Written by Nilaurys Garcia, volunteer with Iron Rose Sister Ministries in Canada 
I am blessed to say that I have true friends, even if these are not many. Friends that I can share my joys with, problems, and that, above all, they will hold me accountable if at any time I committed to do something and I did not fulfill it. Maybe you're thinking you don't like those friendships but let me explain a little more. I’m talking about those people who are in my inner circle and to whom I have given the right and they have accepted the obligation to help me follow a better path. Those I can be vulnerable with and recount my struggles with, mostly when I need that reminder of who I am and why I should do or not do something.
A word that creates mixed feelings in me is "vulnerability." I would prefer to think that I am strong, and it is easier to keep the mask on that says I-can-deal-with-everything-that-life-throws-at-me. You are probably laughing with me at this moment when you remember all the times that we have fallen, just for thinking like that. If we are honest with ourselves, we can admit that we do not like to be vulnerable, delegate control, or much less be held accountable for our own words. I like to remember Hebrews 10:24 that says, "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (NIV)
And one of the reasons I don't like to be vulnerable is because it's easier to get hurt. That's why I can’t be vulnerable with everybody, but only with those who I know won't take advantage of me and won't hurt me. Now, who better to be vulnerable with than God and leave Him all our burdens, as we are invited to do in 1 Peter 5:7. “Cast all anxieties on Him because He cares for you."
Would we be able to leave our burdens, fears and worries to a complete stranger? I don’t think I could do it. It's too risky and I would feel too vulnerable to do it. The good news is that we don't have to depend on or trust a complete stranger. We have a Heavenly Father who only wants our good, would never hurt us, and gave us wonderful blessings as a gift for our lives. In addition, we can have people close to us that we trust and commit to helping each other become better. Yes, it is a commitment. There may not be a ring or a friendship bracelet, but there is the willingness and commitment by each one to make that relationship flourish.
If we want to develop our relationship with God and our inner circles, we need to start by knowing them more, by trusting them and, you guessed it, committing ourselves to being vulnerable with them. In my experience, when my relationship with God is firm, I also can be better with my close people and if I am failing at something, I am convinced that they will help me get back on the right path, even without being asked to do so at the moment. Every time my human nature tries to do what it wants instead of what it was called to do, David’s statement in Psalm 31, verse 14 comes to mind, “But I, Lord, trust in You and say, ‘You are my God.’
Personally, it is a contract or commitment with God, because it is a relationship that began by paying the highest price that could have been paid, the life of Christ crucified on a cross. I would like to invite you to develop a commitment to God based on vulnerability, because that will then lead you to develop an intimate circle that gives you the support, joys, correction, and everything you need to get closer to God. Remember that we are not alone and are immensely loved, but… yes, there is a “but,” we must be willing to trust if we really want it to work out.