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Posts Tagged ‘woman’

Abortion: “Safe, legal & rare”

Posted in Biblical manhood & womanhood, Culture Shifts, Faith & Practice, Life issues, tagged abortion, choices, health, hope, man, mentoring, Planned Parenthood, rebelliousness, sexual freedom, sexuality, teens, woman, women's health on May 2, 2011| 1 Comment »

Not many people I know like abortion. Those who support it as a “choice” or “right” claim they want to make abortion “safe, legal, and rare.” Seems to me they’ve failed with two of their three goals.

They’ve failed to make abortion “safe.” Planned Parenthood, Dr. Leroy Carhart and other abortion providers have certainly not made abortion any safer than it was when so-called “back-alley” abortions were performed. Abortion is, after all, either a surgery or chemical. The littlest person involved is always sacrificed by way of death. I fear women are sacrificed as well, some dying and many others placed at risk emotionally and/or spiritually.

They’ve failed to make abortion “rare.” Planned Parenthood and other so-called “health clinics” that promote sexual intimacy among teens are certainly not making abortion rare. Doubt me? Visit TeenWire, Planned Parenthood’s site for teens, and come to your own conclusion. Do you think the message of “do whatever feels right” would decrease or increase not only abortion but sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, and AIDS? Set young people up for a fall? Create a self-perpetuating business… for certain federally-funded “women’s health clinics”?

Ahhh… but Planned Parenthood and their associates in business have certainly been successful in making abortion legal. But, who stands to gain? Who loses?

I don’t subscribe to the belief that women need abortion to bring some “control” to their lives. The highest percentage of women who become pregnant choose to engage in the procreational act of sex. Nor do I subscribe to the mantra that “teens are going to do ‘it’ anyway, so let’s make it safe.” This is foolishness! What school principal would inform students how to steal without getting caught? Binge eat and purge? Drink, do drugs, or smoke responsibly?

I believe each person is of great value in God’s sight; therefore, deserving of my protection and honest words of warning. Contrary to what Margaret Sanger and Alfred Kinsey believed, human beings are capable of self-restraint. We don’t have to be ruled by emotions and desires. We aren’t, after all, made in the image of animals. We are capable of thinking. Reasoning. Dreaming. Building relationships. Serving others. Bearing burdens. Preparing for the future. Being patient. And making choices that lead away from despair and, instead, toward hope.

I choose life over death. Therefore, I choose not to send boys and girls out into the street to play or herd them toward the edge of a cliff, but instead, stand in their way saying “No!” “Stop!” “Turn around!” I choose not to help them find holes in protective fences, but instead, repair the broken gate.

I choose not to squelch the natural rebelliousness of youth, but to use it to resist everything that is wrong in this world. Including Planned Parenthood.

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Who Is My Neighbor?

Posted in Culture Shifts, Faith & Practice, Life issues, Relationships, Vocation, tagged AIDS, change, community, hope, inconvenience, Jesus Christ, man, neighbor, respect, unborn, woman on April 21, 2011| Leave a Comment »

A man once asked Jesus, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” This man, who spent his days studying the Law, was testing Jesus. Jesus answered, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” The man responded, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live” (Luke 10:25-29).

But, then the man asked another question. “Who is my neighbor?” Was the man implying that some people might not be his neighbor? Do we think that some people might not be our neighbors?

The Greek root of the word neighbor means “nearby, close.” It means “whoever happens to be nearby or close at hand” (The Lutheran Study Bible, commentary on Luke 10:29). But, do we too often fail to see a stranger as our neighbor because we are prejudiced? Threatened? Inconvenienced? Selfish? Lacking compassion?

To help the man recognize his neighbor, Jesus told the Parable of the Good Samaritan. A priest and a Levite passed by a fallen, injured man. Only the Samaritan risked his own life and showed mercy to his fallen “neighbor.” It is one thing to speak of doing the right thing. It is another to actually do the right thing. As Christians, we are challenged to put right thinking into right practice.

Who is my neighbor? Is it someone in prison? Is it someone of a different culture or color? Is it a pregnant teen? Is it an unborn child? Is it someone with AIDS? Is it someone who enters my life at an inconvenient time? Is it someone whose worldview differs from mine? What difference would be made in my community if I saw — if we all saw — everyone as “my neighbor”? If I — we — served everyone as “my neighbor”?

