our stuff and keep everything superficial with others.
Jesus did not call us to have surface-relationships with people. He went to the broken, the rejected and the left behind and got in deep with them. He wanted to do life with them and help them and encourage them.
Of course, he didn’t have any deep-rooted issues and hang ups (but going to the cross was definitely not fun) to connect with them, but he has given those things to us to use as tools to make connections. If you look at it that way, our issues are beautiful and can be used for good if we love God and use them to get in deep with others.
So, I want to challenge you to be open. Be honest. Use your hang-up as a handle to open doors.
Who knows, you might hear a “me too.”
Leave a Comment