Are these celebrities confusing true feminine beauty with the worlds, pop-culture definition of female beauty and sensuality? As a Christian woman, I believe that God made the female body to be loved, adored and desired but not where we women lower our value, self-worth and image all to get the attention of a man. Please DO NOT get me wrong, I am in no wise against being sensual and sexual in the proper context. I know that both have their proper place, but what concerns me is that many young girls and women are diving into a false, pop-culture definition of sensuality and sexuality without first knowing what God defines as true female beauty.
Leslie Judy, as bestselling author and speaker sums it up perfectly. She states:
"How beautiful are the arms, which have embraced Christ-the eyes which have gazed upon Christ, the lips which have spoken with Christ, the feet which have followed Christ. How beautiful are the hands which have worked the works of Christ, the feet which are treading in His footsteps have gone about doing good, the lips which have spread abroad His Name, the lives which have been counted for Him.(Christina Rosetti 1880). True beauty, in a nutshell, is found in a soul completely surrendered to Jesus Christ, a heart consumed by Him alone, and a life eagerly poured out for His sake. That is when our lives will sparkle with lasting feminine loveliness. That is when we will trade the counterfeit beauty of pop-culture for a beauty that stands out among other women like a lily among thorns. (Song of Solomon 2:4)"
On today's episode of Bethany, recording artist Keisha Cole was a guest and she, like Beyonce and many other female stars was talking about how she has come to a place where she is "owning her sexuality." I truly do love Keisha Cole. She seems like a down to earth female, but it just concerns me when women make that blanket statement without explaining it. She, as well as Beyonce and some of the other females making these statements are married, and it is wonderful to feel free to express their physical love and desire with their mates. But not all the women hearing this catch phrase are married nor are they in the mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual position to handle all that comes with "sensuality" in today's terms.
If I had to give one piece of advice to young girls, young boys and single folk, it would be; Stop giving your bodies away sexually! That does not make you a true woman! Don't believe the lies the world is constantly bombarding us with! (I know I will probably get a lot of emails about my stance because it goes against society's view,s but believe me, I know first hand the mental, physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual affects sexual promiscuity has on a person). That is why it makes me cringe when I hear these women say they are in touch with their sexuality. That statement is too open and leaves one to fill in the blanks, and unfortunately most will fill the blanks in thinking they have to dress half naked, do whatever their flesh tells them without taking into consideration the impact it can have on a persons soul. These words by Leslie Judy sum up my thoughts, feelings and personal experience completely:
"Instead of pursuing the purity, radiance and selfless nobility of a
Christ-centered woman, I began pursuing the sensual standard of
pop-culture, I traded in my pursuit of true feminine
beauty for the cheap counterfeit presented by society. The result was a
season of misery; throwing myself at guy after guy, only to be used and
carelessly discarded; tossing dignity and modesty to the wind and
flaunting my body everywhere I went; exchanging wholesome conversation
for profanity and crudeness; ignoring the needs of others and adopting
an attitude of selfishness and rebellion; filling my mind and heart with
the perverted images of Hollywood and the media. Of course, since I was
a Christian, I put limits around how far I let these things go in my
life. I always made sure I was a step or two ahead of my secular peers
when it came to morality, but that didn’t keep me from being steeped in
compromise.
From the world’s perspective, I was on the right track to becoming a
desirable young woman; a woman that had forsaken the archaic,
restrictive, old-fashioned ideals about feminine modesty and dignity and
embraced the “empowerment” of a self-focused, sensual existence. But a
couple of years into this pattern, I finally recognized how empty my
life was. I had male attention-but it only led to one broken heart after
the next. I had a measure of sensual beauty-but it only made me feel
like a sex object. I had social status and popularity-but it made me
feel fake and shallow. I had parties and entertainment-but they made me
feel slimed and dirty.
When I pondered how far I’d strayed from God’s pattern and intent for
true feminine beauty, I felt heavy with regret. Could my femininity ever
be restored after I had spent years throwing it to the wind?
One night I knelt beside my bed, tears of remorse streaming down my
cheeks. “God,” I prayed, “Forgive me for allowing my femininity to
become so twisted. Restore me and shape me into the kind of girl You
designed me to be. Cleanse me from the filth of the world and make me
new.”
God faithfully and lovingly answered that prayer.
During the next season of my life, He began to open my eyes to His
pattern for true feminine beauty. And here is what I learned:
True beauty does not depend upon clothes, makeup, or malls. It does not
come from perfect skin or an ideal figure. It’s not found in the advice
of modern magazines. It can’t be seen in the glitz and glamour of
Hollywood."
Article originally posted at GirlsGoneWise.com in August 2009. Copyright (c) Leslie Ludy.I love beauty and think that the female body truly is a work of art, but I also believe in certain limits and paramaters to function in as a Christian woman.
Be Blessed,
Angela
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Your Comments are Welcome!