#216: Being Real, Authentic and Vulnerable (Overcomer Series)

Welcome to Kingdom Writers where we help equip and empower Christian writers of all genres to share your unique gifts with the world. We're your hosts, C.J. and Shelley Hitz.

This podcast is filled with spiritual encouragement as well as prayers to help you overcome the resistance you face as a writer. Your story matters.

Welcome to the Overcomer series. My name is Shelli Hitz and in this series my husband CJ and I will walk you through some steps to help you overcome in your writing, publishing and marketing of your books. This series was originally recorded as live videos inside Christian Book Academy and so if you would like to join us and be able to stay time with us live, then join us@christianbookacademy.com we wanted this series to also be able to encourage you, so I hope that you enjoy it and leave us a review and let us know how this podcast is encouraging your writing. We would love to hear from you. Enjoy this episode.

You know, this whole topic of vulnerability and being real, being authentic. I was reading a passage of scripture that.

You know, as I read it, I thought, you know, this, this topic could go along with, you know, the passage. You know, I just see something in this passage that I think each one of us could apply as Christian writers in our books or blog posts or whatever it might be that we're writing, social media, whatever we're sharing, you know, with our readers. And It's John, chapter 20, verses 24 through 29. And I'm going to kind of switch back and forth. I'm on my phone, so I'll go from here to the notes app. I wrote a few notes, but this is really where Jesus appears to Thomas. And I want to just read the passage and then just hit on a few points. So it says in verse 24, one of the twelve disciples, Thomas nicknamed the Twin, was not with the others when Jesus came. They told him, we have seen the Lord. But he replied, I won't believe it unless I see the nail wounds in his hands. Put my fingers into them and place my hand into the wound in his side. Eight days later, the disciples were together again, and this time Thomas was with them. The doors were locked, but suddenly, as before, Jesus was standing among them. Peace be with you, he said. Then he said to Thomas, put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into the wound in my side. Don't be faithless any longer. Believe, my Lord and my God do. Thomas exclaimed. Then Jesus told him, you believe because you have seen me. Blessed are those who believe without seeing me. And so Moving over to my notes app.

You know, as we see here, Thomas wasn't going to believe unless he actually saw the wounds in Jesus hands. The wound in his side. He just simply, it says wasn't going to believe. And it hit me that there just might be some people out there that won't believe unless we're able to show them our wounds.

You know, unless we show them some of the scars that we have through life. You know, when we're real and authentic, we create a bridge to the hearts of people who struggle with doubt. And it hit me that each one of us have things that we've been through that we have an opportunity to share with the audience that reads our books. As we said before, this doesn't mean that we need to share all the gory details. We certainly don't want to want to do that. We're not glorifying the actual wounds or the things that have been inflicted on us or the things that we're ashamed of that we have in our past.

But what we're saying essentially is that we're sharing enough so that people could see that, yes, we're human beings, we've struggled, and we have some things that perhaps God can be glorified in.

Yeah. So, for example, I often share that I've struggled with a pornography addiction, but I don't get into the gory details of what triggered me, of what I was doing at that time, what. What I was looking at. Like, I don't get into all of those things. People have often said that, you know, when I talk about these things, it's in such a tasteful way. It's not like a. What are those magazines that are like gossip magazines?

Yeah. Like People or. I don't know.

But anyways, it's not like a tabloid, you know, it's not like a tabloid magazine. It's like it's pg. And I share enough that people know that I struggled, but I focus on the hope and healing that God brought me through. So I don't think we need to focus so much on the gory details. I mean, sometimes you do need to process those in your journal privately. So there's a lot of things that I've processed in my journal privately that I have never shared, even publicly on a social media post. And so there's wisdom in. In knowing what to share, what to process privately or with a counselor. But there is so much power when we are willing, when it's the right time, as the spirit leads to share.

Yeah. Because, you know, I think as Writers, there's probably many of you out there that you have this story to share. You have some things that happen to you in your past, things that God has already forgiven or healed in that specific area. But you're like, what am I supposed to do with this? How am I supposed to share it? And that's where that has to be between you and the Lord. You know, none of us can say, well, you need to do this and this and this. I mean, that has to be really between you and the Lord. It's whatever you feel comfortable sharing. And ultimately, as we've said, we want to glorify the Lord in the healing. More than the shame of the sin or the damage that was done to us, we want to really glorify what God has done in that testimony. You know, Revelation 12:11 says that we overcome the enemy by two things. First of all, the blood of the lamb. The enemy knows he can't touch the blood of the lamb. But number two is the word of our testimony. So our testimonies have power as God is glorified through that.

Yeah. Pamela says you were real and authentic in your new book, CJ.

And if any of you haven't downloaded it, still free today through the 19th. And then Deborah says, great insight, CJ never thought about our wounds that people can see to speak to our authenticity. And I do want to say that there was a specific moment in time and I can go back in my journals and I can find it, that God began to ask me to. To share publicly as I was speaking about the topic of forgiveness, how I had to forgive myself for the pornography and all of that, the shame. And there was a specific moment in time, but it was years after I had been healed. It wasn't like in the middle of it. So it's like a lot of times, too, when you're going to share, it's going to be after the lessons have been learned, after you've been through the healing.

