Respect

1 Timothy 5:2

New Life Version (NLV)

Talk to older women as mothers. Talk to younger women as sisters, keeping yourself pure.

Guys tweet about how nice some girl's body is. They don't know her, but it doesn't matter.  Tweet the words "yoga pants," and odds are that multiple guys will retweet you. Girls update their Facebook statuses with how good the book Fifty Shades of Grey is and how excited they are to see Magic Mike in theater because Channing Tatum will be half naked in the movie. When a sweet little girl goes out on a date, she picks the most low-cut blouse she has so that the guy will like her.  Sure that cute guy might a girlfriend, but he's flirting with you now. This is how the world works. It's just the way things are.

The problem with Christians, though, is that they weren't made for this world.  Philippians 3:20 states, "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."  Therefore, we should not condemn ourselves to behave like we are created for something less than heaven. Even though the world accepts certain behaviors, we are still to reject them.

When it's put down in writing, it sounds obvious. Ladies shouldn't treat men like mere pieces of meat and vice versa. People should treat one another with respect as human beings and that's that. Nonetheless, this is one of those things that is much easier said than done. God wants us to go above and beyond the world's standard; he tells us to treat younger men and women as brothers and sisters, and to treat older men and woman as parents. Worded that way, it's actually pretty disgusting for us to hit on each other and check each other out; it's like making a move on your dad!

Until we are married, this is literally how we're expected to behave.  Most people may react to this by asking, "Does this mean we aren't supposed to date?" Personally, I wouldn't want to date my brother or sister, but I'll leave that up to you.  If you decide you want to date, I don't think that makes you a better or worse Christian than if you decide you don't. Nonetheless, we absolutely shouldn't talk about the opposite sex like simple objects, whether we date or not.  That aspect of the command is nonnegotiable.

Maybe you're reading this and not convinced. I mean, even though the Bible says these people are like our brothers and sisters, they aren't really related to us. In that case, look at it from this perspective: how would your future husband/wife feel if he/she heard you talking about the opposite sex the way you currently do now? Will she feel like she snagged a keeper, or will she be repulsed by how degrading you speak of women? Will he think it's adorable that you've kept your thoughts and speech pure for him, or will he be embarrassed for you?  Chances are, one day you may get married, and your future spouse won't appreciate you talking about his or her gender as if they aren't human.

C.S. Lewis once said, “You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.”  The same goes for everyone. People aren't bodies; they are complex, multifaceted beings. When we behave like we are only interested in the physical aspect of the opposite sex, we are disrespecting them, ourselves, and God.  Purity is more than just holding on to technical virginity until marriage. Purity consists of treating one another as you would treat your family, waiting to be physical with someone until they become your husband or wife, and even then, respecting that person as a soul and not just a body.

I pray that you all have the courage and self-control to speak about one another with respect. Since we do not belong to this world, my hope is that you don't conform to it, but remain true to the standards God has for you.

<3