Last week and the two weekends encasing it I enjoyed my fall break. 10 days of being far, far away from work, house duties, homework, and all the other daily stresses of life. Ahh.... vacation. It was so nice to take it easy!
Taking it easy... is this really only something we do on vacations? These musings remind me of a recent conversation that I had with a good friend. We were discussing time management (gew) and other challenges of being a grown up. In the discussion she mentioned to me that she realized she was being too easy on herself.
Too... huh?? Too... easy? Surely she means to say she's too hard on herself... right?
I'm confused. No... wait a minute. I'm refreshed.
To hear someone talk about their struggles and actually take personal responsibility is SO refreshing. We live in a culture... both American and Christian... that is sopped with sympathy, excuses, and "poor you" philosophies. The mere shock of my ears on hearing someone say they were being too easy on themselves and that it was time for them to step it up and gain some self discipline is well... I really shouldn't be so shocked. Shouldn't we be hearing this more often?
Shouldn't we be saying this more often?
In the Bible, we rarely see a lot of pity going on. And there are some real reasons in there to show some! I mean c'mon... lion's dens, world-wide floods, prisoning for one's faith, beatings, stonings, mockings, and on and on it goes. Instead of pity parties, we read calls to courage, faith, and control. We read that the Christian life is one of wars and races. NOT easy. So why do we expect it to be?
It's time for Christians to get over themselves and accept that life is life and heaven will be heaven. Sometimes when I find myself going down a mental path of poor poor pitiful me I stop and remind myself that I am living in a sin-cursed world that is no longer the way God intended. And neither am I. After this life is all said and done, the reward of being in heaven with HIM and the way it all was meant to be will make the struggle and hassle of this earth more than worth it. And in the meantime the mental image of Jesus dying on the cross for ME makes me ashamed of being so inward focused. He certainly did not take the easy way.
Our culture tells us to follow our "likes". We eat what we like, do what we like, think what we like, and pursue what we like. And our desires become far from His.
So basically, let's mature up and learn some self-discipline. The world will say you're being too hard on yourself... I challenge you to avoid the dangerous path of being too easy on yourself.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
First Day of School
Welcome to kindergarten... remember that first day?? The beginning of structure and learning, of small yet also huge achievements, of wonder and opportunity. Charming!
But imagine if you were still there. Though physically grown up your academic level and common capabilities were still that of a kindergartner. There you are in your grown up body with a room full of children learning how to tie your shoes, say the alphabet, and count to 20. Not so charming, huh?
Working in the kindergarten wing of a school has made me ponder the process of learning and and growing that we all take. Physically, intellectually, and emotionally we progress and increase. We develop our talents, life skills, and various capabilities as we become older.
I wonder if we showed our spiritual level of maturity phsyically what stage we would look like. How many of us, though adults, are still in spiritual kindergarten?
Hebrews 5:12-14:
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
So, spiritually speaking, are you eating solid food or still sucking the bottle? Are you in elementary school or able to be the teacher?
Surely we would all be embarrassed to whip out a baby bottle and start drinking. We would never seek to repeat kindergarten. Yet we are not embarrassed of our equally ridiculous spiritual immaturity.
What evidence do you possess of spiritual maturity? Does your lifestyle reflect maturity? Does your understanding of doctrine and spiritual matters reflect maturity? Do you evidence discernment? The fruits of the Spirit? Is your daily walk with God one that is truly walking, or still crawling?
I for one am thankful we do not through physical maturity reflect our spiritual maturity. I'm worried too many days I'd be seen sucking my thumb.
Embarrassing.
But imagine if you were still there. Though physically grown up your academic level and common capabilities were still that of a kindergartner. There you are in your grown up body with a room full of children learning how to tie your shoes, say the alphabet, and count to 20. Not so charming, huh?
Working in the kindergarten wing of a school has made me ponder the process of learning and and growing that we all take. Physically, intellectually, and emotionally we progress and increase. We develop our talents, life skills, and various capabilities as we become older.
I wonder if we showed our spiritual level of maturity phsyically what stage we would look like. How many of us, though adults, are still in spiritual kindergarten?