You know, just be sensitive to the spirit.

Yeah. And just going on a little more, you know, Jesus was willing to allow Thomas to touch his wounds. I think that's an important thing. You know, like, Jesus was actually willing to allow him to touch those wounds. Those wounds ultimately bought Thomas freedom, our freedom.

Wow.

So perhaps when others see that we've been wounded and yet stand unashamed to reveal those wounds because of the healing power of Jesus, they too might exclaim, like Thomas, my Lord and my God. And that is where the testimony is. They see, oh, my goodness, this person's been through this, and yet they still shine. You know, some of us have taken the best shot that the devil could give us, and yet we stand. You almost have that image of, you know, those old Rocky movies, and it didn't matter. I remember the. The Rocky four where he's fighting against the Russian, Ivan Drago, who had previously killed, you know, Apollo Creed, you know, in the ring. And of course, Rocky eventually is going to get into the ring with this guy, but there was just this instance where, you know, Drago just kept punching. I mean, there were hard punches, and Rocky, you know, he took it, and he comes back, he says, come on, is that all you got? Is that all you've got? Come on. You know, and it's almost like this stubbornness that, hey, if that's the best you got and I'm still standing, then, you know, I've won. Essentially. What I'm saying here is that some of us have taken some pretty nasty wounds and punches from the enemy, and yet we still stand in the power of Jesus. Jesus himself took the worst of all of our wounds. He was wounded for our transgressions. It says.

He took the best shot that men could hit him with in the crucifixion, the best shot that Satan could hit him with by ultimately having him betrayed and getting him to that cross. And yet he stands today, he sits at the right hand of God the Father. He's taken it, and he was resurrected in spite of all of that.

And talking about standing, I was just reading this today, so, I mean, I wasn't planning on sharing this, but Psalm 59, verse 10, it says, in his unfailing love, my God will stand with me. My God will stand with me. He will let me look down and triumph on all my enemies. And so I just loved that because it was like, my God, stand with me. You're not going through this alone. You're not standing alone. He is with you.

And your life. And my life can speak volumes to people who won't ever even contact us. They're watching from a distance. They would never dare say that. They also identify and can relate to something that you've been wounded by, been wounded by. They'll never let us know that. But when they see that we still stand in spite of every hit we've taken on the jaw, and we're even laughing all the way to the grave at what the enemy tried to do but didn't succeed in. They're looking at this and they're like, oh, my goodness, this person still stands after all of that. And they actually are being used by God in powerful ways. Wow. And that speaks volumes. It speaks a loud testimony.

And the enemy just hates that. I really think that's why the two things mentioned in Revelation 12:11, the enemy works over time to try to destroy our testimony, put down our testimony, put us under a rock somewhere, hide us. I don't want to see anymore. Take us out of the whole ball game. And yet, when we still stand and we still shine in the hands of the Lord, that speaks volumes.

Yeah. And, you know, whether you write fiction or nonfiction, there are going to be times that God's going to ask you to share vulnerably with your audience. So maybe you are. I know some of you are sharing your testimony in a fiction novel, but those of you who maybe write children's books or something where you're not sharing directly your testimony, there may be times on social media, God prompts you to share something. There may be something. Sometimes when you're marketing or as you're at an event, a book signing or something, God asks you to share part of your testimony. It is just so powerful when you can be real, authentic, and vulnerable. I just think our culture is just so hungry for that. Don't you agree?

Yeah.

You know, and when. When you're able to be that voice. And I've had so many people tell me this before, and. And I do believe God's given me a gift of vulnerability. It's part of what he's asked me to do. But so many people will come up to me and be like, oh, my goodness, thank you so much for sharing. Like, I can relate to that. Or, you know, and. And it's just. It's. It's freeing in a lot of ways when someone else shares because you realize you're not the only one.

But there's a time, there's a place, and there's some things, like I said earlier, you will never share publicly outside of your journals or a trusted friend or a counselor. And that's okay. There are some things that are sacred, and in that sacredness, you don't need to be sharing that with the world. But if you are to share, God will prompt you, just like he did with me, and he will use it in amazing, amazing ways.

Yeah. And I just think it's incredible that we have the Son of God here that is willing to be vulnerable with Thomas. He didn't say, you know what, Thomas, not in front of people.

You know, I'm not going to show you my wounds. You don't need to see that wound on my side, whatever it is. I mean, he was just like, sure, Thomas. I mean, here's the wounds in my hands, wound in my side. It's really me. I've got nothing to hide. Even as the Son of God in the flesh, I've got nothing to hide. And I just think it speaks volumes when we actually look at Jesus the Son in the flesh as a man willing to be vulnerable with his disciples, willing to be vulnerable and say, hey, if this is what it takes for Thomas to join us and be on the same page in having faith and believing that it really is me, so be it. And I think when we take that same attitude that maybe there's one or two people that are going to get this book that, well, you hope it's more than that, but maybe there's just one or two people that this was the only way. It's almost like the thing that you wrote in your book helped turn the key in that person's heart.

