A good friend of mine, who has a similar type of blog, and I decided it would be a good idea to collaborate on a blog post. We then decided the issue of objectification of women would be a great subject to both write a blog post about. That way readers could read about the subject from both a women's point of view and from a man's point of view. To read about the issue of objectification from a women's point of view go and read What Do We Believe is Beautiful? - Collab with Profoundnessity from her blog Love Of Mine.
As you know our world and society today is pretty messed up. Its not that these problems are anything new though, they started when sin entered the world. One of the problems I have thought about lately is how much men and society objectifies women in such a manner that they are more for pleasure and sexual desires than children of God.
I have recently realized how objectifying it is when guys talk about "getting girls." That really makes it seem like girls are just something to be acquired. In addition, what you are around all day, every day doesn't help that mindset to diminish. Tv shows show you that the epitome of a relationship is some physical contact. Music talks about the glamor and pleasures of a relationship with someone special. These are only two contributing examples, but they are partially what cause society to develop a mindset of objectification.
Do we blame the women for how they act and dress? Is what they are doing making us objectify them? The answer is usually yes, but should really be no.
116 Clique - Temptation
Sex is a gift from God but we've taken it and made it idolatry
We've taken it and put it in the place of God
And we worship it and so it comes out in all kinds of profane ways
And so we blame the women for what they're wearing
And we blame the media for what they're producing
But we never blame ourselves For how we've twisted God's gift to glorify us
Don't you think its pretty hypocritical of us men to be the ones pushing women to wear less clothing and act in sexual manners, but then we blame them for the problem we are encouraging to develop. Women wouldn't be wearing less and less clothing if us men didn't say we like it and give them attention for it. So we unknowingly pressure women to put themselves out there for us to "view" and therefore have caused the act of objectifying women.
Understand that it is not the world that is causing these problems and objectification. We are the ones who live on this earth, influence culture, and shape society. We are the ones who have warped the views and ideas built around sexuality and what it should be. Will we work on fixing the problems of objectifying women, or will we just point our fingers at everyone else, saying they are the ones who objectify?
When we as men objectify women we view them as an object, an object of use for pleasure and excitement. Women are not food. We don't use them to fulfill our hunger and then discard of them as if they have become waste. Women are made in God's image, they are made in the likeness of God. Women were made not to glorify and please us, but women are made to glorify God, the one who deserves all glory and honor.
As men we should stand against the warped ideas, practices, and views of women. When we look at women just to look at their beauty we are not loving them, but degrading them. Women are not objects of use, but God's daughters. We should profoundly treat them as daughters of God, with respect and Christ like love, not as objects for us to use.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Speaking Truth
For as long as I can remember I have always held telling the truth very high. I don't care if its a "white lie", cheating on a test, or bending the truth its still a lie.
James 5:12
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
There are times when I have overheard my friends talking about something. Due to the seriousness of what they said or were agreeing to, they had to swear by something for the other to believe the earnestness of the other person's words.
Whenever a friend of mine has asked me if I swear I'm telling the truth I have always have been hesitant or disagreed to. Since I have always tried to tell the truth I never understood why they would need extra confirmation. I think that is in a way what James is talking about. If we always try as best as we can to speak truth all the time we will never have to swear by anything to express our sincereness.
If we say that we speak truth, but indeed do not we are essentially taking away the validity of what we say is true. If our truth is not true how do know what is right and true? Our yes should mean yes and when we say no should mean no.
Not only is lying a sin, but when what you say isn't truth, how can anyone ever believe you? See lying is a big deal. "It doesn't matter if its just a "white lie" or bending of the truth" is a lie itself. It is important that others can trust what we say. If what we say isn't always true, why would others believe us when we say that Jesus died for them? We should strive to always be profoundly truthful so that we do not have to swear by anything to express our answers.
James 5:12
Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned.
There are times when I have overheard my friends talking about something. Due to the seriousness of what they said or were agreeing to, they had to swear by something for the other to believe the earnestness of the other person's words.
