Sunday, 07 December 2008
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I Live in a World Obsessed With Looks...
by miss iris
Set your affections on things above ...
I walk a very fine line with the things I am about to say yet, they are my personal convictions and this is my statement, my stand.
I live in a world that is obsessed with looks. There are so many ads about weight lost, perfect skin/hair/teeth, how to achieve the perfect look and I am surrounded with them daily in magazines, in books, in movies and on TV.
I live in a world that is obsessed about love. The kind of love shown on TV and sung in love songs, where you meet someone you find physically attractive and go on a few dates with them and then you “move on to the next one” or "fall in love" and get married and live happily until divorce or separation due to some minor incompatibility or the lost of that physical pull.
I live in a world obsessed with money. The biggest, best, newest things that money can buy. Living in luxury or living a comfortable life. Being at the top of the ladder. Being well off. Being in control of your finances. Being financially stable.
I live in a world obsessed with self.
I can obsess about my looks, I can dress fashionably or change my body to look a certain way, but what use is that when I die and the worms eat away the flesh? If I see my spiritual self now, how would it look? Would I be buff? Would I be healthy? God gave me this physical body and I should take care of it, and I want to be physically healthy and I want to live a physically healthy life, but I am convinced that if I cannot take care of my spiritual life with the same zeal as I want to take care of my physical self then it is all in vain. If I exercise every day but do not read the word and study the word every day, then what does it matter? I become a person who does not know what to do with the beauty that was sculptured, I become aimless. The physical that I created becomes useless to what really matters.
I can obsess about finding the perfect fit, the person that gives me all the goose bumps and butterflies or has the stable life and can support me. That can become my goal and I can be disappointed over and over again when no one fits that pedestal.Love is patient and kind. It does not envy, does not boast and is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love never fails. This is real love, if I cannot have this, then anything else is fake (a poor imitation) and I might as well just be an empty barrel tumbling down a hill making a racket.
I am convinced that if I cannot love my fellow man - if I cannot love myself - this way then I will never be truly satisfied when it comes to love. I am convinced that if a majority of my efforts is just focused on finding Mr. Right then I am missing out on the things that life has to offer right now.
I can obsess about my finances. I can try to get rich and say that I will give to the poor, but if I cannot give with the little I have now, how much more will I give when I have more? What use is it to build up treasures on earth that can be here today and gone tomorrow when my treasure chest in heaven is empty?
I suppose in the end my convictions is based on just one thing - eternity. Is what I am doing now useful for eternity? I am not saying that I shouldn't take care of myself, that I shouldn’t get married, that I shouldn't work, I am only saying that these should never overshadow the spiritual aspect of my life and that is, that Jesus died for me and has a purpose for my life and that I should really work hard towards that purpose because I do not know how much longer my place is secured on Earth.In the end it comes down to me not being obsessed about self, if my affections can be set first on spiritual things, then these other things will fall into a happy medium that is just right for me.
Do you ever feel like the things of this world overshadow the spiritual aspect of your life? How do you keep things in an eternal perspective?
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Comments (34)
It's because you're ugly, isn't it?
i think like god wants us to be sexy cuz when were sexy were happy
@DrugInducedDuck@xanga - LOL
Even though what he said is kind of... rude; I have to agree to an extent. If you're not fitting into any part of the society you do kind of notice it more. However you have to realize that all of these things are relative, and that they differ from place to place. So you're really not living in a world with these qualities, you're living in this small part of the world with these qualities. But as long as there are humans on Earth you're going to find there will always be societies and you may not like or fit in with their standards.
Its something you have to get over, this is not a Christian world. Your faith is not going to change how human society works. Or at least, it shouldn't.
@Sexy4Jesus - LOL Are you... serious?
@Sexy4Jesus - I totally like think like the same thing! Like oh my god, totally!
1. I try to promote a "Love Yourself" campaign so people are confident about themselves and love themselves for who they are and not what the media try to make them into what they're not.
2. Until, 3-4 weeks ago, I was single and wasn't really concentrating on finding someone. However, I'm very happy with who I'm with right now and feel no need to rush into anything.
3. The fact that America is ran as a capitalist nation sickens me. I don't like the sight of big piles of money and being rich is not one of my goals. I only want enough to get me by. Sounds like a big pile of poo, but it's the truth for me.
4. Being an artist, it's hard not to be obsessed with yourself. But I'm working on not developing a supersized ego.
@xobeautyrushox@xanga - ya y?
i believe that we can obsess over these things as much as we want, aslong as they are not blocking our communication with God
Wow..... odd dialogue, but a decent post.
"If I see my spiritual self now, how would it look?" This made me think of Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Grey. Similar premise, that his gorgeous outward appearance merely masked his deteriorating soul. Fantastic novel.
Frankly, to me your convictions line up with the Bible. At first, I didn't understand your disclaimers, for how could what you said instigate a negative response. Yet the non-Christian Revelifers proved me wrong...
Though truly, in any society, an upright, kind, and moral person that you speak of being is always highly thought of, despite that culture's opinions of outward appearances... --Laura
Isn't it wonderful that God doesn't look on the outside like men/women do, but in the hearts. Yes, our world idolizes looks, but in the end it doesn't matter. IF we don't have a relationship with Jesus, then THAT's what matters. When we are in a relationship with Jesus, we are right with God, no matter what the world says, and no matter how we look on the outside. Focusing on the world's objectives often takes our eyes off of God's objectives. Are we right with God? He loves us so much!!!!! no matter what we've done, nor how we look.
everyone struggles with this. I don't think it's wrong to enjoy those things... life is short and we should try to be happy with what's been given to us. but yess as long as they don't interfere with our mindset about what's right and wrong it's OK. it's always good though to take a break from it all and reflect on the things that are truly important.