Jesus told the man to be like the Good Samaritan, but this reminded the man of how far he was from being what God wanted him to be. The same is true for me. For all of us. For this reason, I turn to the Cross on Good Friday to remember what Jesus did for me — for the whole world. Jesus saw my desperate situation — how far I am from being what God wants me to be — and became the Good Samaritan. He laid down His life for me. For the world.

He laid down His life for me. He paid the only sacrifice needed. Now He asks that I have mercy on my neighbor… all of them.

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What Does “Controlling Our Own Bodies” Mean?

Posted in Biblical manhood & womanhood, Faith & Practice, Life issues, Relationships, tagged abortion, control, feminism, logic, rights, woman on April 16, 2011| Leave a Comment »

“Ohhhh… he made me feel so good. One thing led to another. I couldn’t control myself. It happened…

(Pregnant pause)

… now, I must take control of my body by having an abortion.”

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The Heart of Her Husband Trusts in Her

Posted in Biblical manhood & womanhood, Faith & Practice, Identity, Relationships, Vocation, tagged " vulnerability, "gentle & quiet spirit, deception, Eve, family, hope, husband, Jesus Christ, marriage, Proverbs 31, selflessness, spiritual warfare, wife, woman on November 6, 2010| 1 Comment »

An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life (Proverbs 31:10-11)

The Proverbs 31 woman seems to receive lots of praise from both men and women. But, perhaps the praise is for something different than we think.

The first woman, Eve, fell into sin when she failed to trust God, doubted His Word, and determined for herself what was right and wrong. This is not the case with the Proverbs 31 woman. She appears to know her identity as a feminine creature loved and valued by God. She trusts God and the fruit of that trust is her service to others. She does all that she does — smart and talented as she is — for her household, her family, her husband — out of love for the Lord. She does not focus on having her needs met, but on meeting the needs of others. She does not sit at the “gates” of the community “among the elders;” her husband does (v.23). She practices self-control because “she opens her mouth with wisdom” (not foolishness) and “the teaching of kindness is on her tongue” (v. 26).

If we cannot praise the first woman, Eve, because she doubted and was deceived, then think about it. Why can we praise the Proverbs 31 woman? One of the early church fathers, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, wrote, “You have been enabled to reject the deceitful glory of the world . . . you deserve to be praised for not being deceived.”

So, then, “the heart of her husband trusts in her.”

Eve was tempted by a distortion of truth. Vulnerable — and not trusting God, she allowed herself to be deceived. I venture to say that the Proverbs 31 woman, living in a fallen and sinful world, was also tempted by distortions of truth. But, every time she put her trust in God, she was able to reject the “progressive” trends, lifestyles, and behaviors of the world around her.

In being submissive (remember gals: Jesus is God, yet He was submissive to the Father), a wife can win her husband for the Lord even if he is disobedient to the Word. It is not a woman’s outer appearance that influences a man so much as it is the “hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:1-4). This is how “holy women” who put their hope in God have always adorned themselves (v. 5).

So, then, “the heart of her husband trusts in her.”

Now, it’s time to get personal. I’m a wife. I’ve had my “Eve days” and my “Proverbs 31 woman” days. The prince of darkness likes to see me in conflict. But, when the Holy Spirit nudges me out of myself to see the men in my life, I recognize their fragility. My husband and sons, my dad and brother, my brother-in-laws and uncles all know how to tackle the “hard work” of life, make their way through obstacles, and faithfully provide for and cover their families. But, they often aren’t sure what to do with the relational side. They may appear strong, but feel weak. They may seem heartless, but feel wounded. They may look confidant and even arrogant, but feel like a failure. The heart of a man needs the “gentle and quiet spirit” of a godly woman.

The Proverbs 31 woman was aware of the feminine influence God had given to her, but she was not deceived into abusing that influence. I wonder: Could her husband open up to her because he knew she would bring him good not harm? Could he have confidence in her respect for him even when she disagreed with his leadership? Could he trust her to act rightly toward him no matter if she was having a good — or bad — day? Could he depend on her for an encouraging word, even in the midst of difficulty? I think so.

So, then, “the heart of her husband trusts in her.”