Hebrews 5:12-14:
For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.
So, spiritually speaking, are you eating solid food or still sucking the bottle? Are you in elementary school or able to be the teacher?
Surely we would all be embarrassed to whip out a baby bottle and start drinking. We would never seek to repeat kindergarten. Yet we are not embarrassed of our equally ridiculous spiritual immaturity.
What evidence do you possess of spiritual maturity? Does your lifestyle reflect maturity? Does your understanding of doctrine and spiritual matters reflect maturity? Do you evidence discernment? The fruits of the Spirit? Is your daily walk with God one that is truly walking, or still crawling?
I for one am thankful we do not through physical maturity reflect our spiritual maturity. I'm worried too many days I'd be seen sucking my thumb.
Embarrassing.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The greatest of these is love your enemies.
"The greatest if these is love"- quoted from 1 Corinithians 13:13, and displayed proudly and frequently by Christians, churches, Christian bookstores, t-shirts, cards, bookmarks, bumper stickers, yadda yadda. What warm fuzzies we feel; what empowerment and hope rise in us due to this phrase!
Christians talk a lot about love- from our worship services, camps, Bible studies, etc. Love the poor and needy! Love the broken and different! Absolutely! We love love. And who doesn't? I mean really, isn't this one thing we can all agree on?
Yes, indeed. By speaking of love Christianity really brings nothing different to the table than Oprah, Dr. Phil or Hallmark. True, the love of God is quite different than the love that they represent. And that type of love is what we're talking about, right? If that is our claim, does Christianity really practice what is being preached? Do you?
I see the messsage of love crumble when it comes to loving our enemies. Sure we proclaim and act on our love to the poor, broken, needy, sick, and other victims. We do very well at loving those who love us and appreciate us. But when it comes to those who go against us suddenly true sincere love is replaced with gossip, cheap shots, impatience, ill-thinking, "putting up with them", and mockery (mainly of course behind their backs because that is how we do it, right?). Suddenly because someone else is opposing us we lable them as guilty (which may in cases be true, but that should not matter) and allow that "guilt" to become our excuse for throwing out the window all the things we've preached and proclaimed about love. They're just not good enough for our love, right? By being against us, they've sort of given up the right to our love, right? Yikes.
You might say you do love them on the inside, but what is coming out on the outside? Anger? Frustration? Gossip? Blow offs? Lack of respect? A lower view of them? If you really loved them on the inside these things would not come out (Matthew 15:18,19).
Even now if you are thinking "That's exactly what 'so-in-so' needs to realize", then you are not hearing me. I am not talking about how your enemies should treat YOU. I'm talking about how YOU should treat them. So step up, shut up, and realize that yes, the Bible says the greatest of these is love, and it is also filled with a plethora of verses, stories, and examples of the need to love your enemies (Matthew 5:44/Luke 6:27,35/Luke 10:25-37-the example of the Good Samaritan/etc.). Loving your enemies is the true test of the depth of your love.
How quickly Christians forget that we were once not so long ago enemies with God Himself (Romans 5:10). And to reconcile our relationship with Him, His Son Jesus Christ had to be brutally crucified. That's how He responded to our being His enemies. So, what if God had treated you how you treat your enemies??
I encourage you to read this passage with the words "for my enemies" added after the word love througout it...
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love for my enemies, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love for my enemies, I am nothing.
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love for my enemies, it profits me nothing.
Love for my enemies is patient, love for my enemies is kind and is not jealous; love for my enemies does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love for my enemies never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
But now faith, hope, love for my enemies, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love for my enemies.
Christians talk a lot about love- from our worship services, camps, Bible studies, etc. Love the poor and needy! Love the broken and different! Absolutely! We love love. And who doesn't? I mean really, isn't this one thing we can all agree on?
Yes, indeed. By speaking of love Christianity really brings nothing different to the table than Oprah, Dr. Phil or Hallmark. True, the love of God is quite different than the love that they represent. And that type of love is what we're talking about, right? If that is our claim, does Christianity really practice what is being preached? Do you?
