Becoming the wounded healer

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9

In his book, The Wounded Healer, Henri Nouwen said, “The great illusion of leadership is to think that man can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there.”

As men, we are tempted to focus on our strengths while hiding from our pain.

But the great paradox of leadership is that we can only take people as far as we have gone.

Our struggles shape us into the men we need to be for others. The areas where we have been hurt the most are often where our deepest calling lies.

We see this in the life of Christ, who became human—suffering as we suffer, being tempted as we are tempted—in order to become the true human who can transform us into the people we’re meant to be. 

When we follow this way of Jesus, we become a different kind of leader—not one on a pedestal who “has all the answers” but someone who can deeply empathize with the pain of others because we have experienced it ourselves. 

Where might God be calling you to lead others—not from a posture of capability, but vulnerability? 

Do you believe God can transform your weakness into your biggest strength?