Us and Them Part 2
This is going to be a fun post. I'm not sure how I'm gonna pull it off or if I'll be able to explain it correctly. I might need some help from my fellow man.
Ok, let's recap a little: last time I explained that virtuous men, who do exist, are not like worldly men. These guys really love you for who you are, not what you look like. If you're attractive, that helps, but it's not mandatory. You probably know some of these guys. Why are there so few of these guys around? Are they a genetic mutation, the result of an experiment? Is it just an act; all men are the same, but some just act better than others? Here is the truth.
Guys think about girls...a lot. That's not too surprising. Women know that guys go for attractive women (reminder: that was a general statement). Ben's comment summed it up pretty well; women put more of an emphasis on their looks, show off more of their body, so they can be recognized by guys. It's the guy who usually hits on the girl because he's more interested in getting together with her. It's a shallow world. Why is that?
It's the way God designed men. I sometimes question why He designed us this way, but He knew what He was doing. I'll try to give you an example of what it's like being a guy.
There's probably been at least one time in your life when you've had a guy or guys on your mind. Usually it's voluntary; you decided to have guys on your mind. Have you ever had a time when guys were involuntarily on your mind? That's what it's like for guys...EVERY SINGLE DAY. We aren't constantly thinking about girls, but we could. We don't always want to, but it happens.
We might be doing some homework. Our mind gets bored while doing a math problem...BAM, some internal switch turns on, and we're in the mood to think about girls. We're walking down the street, or we're walking to class, and every other girl is someone we want to lust after. She's hot, why would I not want to see what she's wearing today? Simply put, men are ready to lust. If we're not lusting, we're probably waiting for an opportunity to.
Sometimes we get a day off and it's not a problem for us. Girls don't really cross our mind that day, and everything is good in the universe. Other days, it's the opposite. Right now I'm hungry, so my mind is telling me to think about food. Later today, my mind might suggest that I think about girls without any provocation.
Yeah, not quite what you expected to hear. It's a secret struggle that basically every guy has to go through. It's the great male pasttime. It effects the jerks who treat women like objects, the men who design advertisements so that they appeal to men, and even the virtuous guys. The difference is that the virtuous guys have "trained" themselves to not give in to those lusts. If they did give in to those lusts, they would going after the attractive girls with low morals. Instead, they deny the self, and search after the truly beautiful women; the spiritual and intellectual knockouts.
At any time they can and do stumble. They aren't perfect; they have to keep their guard up every day. We have to keep our guard up against physically beautiful women like you. You are a double-edged sword. You might not mean to, but you can be a stumbling block. Consider your wardrobe next time.
1 Corinthians 8 talks about food offered to idols. Paul explains that an idol is nothing, so it should not matter if food is offered to idols. However, some people were weak, and their conscience wouldn't allow them to eat food offered to idols. Verse 9 says how your clear conscience can be a stumbling block to the weak. You may have a clear conscience wearing that pair of shorts, but for guys, it may be a stumbling block. In verses 12-13, Paul gives his answers for what you should do, and why you should do it. "But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."
Don't go throwing out half of your wardrobe, but keep in mind what Paul said. If you cause one of your brethren to stumble, even if it's unintentional, you sin against Christ. If we take care of the poor, we are also doing it towards Christ. If we cause someone to sin, we are doing it towards Christ.
You're still beautiful, whether you're wearing shorts or long pants. You are doing every guy a real favor by not putting a stumbling block in his way. Virtuous men are trying to avoid that stumbling block, even if it's out there. However, we would appreciate it if it wasn't there. This isn't a point I had planned on making, but it's still one that should be pointed out. Go out there and be beautiful, but remember the effect you can unintentionally have on guys.
Virtuous guys aren't like worldly guys because they try not to give in to their lusts. That is why you don't see many of them, because they have to change themselves.
I will stop now before this gets any longer. There is still more for me write, and hopefully next time it won't be as long.
Ok, let's recap a little: last time I explained that virtuous men, who do exist, are not like worldly men. These guys really love you for who you are, not what you look like. If you're attractive, that helps, but it's not mandatory. You probably know some of these guys. Why are there so few of these guys around? Are they a genetic mutation, the result of an experiment? Is it just an act; all men are the same, but some just act better than others? Here is the truth.
Guys think about girls...a lot. That's not too surprising. Women know that guys go for attractive women (reminder: that was a general statement). Ben's comment summed it up pretty well; women put more of an emphasis on their looks, show off more of their body, so they can be recognized by guys. It's the guy who usually hits on the girl because he's more interested in getting together with her. It's a shallow world. Why is that?
It's the way God designed men. I sometimes question why He designed us this way, but He knew what He was doing. I'll try to give you an example of what it's like being a guy.
There's probably been at least one time in your life when you've had a guy or guys on your mind. Usually it's voluntary; you decided to have guys on your mind. Have you ever had a time when guys were involuntarily on your mind? That's what it's like for guys...EVERY SINGLE DAY. We aren't constantly thinking about girls, but we could. We don't always want to, but it happens.
We might be doing some homework. Our mind gets bored while doing a math problem...BAM, some internal switch turns on, and we're in the mood to think about girls. We're walking down the street, or we're walking to class, and every other girl is someone we want to lust after. She's hot, why would I not want to see what she's wearing today? Simply put, men are ready to lust. If we're not lusting, we're probably waiting for an opportunity to.
Sometimes we get a day off and it's not a problem for us. Girls don't really cross our mind that day, and everything is good in the universe. Other days, it's the opposite. Right now I'm hungry, so my mind is telling me to think about food. Later today, my mind might suggest that I think about girls without any provocation.
Yeah, not quite what you expected to hear. It's a secret struggle that basically every guy has to go through. It's the great male pasttime. It effects the jerks who treat women like objects, the men who design advertisements so that they appeal to men, and even the virtuous guys. The difference is that the virtuous guys have "trained" themselves to not give in to those lusts. If they did give in to those lusts, they would going after the attractive girls with low morals. Instead, they deny the self, and search after the truly beautiful women; the spiritual and intellectual knockouts.
At any time they can and do stumble. They aren't perfect; they have to keep their guard up every day. We have to keep our guard up against physically beautiful women like you. You are a double-edged sword. You might not mean to, but you can be a stumbling block. Consider your wardrobe next time.
1 Corinthians 8 talks about food offered to idols. Paul explains that an idol is nothing, so it should not matter if food is offered to idols. However, some people were weak, and their conscience wouldn't allow them to eat food offered to idols. Verse 9 says how your clear conscience can be a stumbling block to the weak. You may have a clear conscience wearing that pair of shorts, but for guys, it may be a stumbling block. In verses 12-13, Paul gives his answers for what you should do, and why you should do it. "But when you thus sin against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."
Don't go throwing out half of your wardrobe, but keep in mind what Paul said. If you cause one of your brethren to stumble, even if it's unintentional, you sin against Christ. If we take care of the poor, we are also doing it towards Christ. If we cause someone to sin, we are doing it towards Christ.
You're still beautiful, whether you're wearing shorts or long pants. You are doing every guy a real favor by not putting a stumbling block in his way. Virtuous men are trying to avoid that stumbling block, even if it's out there. However, we would appreciate it if it wasn't there. This isn't a point I had planned on making, but it's still one that should be pointed out. Go out there and be beautiful, but remember the effect you can unintentionally have on guys.
Virtuous guys aren't like worldly guys because they try not to give in to their lusts. That is why you don't see many of them, because they have to change themselves.
I will stop now before this gets any longer. There is still more for me write, and hopefully next time it won't be as long.
posted by Charles Fan at
2:29 PM
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