I see the messsage of love crumble when it comes to loving our enemies. Sure we proclaim and act on our love to the poor, broken, needy, sick, and other victims. We do very well at loving those who love us and appreciate us. But when it comes to those who go against us suddenly true sincere love is replaced with gossip, cheap shots, impatience, ill-thinking, "putting up with them", and mockery (mainly of course behind their backs because that is how we do it, right?). Suddenly because someone else is opposing us we lable them as guilty (which may in cases be true, but that should not matter) and allow that "guilt" to become our excuse for throwing out the window all the things we've preached and proclaimed about love. They're just not good enough for our love, right? By being against us, they've sort of given up the right to our love, right? Yikes.
You might say you do love them on the inside, but what is coming out on the outside? Anger? Frustration? Gossip? Blow offs? Lack of respect? A lower view of them? If you really loved them on the inside these things would not come out (Matthew 15:18,19).
Even now if you are thinking "That's exactly what 'so-in-so' needs to realize", then you are not hearing me. I am not talking about how your enemies should treat YOU. I'm talking about how YOU should treat them. So step up, shut up, and realize that yes, the Bible says the greatest of these is love, and it is also filled with a plethora of verses, stories, and examples of the need to love your enemies (Matthew 5:44/Luke 6:27,35/Luke 10:25-37-the example of the Good Samaritan/etc.). Loving your enemies is the true test of the depth of your love.
How quickly Christians forget that we were once not so long ago enemies with God Himself (Romans 5:10). And to reconcile our relationship with Him, His Son Jesus Christ had to be brutally crucified. That's how He responded to our being His enemies. So, what if God had treated you how you treat your enemies??
I encourage you to read this passage with the words "for my enemies" added after the word love througout it...
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love for my enemies, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love for my enemies, I am nothing.
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love for my enemies, it profits me nothing.
Love for my enemies is patient, love for my enemies is kind and is not jealous; love for my enemies does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love for my enemies never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.
When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.
For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.
But now faith, hope, love for my enemies, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love for my enemies.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Ah, Changes.
Well, it's officially been over 2 months since I've posted on here. Ouch! I must say I have some pretty good excuses, like.... buying a new house and moving into it, finishing summer school and starting a new semester, getting and starting a new job (and officially finally doing what I've wanted and gone to school for:) )...
Whew! Moving, college, jobs... life! It never ends its whirlwind of craziness and changes. Changes. Gew!
I absolutely hate transition. Always have, probably always will. Even when they're wonderful and positive, there is just something about the process that I find threatening. Getting used to new things for me is just dizzying.
That's why God's immutability is so refreshing for me. He NEVER changes. He alone is the only constant in life. And this attribute of His is by far my favorite.
"For I, the Lord, do not change..." Malachi 3:6
"...the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17
"Of old You founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end." Psalm 102:25-27
So, here's to changes. To blogging before the next two months are up. And to our one Constant. Our one true Guarantee. Our never-changing, great, and almighty God!
Whew! Moving, college, jobs... life! It never ends its whirlwind of craziness and changes. Changes. Gew!
I absolutely hate transition. Always have, probably always will. Even when they're wonderful and positive, there is just something about the process that I find threatening. Getting used to new things for me is just dizzying.
That's why God's immutability is so refreshing for me. He NEVER changes. He alone is the only constant in life. And this attribute of His is by far my favorite.
"For I, the Lord, do not change..." Malachi 3:6
"...the Father of lights, with Whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17
"Of old You founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. Even they will perish, but You endure; and all of them will wear out like a garment; like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not come to an end." Psalm 102:25-27
So, here's to changes. To blogging before the next two months are up. And to our one Constant. Our one true Guarantee. Our never-changing, great, and almighty God!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Oh, Oprah.
I know this video has been out for a while now, but I wanted to post it on here.
