“Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil.” Luke 4:1-2a

Vulnerability

Have you ever realized that this account of Jesus being tempted in the wilderness for forty days could only have come from the lips of Jesus to His disciples? With that knowledge, that allows me to read this passage with a new perspective and see Jesus’ heart of being vulnerable with His disciples. The accounts that are listed in the gospels are short highlights of that forty days, but are still full of the emotional and painful trial Jesus endured. Forty days of being tempted, non-stop.

I love that Jesus chose to go through that, to identify with us in temptations. Whatever temptation entices us to sin, no matter how strong the pull is, He is with us, understanding the fight we are going through to overcome. And, like Jesus, we can walk in victory over the temptations that come our way. Throw scripture at the temptation, turn to Jesus, and pray for His strength. He, as a full human man, made it through 40 days of temptation, so we know that we can, too.

Let’s not forget the power of being vulnerable and sharing our stories, struggles, and victories with each other. Jesus didn’t need to share with His disciples what happened, but He did it anyway, and because of that we can see that we can have victory too. What an amazing example Jesus gave us in His vulnerability to show us we can have victory over temptations, and that through our vulnerability of sharing our stories, we can encourage one another and give them hope that they can overcome and have victory too!

Is there someone you can be vulnerable with today about your story to encourage them that they can have victory?

Jesus, give us Your strength today to overcome temptations and to share our victories with others to encourage Your saints. Thank You that we can walk in victory over any temptation because we saw You do it, and You give us the power to have victory too. Thank You for Your vulnerability, so that we may be encouraged today. Amen.