Welcome back to another episode of Manly Monday! Our bimonthly/semimonthly video series for Your Other Brothers.
In this episode our editor, Tom, dives into the fifth of our five YOB values — vulnerability, the first official value we determined upon discussing our most vital community values.
It’s the final episode of our “Five Values” series! Watch the video below as Tom discusses his personal journey of vulnerability from attending a conference to writing a book to cofounding this very blog.
Additionally, he affirms the role vulnerability plays in each of our stories — whether we’re publicly “out” or not.
As always, feel free to give us feedback on our YouTube (YOBtube) video or in the comments below. Check out our About page for more about our five values, origin story, and FAQ.
OUR VERSE FOR THIS WEEK
2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV) —
“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 of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
MAIL THE SHOW
Your Other Brothers
P.O. Box 843
Asheville, NC 28802
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DISCUSSION
Do you practice some level of vulnerability with others, or do you feel shackled by the concept? How have you seen personal weakness used for God’s strength?
About the Author
I really enjoyed hearing this podcast…it really spoke to my heart. I’ve known countless people in my life through Christian service work, church work etc. And yet…I can honestly say I’ve never been vulnerable or in any kind of accountability relationship with anyone…it’s easy to talk about surfacey things like the weather, the news etc. Why has this been so hard for me? I’ll give several reasons which might resonate with someone else:
Pride – wanting to appear like I have it all together as a Christian
Shyness – easier to hide behind a curtain keeping ones feelings and thoughts to oneself
Shame – realizing I have failed in sins of commission and ommission
hating to bother anyone – a big one for me that I’ve been overly sensitive to and have gone far to the extreme
putting other’s needs before myself – certainly Biblical, but then neglecting myself to where it hurt
Anyways, this is a n area I need to grow in for sure! Blessings to the YOB family!
Ugh, Dave. That point about hating to bother anyone. That hits hard for me. I feel like we all have enough going on in our day-to-day lives. How can I just dump additional junk onto another’s heart? But we are all made to bear each other’s burdens. Life works best that way. It takes time and wisdom, knowing what/when to share. But I’m all the better when letting other brothers help bear my burdens.
Thank’s Tom! I hear you on that for sure! I am thinking of those verses in Galatians 6 about “burden bearing.” In vs. 2 it says to bear one another’s burdens and fulfill the law of Christ, and then in vs. 5 it says every man should bear his own burdens. And then we are admonished to cast our cares on the Lord, for He cares for us. I admit I get way out of wack on this…keeping everything to myself, which is not healthy at all. God help me! YOB has been a big help to me in this area for sure.
Not to be pedantic, Tom, but as a fellow wordsmith I believe the best term is semimonthly. According to dictionary.com:
“The prefix bi- usually means ‘every two’, so bimonthly means ‘every two months’. Semi- means ‘half’ or ‘halfway’, so semimonthly means ‘every two weeks’. However, bimonthly can also mean ‘twice a month’ – but it is rarely used that way. It is best to remember that bi-is ‘every two’ and semi-is ‘halfway.’ ”
So, there you have it!
Vulnerability has been key in my recovery from depression and dealing with the aftermath of childhood sexual abuse. It is intensely relieving to get things off of my chest and to have the most wonderful and supportive friends who walk with me during this phase of my life.
Jesus is Lord of all.
I’m all for things that are done “rarely.” Bimonthly it is!
You love going rogue and cutting across the grain, don’t you?
Rogue is my middle name. Also my first and last.
Oh dear, I wish I had never brought up “semimonthly” versus “bimonthly.” Look what rhetorical gymnastics I’ve forced you into, Tom!
After reflecting a few days on vulnerability I think confessing sin is one area of life where I try to exercise vulnerability very intentionally. However I think for me it can require almost as much intentionality and discipline to be vulnerable in showing need and asking for help with things. There’s a part of me that is afraid to let anyone know how needy I am because I’m afraid that will cause them to hold me at arm’s length, put up walls, draw lines that I’m not allowed to cross, to enforce boundaries against me that aren’t there when I’m pretending to have it all together.
You’ve only helped me better realize my affinity for the word bimonthly. Thanks brother!
And ugh, I feel you on the confession/boundaries dilemma. I build walls all the time to avoid the drama of boundary-crossing or boundary side-stepping. It can be wise to a point. Disastrous to another.