I find this clip very disturbing. Here's why:
1. Debate for Jesus? Risky: You can try, but I can't think of the last time someone was debated into faith. It just isn't in the nature of debating. Debating is in itself argumentative and closed-minded. The goals of debating are to manipulate words, make your points, and in essence, win. Debating is generally all about winning, not about seeking the truth together. And it tends to be hostile. So even if you're debating for truth, the nature of debating in itself tends to take away from the focus of truth and seeks instead a competition. While I appreciate that the women in this stuck up for Jesus, I find the one at the microphone to have a much better spirit about it than the one sitting down. I am not picking on that woman, and I TOTALLY understand her frustration; but I'm just saying that the debating nature made me cringe.
2. Oprah's philosophy is not uncommon: The powers of "evil and good" or"light and darkness" are then renamed "fear and love". Oprah says, "One of the mistakes human beings make is that there is only one way." "There are many paths to what you call God..." "There couldn't possibly be one way!" This philosophy is not uncommon. Actually, it is very much common. And scary. So, the people that plowed into the World Trade Towers... did they serve the same God I do? Maybe Oprah thinks so. But they definitely did not.
3. We won't get to the same point, Oprah: "Her loving and her kindness and her generosity, if it brings her to the same point that it brings you, it doesn't matter if she calls it God." Hate to tell ya Oprah, but we won't end up at the same point.
4. She can't get into a religious argument? She sure thought she could until she didn't have an answer back. Oprah's claim that she can't get into a religious argument at the end is poor timing, since she was on board for that argument until she couldn't think of an answer. This is what people around us do every day.... as soon as the questions get tough enough, they turn off the thinking process and give up on seeking answers.
Some truth:
John 3:18- "He that believes on Him is not condemned: but He that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
John 14:6- "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. "
John 3:16- "16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
Hillsong says it well in their song No Reason to Hide:
"We've got nothing to lose,
We've got no reason to hide.
We've got the answer inside of us,
Its time we took the disguises off.
We'll see Your glory revealed,
And see Your Name lifted high.
There's nobody else for us,
Jesus, You are the only One!
There's not a minute to waste,
Not a second to lose!"
To Oprah: If you're gonna deny my God, do it; but do not claim that He is one of "millions" of ways to "the light". If Jesus wasn't Who HE SAID He was, then He was a lying lunatic. So pick one or the other.
To those who personally know the Jesus of the Bible and have a relationship with Him: People are dying and going to hell every day. Oprah asks the question of what about those who never hear of Him? Do we ask that question? Are we taking EVERY OPPORTUNITY to preach the truth of Christ? Do you realize there are many misconceptions about Jesus today? So many claim to believe in Him.... but they do not believe in the "Jesus" we do. Let's not give ourselves a big pat on the back for just claiming Jesus as our friend. JESUS IS OUR SAVIOUR. We need to share the message of His Salvation! There's not a second to lose!
I find this clip very disturbing. Here's why:
1. Debate for Jesus? Risky: You can try, but I can't think of the last time someone was debated into faith. It just isn't in the nature of debating. Debating is in itself argumentative and closed-minded. The goals of debating are to manipulate words, make your points, and in essence, win. Debating is generally all about winning, not about seeking the truth together. And it tends to be hostile. So even if you're debating for truth, the nature of debating in itself tends to take away from the focus of truth and seeks instead a competition. While I appreciate that the women in this stuck up for Jesus, I find the one at the microphone to have a much better spirit about it than the one sitting down. I am not picking on that woman, and I TOTALLY understand her frustration; but I'm just saying that the debating nature made me cringe.
2. Oprah's philosophy is not uncommon: The powers of "evil and good" or"light and darkness" are then renamed "fear and love". Oprah says, "One of the mistakes human beings make is that there is only one way." "There are many paths to what you call God..." "There couldn't possibly be one way!" This philosophy is not uncommon. Actually, it is very much common. And scary. So, the people that plowed into the World Trade Towers... did they serve the same God I do? Maybe Oprah thinks so. But they definitely did not.
3. We won't get to the same point, Oprah: "Her loving and her kindness and her generosity, if it brings her to the same point that it brings you, it doesn't matter if she calls it God." Hate to tell ya Oprah, but we won't end up at the same point.