Whenever a friend of mine has asked me if I swear I'm telling the truth I have always have been hesitant or disagreed to. Since I have always tried to tell the truth I never understood why they would need extra confirmation. I think that is in a way what James is talking about. If we always try as best as we can to speak truth all the time we will never have to swear by anything to express our sincereness.
If we say that we speak truth, but indeed do not we are essentially taking away the validity of what we say is true. If our truth is not true how do know what is right and true? Our yes should mean yes and when we say no should mean no.
Not only is lying a sin, but when what you say isn't truth, how can anyone ever believe you? See lying is a big deal. "It doesn't matter if its just a "white lie" or bending of the truth" is a lie itself. It is important that others can trust what we say. If what we say isn't always true, why would others believe us when we say that Jesus died for them? We should strive to always be profoundly truthful so that we do not have to swear by anything to express our answers.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Beauty That Glorifies {Pt. II}
So one night I was out snowboarding down our road. I was out there in the dark, in the cold, in the wind, the snow was blowing and it was bouncing off my face. It was amazing. When I looked around me I saw so much beauty.
Being in the middle of a winter storm has a way of making you feel really small. So I then started to contemplate how big the world is. To answer that question, it is big. I stood there in the middle of the storm and thought I'm really small. I am a small creature on this earth!
We don't think like that. We are always thinking we are the greatest because we have been able to make this, figure this out, and cure this or whatever. We made machines that transport us to other places easily and we have put a man on the moon, but when it comes down to it we aren't that great. Yes, we are made in God's image, but we messed up, we brought sin into the world. By our own work we haven't done anything of value, its only because of God's help that we can do anything.
We shouldn't be afraid to go out there and put ourselves into positions where we must trust in God's love and care. I'm not saying that we should go do something stupid, but instead learn to trust God in times of trouble when we can't do anything by ourselves.
Being in the middle of the storm reminds me of how big the world we live on is and how much bigger is the God that created it all. Even though God is so big and much greater than us He still sacrificed Himself for us because of love. When we are in the middle of a storm (trouble) and see that we have no control over it, God still does. If we then decide to trust Him in that storm, He is the one who gets the glory when the storm is calmed. The profound beauty of storms or troubles is that they Glorify God because of the work He does in and with them.
Being in the middle of a winter storm has a way of making you feel really small. So I then started to contemplate how big the world is. To answer that question, it is big. I stood there in the middle of the storm and thought I'm really small. I am a small creature on this earth!
We don't think like that. We are always thinking we are the greatest because we have been able to make this, figure this out, and cure this or whatever. We made machines that transport us to other places easily and we have put a man on the moon, but when it comes down to it we aren't that great. Yes, we are made in God's image, but we messed up, we brought sin into the world. By our own work we haven't done anything of value, its only because of God's help that we can do anything.
We shouldn't be afraid to go out there and put ourselves into positions where we must trust in God's love and care. I'm not saying that we should go do something stupid, but instead learn to trust God in times of trouble when we can't do anything by ourselves.
Being in the middle of the storm reminds me of how big the world we live on is and how much bigger is the God that created it all. Even though God is so big and much greater than us He still sacrificed Himself for us because of love. When we are in the middle of a storm (trouble) and see that we have no control over it, God still does. If we then decide to trust Him in that storm, He is the one who gets the glory when the storm is calmed. The profound beauty of storms or troubles is that they Glorify God because of the work He does in and with them.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Beauty That Glorifies {Pt. I}
Over the past few months I have really realized how amazing the sky looks. Often I look outside or after getting out of the car look up and am amazed by what I see. Yes, there are many other examples of the amazing world we live on that was made by God, but the sky is one of things that has been really amazing me.
Here are some photos I took just to give you some sort of example, but to be honest even a good picture isn't at all the same.
