All of the "titles" of my blog posts have some significance and usually reveal (in some way, shape, or form) what my topic will be about. This is no different, and while I won't reveal what that is (then you might not want to read it) I will tell you that it comes from the song "Beautiful Love" by The Afters from their CD I Wish we all Could Win. Not that my usual music plug is done (what can I say I LOVE music) let's get on with our discussion.
In life many men struggle with our treatment of our brothers in Christ, and really struggle with our treatment of our sisters in Christ. Now why is this? What makes us think that we have to be "manly" around our fellow guys, and treat our sisters terribly and as only objects? Is it pride? Is it lust? Is it that we are truly just bad people and disrespectful? I like to believe that its not that last one. I don't think any one thing can be considered the "reason" that we act the way we do around different sexes. Unfortunately society has embedded this into our heads and it comes out.
In the bible Christ calls us to more. To be "manly" is not what Christ worries about. In my experiences what it means to be a Christian man is to treat others as they would want to be treated. We are called to show unconventional love to everybody (man and woman) just as Christ showed the ultimate love to us. We need to be raising each other up, not tearing each other down. This all starts within yourself. It can be small things, such as not laughing at crude jokes, not giving into temptation and peer pressure to fight or comment on others (again male and female) and to just treat everybody as equals. The bible says that "A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps" (Proverbs 16:9). We can plan our way all we want, but it is through God that we take those steps. If you ask God to help you with these struggles he will direct your steps the right way and never let you down.
Now the other struggle (some what covered above) is the struggle for Men with their treatment of Women. Society instills a sense of treating women like objects of lust and for our own sexual desires. Society tells us to judge our sisters on the basis of looks and instills the "perfect" woman in our minds. Guys this is not what we should be doing. Truly our sisters in Christ are the greatest gift God ever gave to us. They are our companions and understand things about us that we don't even understand. God gave Adam the gift of Eve my taking one of his ribs and building her up. The bible tells us that: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:28). We are all one in Christ. We are no better than our female counterparts, and they no better than us. We are equal. So why is it that we treat each other as naught? We should be treating our female friends as princesses and showing the respect and love we have for them. They are a gift from God and are our equals.
Now nobody said this was going to be easy. Its not easy to stand up to your friends and say "You know what the way your treated so and so was wrong and I don't appreciate it." It is even hard to go up to that person that may have been disrespected (whether male or female) and tell them that you are sorry for the way that your friend treated them or said the things they said. A true friend would be there with you helping you to stand up and helping you not be in those positions. "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another" (Proverbs 27:17). We need to be encouragement for each other and help lift each other up and stand by each other through life's trials and demands. Be the iron to your friends, and let them be the iron to you. Blessings on your week and on your faith journeys. One love, one heart, one God.