4. She can't get into a religious argument? She sure thought she could until she didn't have an answer back. Oprah's claim that she can't get into a religious argument at the end is poor timing, since she was on board for that argument until she couldn't think of an answer. This is what people around us do every day.... as soon as the questions get tough enough, they turn off the thinking process and give up on seeking answers.
Some truth:
John 3:18- "He that believes on Him is not condemned: but He that believes not is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
John 14:6- "Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. "
John 3:16- "16"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
Hillsong says it well in their song No Reason to Hide:
"We've got nothing to lose,
We've got no reason to hide.
We've got the answer inside of us,
Its time we took the disguises off.
We'll see Your glory revealed,
And see Your Name lifted high.
There's nobody else for us,
Jesus, You are the only One!
There's not a minute to waste,
Not a second to lose!"
To Oprah: If you're gonna deny my God, do it; but do not claim that He is one of "millions" of ways to "the light". If Jesus wasn't Who HE SAID He was, then He was a lying lunatic. So pick one or the other.
To those who personally know the Jesus of the Bible and have a relationship with Him: People are dying and going to hell every day. Oprah asks the question of what about those who never hear of Him? Do we ask that question? Are we taking EVERY OPPORTUNITY to preach the truth of Christ? Do you realize there are many misconceptions about Jesus today? So many claim to believe in Him.... but they do not believe in the "Jesus" we do. Let's not give ourselves a big pat on the back for just claiming Jesus as our friend. JESUS IS OUR SAVIOUR. We need to share the message of His Salvation! There's not a second to lose!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Some final thoughts... Part 4
To close, here's some things to keep in mind and principles to remember...
Modest clothes+movement can = quite the revealing show. A lot of times I see a lot more than I want on a lady not necessarily because of what she's wearing, but because she bends, leans or stretches and the clothes flop out, pull down, etc. Some simple fixes: 1. If you lean over, use one hand to keep your shirt to your chest. 2. bend at the knees. 3. Body Tape- this stuff is AMAZING. For like $3 you can buy it at a fabric/craft store or @ Sally's Beauty Supplies. You stick one side to your skin and one side to your clothes, and you're good to go for the day without worrying about coming apart. 4. If you're wearing a skirt, remember when you cross your legs, do it carefully and keep your knees together as much as possible (maybe that seems a little 3rd gradish but I've had a quite a few occasions where I knew what underwear some ladies were wearing just because of their not being more careful in a skirt).
We are created in HIS image. Even though we have girly bodies, girls are made in His image too. What are you doing with His image? Are you protecting it, or violating it? Bearing this image of Christ means that we are an impression of Him to other people whether or not we are doing an accurate job. If God was a girl, what would He wear? Are we giving others a good impression of Him, or a distorted one?
Yes, it's hard. Trust me, I know how difficult and annoying it is- I usually shop in the teen department, where modesty is a foreign term. I know it's hard. Some days I'll change again and again because I think "neh, that's not gonna work..." Oh, it's hard. But isn't it about time more Christians determined to do something hard?
Adam and Eve knew their nakedness- so should we. There are just some things that are obviously over the line, and if they're not to you, they should be. I think we've been desensitized to the revealing of a women's body because we are bombarded with it in our culture every day. But that desensitization is not a good thing, and it's definitely not an excuse. For example: bikinis. I mean, really? How that is ever considered appropriate I will never understand. I have yet to see a bikini that doesn't pretty much draw the whole image of the body it's on without much use from the imagination at all.
Ask yourself: Would you feel comfortable wearing (fill-in-the-blank) in front of Jesus if He was a human man on earth again, or would you be seeking more cover like Adam and Eve did with God in the garden? We need to realize our nakedness.
God created beauty. It is NOT wrong to be attractive. It is NOT wrong to work on your appearance. God is the author of beauty! God loves beauty! He REVELS in it. Look at the sunsets HE made! He is NOT against beauty- He is for it. The problem is when beauty is tainted, cheapened, exploited, and worshipped.
Have a spirit of modesty. You could be the "modesty" queen of the year, but still not be modest. Modesty is more than skin, it's your heart. What attention are you seeking? How do you carry yourself? What consumes your concerns: if God's impressed with you, or if people are?