To me the sky is really cool because its so big, so vast, and you see so much of it. Sometimes though we probably don't see its beauty because of our busy lives or our tendency to think I've seen that before. Now days we think so much about what is fresh, intense, and just crazy. We always look to what is new and fail to realize that just because we have seen it before doesn't reduce its incredibleness.
The beauty and vastness of the sky reminds me of how big God is and how amazing are the things that He has made. Maybe the sky isn't that amazing to you, but I'm sure there is something that God has made that you find very beautiful. When you see that thing that God has made, let it remind you of Him and His vast greatness.
There are many amazing things that God has made. We should profoundly realize that those things that were made by God, are a reflection of who He is and how great He is. God is great and what He made was very good. The beautiful sky has a beauty that glorifies God because it was made by Him and displays His greatness. In the same way we were made beautiful in His own image and we should display His greatness.
Here are some photos I took just to give you some sort of example, but to be honest even a good picture isn't at all the same.
To me the sky is really cool because its so big, so vast, and you see so much of it. Sometimes though we probably don't see its beauty because of our busy lives or our tendency to think I've seen that before. Now days we think so much about what is fresh, intense, and just crazy. We always look to what is new and fail to realize that just because we have seen it before doesn't reduce its incredibleness.
The beauty and vastness of the sky reminds me of how big God is and how amazing are the things that He has made. Maybe the sky isn't that amazing to you, but I'm sure there is something that God has made that you find very beautiful. When you see that thing that God has made, let it remind you of Him and His vast greatness.
There are many amazing things that God has made. We should profoundly realize that those things that were made by God, are a reflection of who He is and how great He is. God is great and what He made was very good. The beautiful sky has a beauty that glorifies God because it was made by Him and displays His greatness. In the same way we were made beautiful in His own image and we should display His greatness.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Praising and Cursing
One Sunday morning in sunday school we were discussing the taming of the tongue and reading James 3. Two of the verses stuck out to me.
James 3:9-10
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
These verses made me think of a phrase that is no longer commonly used, but I thought greatly pertained.
Do you kiss your mom with that mouth?
The phrase as you probably know is used as a reprimand to one who has said something reproachful. In other words, Do you kiss your mom with the same mouth that those distasteful words just came out of? That question and the verses in James bring me to create the question, Do you praise God with the same mouth that you use to bring down a fellow human being, even though of God's image he be?
James 3 clearly explains how powerful our words are whether they speak truth or not. Do our words speak truth and life? If we are living for God do the words we say glorify Him? If we truly desire to be more like Christ are our words pointing others to the Father?
How often do we talk negatively about someone? Do we really praise God with those lips one minute and another minute speak scorn of His creation? We should profoundly realize that our mouth should not one minute praise God the Father and creator of everything and then the next curse the very thing He made in His likeness.
James 3:9-10
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.
These verses made me think of a phrase that is no longer commonly used, but I thought greatly pertained.
Do you kiss your mom with that mouth?
The phrase as you probably know is used as a reprimand to one who has said something reproachful. In other words, Do you kiss your mom with the same mouth that those distasteful words just came out of? That question and the verses in James bring me to create the question, Do you praise God with the same mouth that you use to bring down a fellow human being, even though of God's image he be?
James 3 clearly explains how powerful our words are whether they speak truth or not. Do our words speak truth and life? If we are living for God do the words we say glorify Him? If we truly desire to be more like Christ are our words pointing others to the Father?
How often do we talk negatively about someone? Do we really praise God with those lips one minute and another minute speak scorn of His creation? We should profoundly realize that our mouth should not one minute praise God the Father and creator of everything and then the next curse the very thing He made in His likeness.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Verseinsanity III
Once again I have decided its time to make another Verseinsanity post. For those of you who don't know what that is it is basically a post that showcases some verses I think are quite meaningful and good to remember, instead of my own thoughts.
