Monday, January 15, 2007

An Unsaved Princess

  • Posted by Hannah at 5:20 PM
Once upon a time, a girl named Rapunzel was held captive in a tall stone tower. She then lived happily ever after. The end.

Yes, it is a pathetic story. I doubt you will ever find it on the New York Times Bestsellers list. Honestly, who cares about Rapunzel without rescuer? Who would be interested in a Cinderella with no prince to find her glass slipper? No one ever cares about stories involving princesses and frogs, unless of course the frog turns into a prince…now that story has possibilities.

An article from the Seattle Weekly reported that the “Unsaved Princess” syndrome has slipped into real life as well:
“I did a careful reading of the fall issues of the following publications: Cosmo Girl, Jump, Seventeen, and YM (Young and Modern.) The conclusion I came to was this: The boy-crazy American Girl is alive and well. She's never felt better….Girls need boys, boys are the be-all and end-all, and mind-numbing boy craziness is a natural state….Throughout these pages girls engage in the old game of he-loves-me, he-loves-me-not. They moon around about prom night. They crave Prince Charming so deeply it's making them psycho. A headline in Cosmo Girl reads 'No Guys Ever Like Me, So Now What?'"

Even in circles in which dating is not the focus, often unless the ring finger is no longer bare, life has not yet begun. A girl does not live until Prince Charming sweeps her off her feet. But as the clock ticks on, one must wonder if God has something in mind for modern day Rapunzels besides twiddling their thumbs.

Ephesians 5:25-30, 32 lets us in on a secret:

"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that He might present the Church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it....This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the Church."
Husbands and wives are but echoes of Jesus' love for the Church. As a husband is commanded to love his wife as his own body, Jesus loved us by giving His body over to death for us.

Marriage reflects love. Jesus defined it.

As the modern Rapunzel's thoughts dwell around her coming prince, she may miss the One, True King of her soul. He stands at this moment, beckoning for her to come away with Him. He cares for her with a unconditional, selfless love that no other prince could rival.

Days pass to months, and the clock ticks on. Rapunzel is still in her tower, but she is no longer wasting time. She is falling in love, not with the prince who has yet to save her, but with the King who has already saved her soul. She is living today, not waiting for "someday."

May it be the same for us. As C.H. Spurgeon wrote, "The truest lengthening of life is to live while we live, wasting no time but using every hour for the highest ends. So be it this day."


Sources:
Article. Emily White, "Girls who love boys," Seattle Weekly, August 23, 2000
Spurgeon quote from Faith's Checkbook entry for June 22

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Friday, May 26, 2006

Don't Believe in Yourself

A re-post from November 28, 2005.

It is not uncommon for people to struggle with insecurity and knowing who they are. A popular "cure" to this insecurity is to, "Believe in yourself,"and "Believe that you can do it." But is this advice something Christians should follow?

It is evident that some Christians are following it. A question was sent to Christian psychologist, Dr. James Dobson, asking, "How can parents prepare their younger children for the assault on self-esteem that is almost certain to come in adolescence? That was a tough time for me, and I want it to be easier for my kids."

Dr. Dobson, a psychologist who is lauded in some circles for his superb "Christian psychological advice" answered with this:

"Well, one important approach is to teach boys and girls valuable skills with which they can compensate in years to come. They can benefit from learning something that will serve as the centerpiece of their self-concept during the difficult years.This would include learning about basketball, tennis, electronics, art, music, or even raising rabbits for fun and profit. It's not so much what you teach your child. The key is that he or she learns something with which to feel good when the whole world seems to be saying, 'Who are you and what is your significance as a human being?'The teenager who has no answer to those questions is left unprotected at a very vulnerable time of life. Developing and honing skills with which to compensate may be one of the most valuable contributions parents can make during the elementary school years. It may even be worth requiring your carefree kid to take lessons, practice, compete and learn something he or she will not fully appreciate for a few more years."

By saying that teens should derive their self esteem from their own talents, knowledge, and abilities, Dr. Dobson seems to be echoing the "Believe in yourself" philosophy. But is this thinking biblical or does it come from secular philosophy?