For those who think she thinks physical health is not important, she doesn't. Just a few things to clarify a little. :)
Corinthians 6:19 tells us that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Your church building, I presume, has a cleaner/gardener/maintenance crew of some sort. You would not let that building of bricks and mortar fall into disrepair, so why should you your body, which is the living Temple? I think it is important that we reamain healthy and presentable. However, if you are all about how your church looks on the outside, but not with the teaching going on on the inside... what's the point?
We are also called to be good stewards with all things God has given us. He gave us a body, so that we can spread His Kingdom. If we allow that body to be unfit and unhealthy, how diminished is our capacity for Christ! Of course, if you are ill, this does not apply. He gives us the oppertunity to earn money to support our families and those in fulltime service to missions etc. It is not evil to have nice things, a lovely house and a great car. What is evil is if we cannot give those up for the Lord if He asks us, and if we put our family in jepoardy to have them.
Romans 8:17 tells us we are co-heirs with Christ, and that makes us Princes and Princesses! Being slobby does not fit the position we have. I also feel it gives the wrong impression of Christianity... we aren't socks and sandals=boring :) I also think that it's respectful of us to look after ourselves for our spouse. The Bible tells husbands to delight in their wife (and various body parts *grin*) so I think it's only fair that we try our best to be our best physically as well, without neglecting faith, family and home. Paul tells women not to let our beauty be of braided hair and fine clothes, but of iner beauty. (1 Peter 3:3) He's not saying we can't have those things, but not to let our loveliness just be 'fine feathers'.
We don't have to be washboard tummies and perfect hair and teeth. We don't need to have the name labels and the latest car. We do need to look after what we've been given here on earth, delight in it, and do our best with it. The author is correct in that while important in the physical, it is not the be all and end all, in the end.
@Abbas_princess@xanga - Amen sister!
@Cygnus33@xanga - Agreed...
I keep my mind on eternal things by trying to learn all over again how to look at the world, to look beneath the paint and illusion to the things that are eternal, or have the potential for eternally. Trying to see people not as mere mortals, but children of the Most High God, and trying to see everything as passing away to reveal the glory of God. It's quite liberating.
Also, consistent prayer and attending Mass daily helps a great deal in keeping an "eternity" perspective.
@Cygnus33@xanga - Great comment. But I have trouble believing the last paragraph because I have seen good and kind people, with no strings attached to their niceness and kindness, being hated by people. It's shocking and ridiculous.
To some of the commenter here - *sarcastic laughter*
I defintley feel like the things of the world too often overshadow the spiritual things. It's so hard to keep it in perspective, at least when I am not trying very hard!
This has nothing to do with the post, okay maybe a little bit, but have any of you wondered whether your physical appearance on this world will affect your spiritual appearance? I mean, say that I'm a fat ugly dude here on earth and I die. Will my spirit be the same fat ugly dude? Okay, what if I'm a fat ugly dude who lost weight through exersice but still looked the same? Will my spirit be skinny? And lastly, what if I'm fat and ugly here, but had plastic surgery, lost weight, and worked out? Will my spirit be the original me or the new me? Just a though. No need to answer, but I'd appreciate it.
As for the post... I don't think it's wrong to want to enhance one's physical appearance to a certain extent. It gets problematic when the person becomes overly obsessed and conceited.
you should be obsessed with looks. its the first thing a person sees about you, not your personality. looks are what glues the person to you in the first place, right?
awesome post
This is a bit off topic, and not a direct judgement on anyone here, but only something I felt led to post in response to a subtopic, or related topic, "how should we spend our time and effort here in this life?"
Jesus passed his ministry on to us, so I think it's appropriate to look at that issue in that light. While he walked this earth, he made his time about both what was right in front of him and what his purpose was in light of eternity, and almost entirely about others.
I believe regular bible reading is a good thing, and anyone wanting to represent God should definitely read through the whole Bible at least once, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit for understanding.
However, I believe it is misguided and somewhat faithless to then become obsessed with learning as much as possible about God in this life, as an end to itself. If we truly believe what we profess to believe we will have eternity to learn about him!
The first few generations of christians had no bible, no theology books, and no seminaries, and yet led very effective lives spreading the good news of salvation and loving and healing others in Jesus' name. Some of these had never met him in person, but were filled with the Holy Spirit, and allowed him to minister through them just the same.
The seed of salvation is simple and this life is short. I believe our primary calling here is to interact -- to allow God to heal, free, and love others through us in His name, and to spread the good news of life-changing-right-here-and-now-and-for-eternity salvation.
If you will forgive me for repeating a cliche of sorts --- if people don't know that we care (and I mean know, as in, they experience it through our actions and decisions as they relate to their lives), they won't care what we know.
And then, we become like the servant who hid his masters' money in the ground for fear of losing it -- instead of investing it.
"I live in a world that is obsessed about love."
I am obsessed with love, but not that short-lived variety that you are talking about. Well, that is honestly no love to me...