And brought them to a place where they're like, ah, I see. You know, and it's almost like something clicks in them, and they too, as we mentioned, can exclaim, my Lord and my God, I do believe. And you helped in that process. I can help in that process by the words that. By the words that I write.

Yeah. And I always. CJ shared this with me on our drive over. We're here in the mountains. Anyone that's joined late. So that's why we're like. We're in our hotel room without our.

With old phones.

I know, right? Without our fancy microphone and lighting and everything. But we're here. And he was telling me about this, and I was like, oh, wow, that. I hadn't really thought of that in that way before. But the thing that stuck out to me is this story happens when it happens after Jesus is resurrected, after the victory has happened, after he has conquered death. And, you know, I just really believe that as we experience victory, as we experience that resurrection power from Christ, as we experience those things, you know, that's when, you know, when we're on the other side and we're standing in the victory. And of course, there's moments, there's days that we all have, but that God is able to use us so powerfully in the story of what he's done in our lives. And like we said, sometimes it's just telling a story in your email that you're sending out to your list. Sometimes it's telling a story on social media. Sometimes. Sometimes it's Telling a story in your book, be led by the spirit. That was our theme last week. Be led by the spirit of when to share what. But stories are powerful. You will connect with your audience more than any other way if you start sharing stories, even if it's something like, I spilled my coffee over myself, I locked my keys in my car today, and, and I was just ready to give up on the day. But then God reminded me of this verse and he brought this, you know, and da, da, da, da, da. And what he did to bring your day around. It could be something as simple that you shared on social media and encouraged someone. So we hope that this has encouraged you today. And Mary Lee says, this is awesome. I never thought of these verses like this, seeing it as vulnerability. So good. Beth says he came to set the captives free. After we have been set free, we can share our story so others can be set free too. Amen. It is 100% true. And so I feel like before we kind of get into the rest of this, because this was just such a. Such a powerful topic. Cj, could you just share just a really short prayer for anyone that's feeling led to share their story? But maybe there's fear or they just need to know from the Lord the timing or what to share. Let's just pray about this for each person.

Yes, Lord. Father, we just thank you so much that you were willing to be vulnerable. Ultimately, you hung naked on a cruel Roman cross, vulnerable.

And in the flesh. You took on everything for our freedom to win us back. And so we first of all thank you for that. We thank you in this little instance of Scripture where Thomas needed to see some proof, he needed to see some stuff. We thank you that you were willing to show him and that that speaks volumes to us terms of being vulnerable ourselves and showing people our wounds. Lord, we ask that you would give us spirit led.

Discernment as to how much we're to share, what we're to share, and who actually reads or listens to some of our vulnerable moments or authentic real moments. And I pray, Lord, that there would be people who would have.

Something click in their hearts as a result of reading something that one of these Christian writers shares. Lord, in a very vulnerable moment, I just ask that people would be set free, that people would truly believe in ways they haven't before as a result of we as wounded warriors, so to speak, we sharing some of those wounds and being vulnerable, some of the scars that we carry, that we've made it through even after we took the best shot from the devil, we can still stand and say, I'm still victorious. No matter what has come my way, I stand victorious. The blood of Jesus. And so I just thank you Lord. And we are just asking ahead of time, Lord, that many around the world will be set free as a result of some of the vulnerability through our Christian Book Academy writers. And we ask this in Jesus name.

Amen.

So Lord, we just again, we seal all of this up and we ask, Lord, that your Holy Spirit would again bring out fruit from this time together. I just pray that each person would be inspired, that each person would be given what they need for the rest of this week, that you'd give them strength, that you'd give them energy, give them the ability to be victorious, Lord, in spite of any circumstances that come their way. And we just, we thank you Lord, for even calling us into this with you that we consider ourselves Christian writers, Christian authors, we have words to share that are not just here today and gone tomorrow, but they are eternal. And we thank you so much for all the good that you're going to do through each and every one of our CBA writers. And we'll give you the glory and the honor, Lord, we ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

Amen. So, just a reminder, what was the theme for today?

Vulnerability and being real and authentic.

Thank you so much for spending time with us in this episode. It truly means the world to us. We also have a free gift for you. It's a new PDF that CJ and I recently wrote called 8 surprisingly Simple Writing Tips. Say that 10 times real fast in a row, right? But it's a PDF. You can get instant access just go to trainingauthors.com writingtips we'd love to send that PDF to you right now. And again, it's called Eight Surprisingly Simple Writing Tips.

Enjoy.

Thank you for listening to this episode of Kingdom Writers. We believe that you as a Christian writer, have a specific role to play in the Kingdom of Heaven to impact lives for eternity.

And because of this, we choose to pour out our lives into encouraging writers like you to to not only tell your stories, but to take the courageous step of self publishing your stories in books that will outlive you and leave behind a powerful legacy. This podcast is sponsored by Christian Book Academy, where we help you give birth to your books. We invite you to join our community of Kingdom writers.