Secular Humanism, according to the Greek philosopher Protagoras, is a belief that basically states that "man is the measure of all things." Man is considered completely autonomous and self sufficient. Reason, truth, and morality are all dependent on what man decides it to be, for he is "the measure of truth." Following that line of thinking, if a man believes that he can accomplish something (i.e. "Believes in himself") then he can, for man himself decides what is truth. This is directly contrary to the Bible, which not only shows man governed by God, but also reveals man's worthlessness apart from Him.

Abraham revealed the state of all men when he plainly stated, "I am nothing but dust and ashes..." (Gen. 18:27) Likewise, David said, "Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow." (Psalm 144:4) The Preacher of Ecclesiastes says that man's persuits are futile and without value. "I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind." (Ecclessiastes 1:14) With these verses in mind, saying that men should search for their value within is merely the indulgence of pride and folly, for, according to the Bible, man's own merit in and of himself equals zero.

Though man is worth nothing by himself, he has become of unmeasurable value because he is unmeasurably precious to God. God loved man, in spite of man's sinfulness. He sent His Son to take the punishment for sin in our stead, so that we might live. (John 3:16, Romans 6:23) When a person can rest secure in God's value of them, they will no longer need a high esteem of their own talents and knowledge.

Belief in one's own abilities should be called by its rightful name: pride. The encouragement of the belief in one's own abilities is the encouragement of pride, which is sin and leads to destruction.

With all of that said, this whole post could be quickly summed up in the following words: Do not believe in yourself. Believe in God.

Posted by Hannah Beth

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Monday, May 22, 2006

Death or Life: The Power of the Tongue

Have you ever said something, and afterwards immediately wished you could take it back? You know the feeling. All of a sudden, your mind panics—Did I actually just say that?

Not too long ago, I said something inconsiderate to my sister. Seeing that my thoughtless words had wounded her, I thought frantically, "Edit, Undo, Edit, Undo" as though I could simply reverse my words with two clicks of the mouse. Although my initial reaction was somewhat amusing, the truth behind it is not. Unlike a Microsoft Word document, our words cannot be taken back.

Proverbs is full of wisdom regarding our speech. Descriptive metaphors are given to describe the power of our words. In Proverbs 12:18, our words are compared to either “sword thrusts” or “healing”, and Proverbs 18: 21 says that “death and life are in the power of the tongue.” What a picture.

Have you ever heard the saying,“Sticks and stones can hurt my bones, but words will never harm me"? Nothing could be more false. A cruel remark can be just as painful and humiliating as a physical slap on the face! The Bible says that our words can be used to tear each other down, or to build each other up in the Lord. In Ephesians 4:29, we are instructed: “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” The purpose for all our words should only be for building each other up, and giving grace to the hearer.

Restraining Our Words
Proverbs 17:27-28: "Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent."

The apostle Peter liked to talk. He was usually the first disciple to speak up and ask questions, or to reply when a question was asked. He was impulsive, rash, and often spoke before he thought. In fact, John MacArthur refers to Peter as "the disciple with the foot-shaped mouth". But the Lord worked in Peter's heart. In the books of 1 & 2 Peter, Peter himself wrote about self-control, humility, and restraining our tongues. 1 Peter 3:9 says, "Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." When you're tempted to say something thoughtless, remember this verse— and reply with kindness instead.

Learning how to restrain our words is a difficult task— and one that can only be done with the help of the Lord. Thoughtless remarks slip so easily from our lips, only to be regretted the next moment. Proverbs 10:19 warns, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” We girls love to talk, but we need to consider our words very carefully. “Think before you speak” is advice that I have found very helpful, especially when frustrated or angry.

Most importantly, we need to remember to pray. God will give us the strength and self-control that we need to restrain our tongues. Jesus promised in John 14:13, "Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." Christ was saying that He will give us anything we ask for that is within His will. And it is certainly God's will for us to have godly, encouraging speech.

Matthew 12:36: "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken."
Posted by Lindsey

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