If you're married, be the most immodest chick for your man. There is a time and place for everything:) Remember, God made men's minds and women's bodies- and He did it for a reason! Enjoy God's plan and design in the way He intended you to; and help your guy fight for you and your marriage by giving him some sweet rewards.
If it shouldn't be touched, it shouldn't be showed. If you hear NOTHING but this, hear this. One of the most helpful tips I keep in mind is this: If it would be wrong for a guy to touch a place on your body, then it is wrong for you to show it. THAT SIMPLE. I know some places, like say the knees, could be inappropriate for a guy to touch if he did it in a seductive way; but I mean if no matter the how it would just be wrong for the guy to reach out and touch it.
Men are sued all the time for inappropriately touching a woman. Imagine if the guys sued back?? Women are stimulated by touch. Men are stimulated by sight. If a guy touches a woman in a place that is other-wise stimulating, we take his money, job, and reputation. But women get away with showing what is other-wise stimulating ALL THE TIME and NOTHING is done except the theory "men are pigs with dirty minds". What a double-standard. How ridiculous! If it can't be touched, IT SHOULDN'T BE SHOWED. Ladies, what you are revealing should be able to be touched without feeling violated. Stop violating men.
~~~~~
In the Bible, we see examples of actually fleeing from sin, of Christian warriors giving up their rights so that they wouldn't cause another Christian to stumble, of taking the extra mile to be even farther away from the line and getting as close to purity as possible. Do we have that same drive today? Do we seek His glory ultimately? Do we seek to edify and help our Christian brothers? Or do we want to get away with as much as we possibly can.... to maintain OUR rights and seek OUR best. What motivates you when you get dressed?
Modest clothes+movement can = quite the revealing show. A lot of times I see a lot more than I want on a lady not necessarily because of what she's wearing, but because she bends, leans or stretches and the clothes flop out, pull down, etc. Some simple fixes: 1. If you lean over, use one hand to keep your shirt to your chest. 2. bend at the knees. 3. Body Tape- this stuff is AMAZING. For like $3 you can buy it at a fabric/craft store or @ Sally's Beauty Supplies. You stick one side to your skin and one side to your clothes, and you're good to go for the day without worrying about coming apart. 4. If you're wearing a skirt, remember when you cross your legs, do it carefully and keep your knees together as much as possible (maybe that seems a little 3rd gradish but I've had a quite a few occasions where I knew what underwear some ladies were wearing just because of their not being more careful in a skirt).
We are created in HIS image. Even though we have girly bodies, girls are made in His image too. What are you doing with His image? Are you protecting it, or violating it? Bearing this image of Christ means that we are an impression of Him to other people whether or not we are doing an accurate job. If God was a girl, what would He wear? Are we giving others a good impression of Him, or a distorted one?
Yes, it's hard. Trust me, I know how difficult and annoying it is- I usually shop in the teen department, where modesty is a foreign term. I know it's hard. Some days I'll change again and again because I think "neh, that's not gonna work..." Oh, it's hard. But isn't it about time more Christians determined to do something hard?
Adam and Eve knew their nakedness- so should we. There are just some things that are obviously over the line, and if they're not to you, they should be. I think we've been desensitized to the revealing of a women's body because we are bombarded with it in our culture every day. But that desensitization is not a good thing, and it's definitely not an excuse. For example: bikinis. I mean, really? How that is ever considered appropriate I will never understand. I have yet to see a bikini that doesn't pretty much draw the whole image of the body it's on without much use from the imagination at all.
Ask yourself: Would you feel comfortable wearing (fill-in-the-blank) in front of Jesus if He was a human man on earth again, or would you be seeking more cover like Adam and Eve did with God in the garden? We need to realize our nakedness.
God created beauty. It is NOT wrong to be attractive. It is NOT wrong to work on your appearance. God is the author of beauty! God loves beauty! He REVELS in it. Look at the sunsets HE made! He is NOT against beauty- He is for it. The problem is when beauty is tainted, cheapened, exploited, and worshipped.
