Strong Enough to Be Vulnerable
Ecclesiastes 4:9–10 (NKJV)
“Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up.”
Yesterday, I shared a thought about commitment to your spouse and the example of Abigail, a woman who demonstrated wisdom and faithfulness despite her husband’s shortcomings.
Today, I want to take that thought a little further.
My daughter-in-law recently sent me this picture from her wedding to my son back in September. It’s a picture of her wiping away a tear from his face when he saw her in her wedding dress for the first time.
And I have to tell you, this picture touched my heart.
Not just because it’s my son and daughter-in-law, but because of what I see in this moment.
I see a man who wasn’t afraid to show his emotions and a woman who didn’t hesitate to comfort him.
Too often in marriage, especially as men, we’re taught that we have to be strong. We have to lead. We have to be the provider, the protector, the one who holds everything together.
And yes, Scripture calls husbands to lead their households. But biblical leadership doesn’t mean being emotionless. It doesn’t mean hiding your struggles, burying your pain, or pretending everything is fine when it’s not.
Being a godly man doesn’t mean you never cry. It means you know where to turn when you do.
Sometimes being the man means having enough humility to tell your wife, “I’m struggling.” Sometimes it means admitting, “I don’t have all the answers.” And sometimes it means allowing the woman God placed beside you to be the helper He created her to be.
Genesis 2:18 reminds us that God said, “It is not good that man should be alone.”
Think about that for a moment.
Even before sin entered the world, God recognized that man was not meant to walk through life alone.
Marriage was never intended to be one person carrying every burden while the other simply watches.
It’s a partnership. A covenant. Two people walking together through whatever life brings.
We understand that we need Christ because we cannot make it through this life on our own. Yet somehow, when it comes to marriage, we convince ourselves that we have to carry everything by ourselves.
Husbands, your wife should be someone you can lean on, not just someone you’re expected to be strong for.
Wives, your husband should have a place where he can be vulnerable without feeling that he’s somehow less of a man.
And that goes both ways.
There will be days when he’s the strong one. There will be days when she’s the strong one. And there will be days when neither feels particularly strong, and that’s when you get on your knees together and lean on the One who is.
Strength in marriage isn’t measured by how much you can carry alone, but by how willing you are to carry life’s burdens together.
When I look at this picture, I see something beautiful.
At the very beginning of their marriage, my son was comfortable enough to show his emotions, and my daughter-in-law was right there to wipe away his tears.
My prayer is that they never lose that.
That when life becomes difficult, when disappointments come, when the burdens become heavy, they’ll remember that they don’t have to face those moments alone.
Because the same hands that wipe away tears of joy on your wedding day should be willing to wipe away tears of sorrow throughout your marriage.
That’s love. That’s partnership. That’s commitment.
You don’t have to be strong every moment of every day. You don’t have to have every answer. You don’t have to pretend you’re okay when you’re not.
God gave you a spouse to walk beside you, not just to stand behind you.
Today’s Reflection:
Have you created a marriage where your spouse feels safe enough to be vulnerable with you?
Can your husband admit he’s hurting without feeling weak? Can your wife share her fears without feeling dismissed?
Are you simply living together, or are you truly carrying life’s burdens together?
Because marriage isn’t about proving how strong you are on your own.
It’s about building a love where neither person has to face life’s struggles alone.
And remember, a man who allows his wife to wipe away his tears isn’t showing weakness.
He’s showing her that he trusts her with his heart.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” — Galatians 6:2 (NKJV)
— Rev. Carlos Figueroa
TheFreeBible.org