Matthew 5:1-12 - The Beatitudes
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
When I look at all of these verses I see a lot of things for me to work on. If you see the same thing, my suggestion to you would be to spend time in prayer with God and ask Him to show you what things listed in these verses He wants you to work on. Then if you ask Him to help you to be able to become the peacemaker, the merciful, more gentle, more forgiving, or whatever you need to work on He will hear your prayer and help you.
If you want to see my other verseinsanity posts here are the links. Versinsanity and Verseinsanity II
Matthew 5:1-12 - The Beatitudes
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Galatians 5:22-23 - The fruits of the spirit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Ephesians 4:32
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
When I look at all of these verses I see a lot of things for me to work on. If you see the same thing, my suggestion to you would be to spend time in prayer with God and ask Him to show you what things listed in these verses He wants you to work on. Then if you ask Him to help you to be able to become the peacemaker, the merciful, more gentle, more forgiving, or whatever you need to work on He will hear your prayer and help you.
If you want to see my other verseinsanity posts here are the links. Versinsanity and Verseinsanity II
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Sin Is Worthless
A while ago I was trying to write lyrics to a song I was making with my friend, but I'm not very good at writing lyrics. We ended up throwing away my attempt. However, there was one line I wrote that I liked the concept of.
Sin is like a bad check.
If you understand how a bad check works you know that its when the person who wrote the check doesn't have enough funds to be able to pay you even though they wrote on the paper that said they would have the money. Sin is in a way a lot the same, sin seams good and looks like it has worth until you find out it was just Satan lying to you saying it has worth.
For instance, I'm pretty sure most if not all of us has that side of us that enjoys sin. Seriously, we often think sin feels good. We can get away with things we shouldn't, can acquire things we couldn't, and it makes us feel good because we are cheating the system.
However, when you really look at the sins you commit do you see worth? Or is it just like a piece of paper with a lie written on it? Sin may look enticing, but in reality when you go to "deposit" it in reality sin won't get you anything of worth. Sin won't get you love, joy, hope, peace, generosity, real wealth, or life. We so often want to get those things, but they cannot be acquired by mere acts of the devil's schemes. The only way we are able to get love, joy, hope, peace, generosity, real wealth, and life is by following and trusting in the one without sin to grant us those things in time.
We should realise how pointless and worthless our sin is. Do those little "white" lies get us any closer to where we want to be in life?
Sin is like a bad check, it looks good on the outside, but when its real worth is exposed its just a piece of paper with writing on it you can't trade for anything of worth, or in the case of sin its worthless. Sometimes the hardest thing for us to see is that there are some things in life we do that we should profoundly realize are worthless. Only until you see the problem can you address it.
Sin is like a bad check.
If you understand how a bad check works you know that its when the person who wrote the check doesn't have enough funds to be able to pay you even though they wrote on the paper that said they would have the money. Sin is in a way a lot the same, sin seams good and looks like it has worth until you find out it was just Satan lying to you saying it has worth.
For instance, I'm pretty sure most if not all of us has that side of us that enjoys sin. Seriously, we often think sin feels good. We can get away with things we shouldn't, can acquire things we couldn't, and it makes us feel good because we are cheating the system.
However, when you really look at the sins you commit do you see worth? Or is it just like a piece of paper with a lie written on it? Sin may look enticing, but in reality when you go to "deposit" it in reality sin won't get you anything of worth. Sin won't get you love, joy, hope, peace, generosity, real wealth, or life. We so often want to get those things, but they cannot be acquired by mere acts of the devil's schemes. The only way we are able to get love, joy, hope, peace, generosity, real wealth, and life is by following and trusting in the one without sin to grant us those things in time.
We should realise how pointless and worthless our sin is. Do those little "white" lies get us any closer to where we want to be in life?
Sin is like a bad check, it looks good on the outside, but when its real worth is exposed its just a piece of paper with writing on it you can't trade for anything of worth, or in the case of sin its worthless. Sometimes the hardest thing for us to see is that there are some things in life we do that we should profoundly realize are worthless. Only until you see the problem can you address it.
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