In all of my travels and all of my conversations with both men and women, I hear the same message: Wives need loving affirmation, conversation, and commitment. Husbands need respect. They receive this respect in a number of ways including intimacy, companionship, and domestic support and admiration. The “heart of her husband trusts in her” when she speaks well of him to his children and in the community. A godly man knows when he’s failing. When his wife speaks well of him in front of children or friends, he knows she isn’t giving him a pass or letting him off the hook. What he recognizes and values is her loyalty and “gentle and quiet spirit.” This encourages him to try harder, to do better.

Well, that’s how I see it. Anyone reading this may disagree. That’s o.k. I’m not calling myself a Proverbs 31 woman because I too often act like Eve. The struggle within me between deception and truth rages on. But, I have hope:

Those whose eyes rest on the Savior’s Cross will be renewed and transformed. Those who trust the Lord will obtain the wisdom needed to oppose deceit.

So… “the heart of her husband trusts in her.” He praises her, not because of what she does, but because she has been enabled to reject the deceit of the world.

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A Letter from God

Posted in Biblical manhood & womanhood, Faith & Practice, Identity, Relationships, tagged broken heart, choices, deception, emotions, example, faith, Father God, feelings, forgiveness, holy, hope, Jesus Christ, masterpiece, modern woman, purity, rebellion, Savior, sexy, sin, woman on October 22, 2010| 1 Comment »

What does God say to women? His letter to us reads something like this:

Dear Daughter,

I loved you before I created you. You are my masterpiece. But, sin has distorted My perfect creation. Sinful people are challenged by difficult choices. You, My daughter, are tempted by feelings and emotions. You can’t trust these emotions, but you can always trust Me. Your life is of such value to Me that I came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ — the God become Man willing to rescue you from the consequences of sin. I paid the highest price for you.

Because of this great price, your body is not your own — to do with as you please. It was covered by the Robe of Righteousness when Jesus shed His blood on the Cross. The sacrifice of Jesus, your Savior, made you a new creation. You have the promise of heaven. I don’t want you to be hurt. I don’t want your heart to be broken or your body abused. So please, daughter. Guard your body, mind, and soul by making choices that glorify Me.

It’s o.k. to rebel. Rebel against all that is sinful and wrong in this world. Dare to be different from those who follow worldly opinions. They chase after popularity and selfish ambitions. When they do wrong, they want you to do wrong, too. They say, “Follow your heart,” or “Do whatever feels right for you.” But, a sinful heart cannot be trusted. It is filled with all manner of bad things. Your feelings and moods blow with the wind. They are high and low like a rollercoaster. Look to Me, My daughter. I never change. You can trust your life to Me. I know you better than you know yourself. I know your thoughts… your desires… your needs. You are never alone in My world.

I didn’t create you to be sexy, but holy. Practice modesty in the way you speak, act, and dress. Call attention not to yourself, but to Me — the One who made you. Show your beauty not by revealing your body, but revealing your love for Me. Resist being a temptress and, instead, lead others away from sin with its ugly consequences.

Be alert to deception. My daughter, if you acknowledge Me to be God, your Father, then you also acknowledge the evil one who opposes me and despises you. He hates you because I love you so much. He will try to deceive you. He knows when you are vulnerable. He will tempt you with one question, “Did your Father really say . . .?” Then, when you doubt Me and fall to deception and sin, the tempter becomes your accuser, “Look at what you have done! Can your Father ever forgive you?”

Oh, yes, My daughter. I can and do forgive. There is nothing you need to do but confess your sin. In your sorrow, I reach down to lift you from despair and secure the Robe of Righteousness tighter around you. Forgiven and set free, you are no longer captive to your past. Satan may tempt you again and again, but I have given you dominion over the father of lies.

Don’t let anyone look down on you for being young. Instead, let your speech, behavior, love, faith, and purity be an example for others. Entrust your life to Me. I’m not a god of chaos, but the God of order and beautiful design. I made you to be a woman. Live as a woman — My daughter — while you wait for Jesus to return for you.

Your identity is not found in your appearance or what you do. Your identity is a creation of God and the treasure for whom Christ gave all He had. No matter the circumstances in your life, that identity remains.

I am the King… the Lord of life. Think of what that makes you, My daughter.