"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others."
- Philippians 2:4
No this is not a post about Lebron James or my distaste for the Miami Heat... you can follow my facebook posts for that ;)
"I don't love Mary!" is a common phrase I hear in my household on a regular basis. It typically follows an incident involving Mary and Bob where the younger of the two has taken a toy from the older or the older has lost a toy because he hit her. Following this exchange and usually amongst tears and hugs I try to explain to Bob that he has to be nice to his little sister. That as her older brother it is his job to look after and protect her. Rather than hit her he should love on her and share his toys with her. Have fun with your sister! (I promise you it'll turn out a lot better!)
This is usually receives an "I don't love Mary!" response once again... ho hum. Another related lesson I'm trying to teach Bob right now is the concept of "Heroes". He loves heroes and he loves good guys verses bad guys. From a Catholic standpoint Amanda & I are teaching him that no matter how scared he may be or no matter what happens around him that the good guys always win in the end.
This has backfired to a point...
Frequently I'll find him harassing his sister or "killing" his "bad guy" toys all in the name of being a "hero" or a "good guy."
"I can beat him up dad because I'm a good guy and he's a bad guy" is also common to hear in our house... no Bob- you can't hit your sister because you're pretending she's a bad guy. In fact- real heroes are going to try and help the bad guys... real heroes are going to try and change the bad guys' ways. Real heroes are going to bring justice into the world and that usually doesn't mean beating someone up. In fact it means the opposite... are real hero is going to look after those around him.
That's what today's blog is about.
I recently came across a post on facebook that caught my attention. It was linked to a blog about modesty and the relationship between how a woman dresses and how men may react. I'll admit the "blogger" was probably an amateur like me... I'm not sure if she got her point across as clearly as she could have (as I often am a great example of!). What caught my attention was the post itself. The post claimed that the blogger was attempting to control men through the concept of dressing modestly and that woman cannot be held responsible for the thoughts of men.
Let me be clear: this is not a post about modesty or a direct response to that post. There's no debate to be had here. There is a lot that goes into the make up of a man's thoughts and my wife was quick to point out that Christian woman are bombarded with the message that they need to dress modestly because of men's weak wills. She also pointed out that there was more to the message than that as well... maybe this is a post about that "more"
"Then the Lord said to Cain, 'Where is Abel your brother?' He said, 'I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?'"
- Genesis 4:9
This post is about "taking your talents to south beach" or "looking after number one." As a Catholic I have a clear responsibility to look after not only my wife and children, not only my close friends and family around me, but all people. This is at the heart of the respect life movement, at the heart of service to the poor, missions, you name it... this is at the heart of it.
To get to the root of the whole modesty thing- I think us men need you ladies to dress modestly not only because it prevents us from temptation- but also because it shows that you care.
It's not just modesty, or how you dress. It's our outlook on everything.
I have a great responsibility not only to form myself as a man but also my children and even my wife. This drive is directly related to my faith in God. I want to be more because God calls me to be more.
"I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate."
-Roman 7:15
"I pommel my body and subdue it"
1 Corinthians 9:27
Why the quotes from Romans & First Corinthians?
Directly linked to modesty right? But this isn't a post about modesty?... you're right.
These aren't just great quotes about modesty but about our life in general. To live a life of grace- to live a life based off of Christ isn't easy. We naturally tend to do whatever is easiest for us... helping others isn't easy!
So we train ourselves. We train through prayer. We train through sacrifice. We train through our actions... even if that means screwing up our actions... we keep trying.
But a lot of people don't do this. A lot of people don't even see living a life in Christ as even worth whiled. A lot of people in fact see it as a waste of time.
How do these people then see the fruits and beauty of such a life then!?
Through us. Through you! Through those people who are living it and striving for perfection in it.
I "pommel" my body to teach myself self control. Not only because that it's good for me... but it's good for you too. I don't lust after beautiful woman and I'm more inclined not to lust after a woman dressed seductively because of the efforts I have put into living a chaste life. By doing this you (a woman) are not being treated as an object.
The purpose here is to discuss the need to love one another. That our lives are not our own and that we are called to serve one another in many... many... many... different ways. Modesty is one of a million. We need a servants heart. Because when we give we not only help others but we also transform our life. Apart of that transformation is growing closer to Christ because we're learning to love like Christ.
There's no more important thing than that.
"As the Father has loved me, so I also love you. Remain in my love."
- John 15:9
Thanks for taking the time to read!
God bless,
Comments
Post a Comment