Have a spirit of modesty. You could be the "modesty" queen of the year, but still not be modest. Modesty is more than skin, it's your heart. What attention are you seeking? How do you carry yourself? What consumes your concerns: if God's impressed with you, or if people are?
If you're married, be the most immodest chick for your man. There is a time and place for everything:) Remember, God made men's minds and women's bodies- and He did it for a reason! Enjoy God's plan and design in the way He intended you to; and help your guy fight for you and your marriage by giving him some sweet rewards.
If it shouldn't be touched, it shouldn't be showed. If you hear NOTHING but this, hear this. One of the most helpful tips I keep in mind is this: If it would be wrong for a guy to touch a place on your body, then it is wrong for you to show it. THAT SIMPLE. I know some places, like say the knees, could be inappropriate for a guy to touch if he did it in a seductive way; but I mean if no matter the how it would just be wrong for the guy to reach out and touch it.
Men are sued all the time for inappropriately touching a woman. Imagine if the guys sued back?? Women are stimulated by touch. Men are stimulated by sight. If a guy touches a woman in a place that is other-wise stimulating, we take his money, job, and reputation. But women get away with showing what is other-wise stimulating ALL THE TIME and NOTHING is done except the theory "men are pigs with dirty minds". What a double-standard. How ridiculous! If it can't be touched, IT SHOULDN'T BE SHOWED. Ladies, what you are revealing should be able to be touched without feeling violated. Stop violating men.
~~~~~
In the Bible, we see examples of actually fleeing from sin, of Christian warriors giving up their rights so that they wouldn't cause another Christian to stumble, of taking the extra mile to be even farther away from the line and getting as close to purity as possible. Do we have that same drive today? Do we seek His glory ultimately? Do we seek to edify and help our Christian brothers? Or do we want to get away with as much as we possibly can.... to maintain OUR rights and seek OUR best. What motivates you when you get dressed?
The Modesty Talk... gew. Part 3
I remember hating modesty talks. Camp and college was where I'd hear them. We'd have the day at camp that the boys were taken to the gym and the girls went to the chapel so that we could talk about boy/girl things without the opposite gender to be embarrassed in front of. Then at Bible college we'd have the once-a-semester talk in the dorm lounge.
I'm glad these people tried. Problem is, I don't think it was very affective. Ya see, when you're being told by a woman who's old, over-weight, fashionelss, and/or married (I mean this with zero offense, I'm just being honest) that modesty's important, it's hard to believe. It's hard to feel like she gets it. It's hard to feel like she knows what it's like. And here's why:
1. A girl telling me how guys think and what helps them? Really?
2. If she's married, she's getting the attention at least from someone.
3. If she's older/etc. it's hard to feel like she can really relate.
A lot of times I and others would leave these modesty talks feeling like modesty was something for another time and place and planet.
Then I heard a modesty talk from a guy. He was the dean of men at my Bible college, and when we showed up for the talk we knew we were gonna get, we were shocked to see him instead of the dean of women.
It sunk in. Sometimes it just has to come from the horse's mouth, ya know?
He held up some images that were only partly drawn, sometimes barely drawn at all. They were pictures of shapes and basic things. He would hold them for just a split second and then take them down and ask us what they were. We knew. "And that is just a taste of how guy's mind works," he said. *gulp*. He went on to explain that if we show even just some cleavage, midriff, etc. we start to draw a picture... and a guy's mind's tendency is to complete the picture. He asked us to stop starting drawing pictures that they have to fight to not complete.
Now, before you start going "Ew, guys are sick! What dirty minds.." get a grip and start realizing that GOD MADE THEM THAT WAY. America is such a hypocritical mess of letting and ENCOURAGING girls to be slutty sex-objects while being disgusted with the piggishness of men. GET A GRIP. Girls like the looks and glances, and if they don't, they shouldn't be showing it. Did you catch that? If you don't want a guy looking then STOP SHOWING.
Ok, now before I get accused of saying that guys' minds are just the way God made them and they're stuck on auto-pilot mental mode, doomed to fail, allow me to say that they should fight. If the challenge and temptation is there, for goodness sake's THEY need to fight. They can mature-up and learn to work at controlling their thought life. My problem is that godly men do this almost ALL THE TIME and of all people to step up and help them out it should be our Christian circles. I'm tired of us putting all the work on them. I'm not saying that it should be all the girls' or the guys' job- maybe we could actually both be working on this issue.
I'm not the horse's mouth, I know. But I have a few other reasons for choosing to blog about modesty. Jason, Dan, and Tim. My husband and my brothers. I'm tired of all the work, blame, and burden being on THEM. Ladies, it's time to step up and help husbands, brothers, fathers, pastors, etc. fight the battle. And if you don't think it's a valid battle, get a clue.
God made men's minds. And God made women's bodies. And God commands us to be pure. Let's all step up to that challenge, shall we? Sure, not everyone struggles to the same degree as others. And I'm not speaking for everyone. But I'm speaking for most. We don't know what each other's weaknesses are. But we can make educated guesses and use some basic principles. The next and last blog I will do on modesty will give some thoughts and principles to keep in mind to help fight the battle.
I'm glad these people tried. Problem is, I don't think it was very affective. Ya see, when you're being told by a woman who's old, over-weight, fashionelss, and/or married (I mean this with zero offense, I'm just being honest) that modesty's important, it's hard to believe. It's hard to feel like she gets it. It's hard to feel like she knows what it's like. And here's why:
1. A girl telling me how guys think and what helps them? Really?
2. If she's married, she's getting the attention at least from someone.
3. If she's older/etc. it's hard to feel like she can really relate.
A lot of times I and others would leave these modesty talks feeling like modesty was something for another time and place and planet.
Then I heard a modesty talk from a guy. He was the dean of men at my Bible college, and when we showed up for the talk we knew we were gonna get, we were shocked to see him instead of the dean of women.
It sunk in. Sometimes it just has to come from the horse's mouth, ya know?
He held up some images that were only partly drawn, sometimes barely drawn at all. They were pictures of shapes and basic things. He would hold them for just a split second and then take them down and ask us what they were. We knew. "And that is just a taste of how guy's mind works," he said. *gulp*. He went on to explain that if we show even just some cleavage, midriff, etc. we start to draw a picture... and a guy's mind's tendency is to complete the picture. He asked us to stop starting drawing pictures that they have to fight to not complete.
Now, before you start going "Ew, guys are sick! What dirty minds.." get a grip and start realizing that GOD MADE THEM THAT WAY. America is such a hypocritical mess of letting and ENCOURAGING girls to be slutty sex-objects while being disgusted with the piggishness of men. GET A GRIP. Girls like the looks and glances, and if they don't, they shouldn't be showing it. Did you catch that? If you don't want a guy looking then STOP SHOWING.
Ok, now before I get accused of saying that guys' minds are just the way God made them and they're stuck on auto-pilot mental mode, doomed to fail, allow me to say that they should fight. If the challenge and temptation is there, for goodness sake's THEY need to fight. They can mature-up and learn to work at controlling their thought life. My problem is that godly men do this almost ALL THE TIME and of all people to step up and help them out it should be our Christian circles. I'm tired of us putting all the work on them. I'm not saying that it should be all the girls' or the guys' job- maybe we could actually both be working on this issue.
I'm not the horse's mouth, I know. But I have a few other reasons for choosing to blog about modesty. Jason, Dan, and Tim. My husband and my brothers. I'm tired of all the work, blame, and burden being on THEM. Ladies, it's time to step up and help husbands, brothers, fathers, pastors, etc. fight the battle. And if you don't think it's a valid battle, get a clue.
God made men's minds. And God made women's bodies. And God commands us to be pure. Let's all step up to that challenge, shall we? Sure, not everyone struggles to the same degree as others. And I'm not speaking for everyone. But I'm speaking for most. We don't know what each other's weaknesses are. But we can make educated guesses and use some basic principles. The next and last blog I will do on modesty will give some thoughts and principles to keep in mind to help fight the battle.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
