Counterculture: Spoon-Fed Deception

Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears [has reverential awe toward] the Lord is to be praised.

This verse goes against everything pop culture and media tell us. Headlines in magazines and on news broadcast the importance of having ample charm and physical beauty while brushing aside the importance of inner beauty. Women believe they have to achieve physical perfection to ever be seen as valuable while men are also being told that the size of their muscles and how many women they can get in bed is the determining factor of their worth. 

But what about the counterculture message that is being so easily overlooked? Your physical beauty, the quality of your car, your income, what if none of that matters in the end? In Proverbs it tells us that charm is deceptive. Deceive means to mislead by a false appearance or statement. Some synonyms for deceive are: outwit, trick, entrap, ensnare, and betray. Deception leads us down a path that enables us to believe lies that we may not even know we are believing. Many forms of media have deceived us into believing that our physical beauty and our possessions are of more worth than what is inside of us. But let me tell you the truth: you are far more valuable than any physical possession on this earth. 

Your value does not come from the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the money you earn, or the compliments you get from people. Your worth comes from the Creator of the Universe, the One who breathed life into your very being. Your worth comes from the beautiful person you are without any makeup. Your worth comes from the person you are even when you have nothing to give. There aren't any achievements, awards, or praise you can earn that will improve what you are already worth. In the eyes of the Lord, you are already as valuable as you can ever be regardless of how badly you have messed up or how well you've done. 

What lies or deception has physical beauty and charm led you to believe? If you have allowed what you look like to be of more concern than who you are then it's time to step away from the deception that comes with valuing charm and physical beauty over who you are inside.

Counterculture: Rest

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ‭Matthew‬ 28:11 NLT

In my last blog I shared "Counterculture:The Importance of Celebrating Others" and I want to continue with this idea of counterculture by talking about rest. In our culture everything is fast-paced, and we constantly have advertisements, movies, and music telling us to get ahead we must constantly be on-the-go. We're told to be the best we must always be at the top of our game, and we dare never rest lest we allow someone else to get ahead.

Matthew 28:11 gets quoted so often I think we tend to dismiss taking some time to really think about the gift God is offering us in our busy, non-stop, "go-go-go" lives. Have you grown weary? Do you have some heavy burdens weighing on your shoulders? Is life overwhelming right now? Are you caught up in the lie that if you don't keep up with others that you will somehow lose?

God didn't intend for us to burn our candle at both ends until there was nothing left for us to give.

Recently, God spoke to me about taking time to REST, or otherwise have a day of Sabbath. I like to get through a day and feel like I've accomplished something other than relaxation as I'm sure many of us do. I found myself striving to achieve multiple things as I went through every day of the week and I quickly found that I was getting burned out. It was then that I realized that no matter how hard I try, no matter how much I accomplish, I can never do it all on my own.

The Lord says, "Come to me." He didn't say, "Run as fast as you can, achieve everything in your strength, and keep going until there is nothing left in you." He said, "Come to me...and I will give you rest". Trying to bear your burdens on your own will wear you out quickly, but going to the Lord in prayer will give you the rest and strength you need to keep going.

Think about a time when you were on your feet all day and you finally got home and got to sit in a chair for the first time in hours. Your back aches, your feet are sore, and your entire body seems to be aching in one way or another. When you finally get to sit down, the feeling of relief floods over you and pressure releases. That's what it is like when instead of bearing all the weight of heavy burdens ourselves, we go to God.

I'm not suggesting that there will no longer be burdens that we carry, but it will ease the pressure. God says He will give us rest. When we sleep, we wake up ready for a new day. In the same way, God offers to give us the rest we need to keep going.

Counterculture: The Importance of Celebrating Others

Can you remember a time when you caught yourself thinking, "I should be the one..."? I should be the one to get the raise. I should be the one to get the compliments. I should be the one to receive the thanks. I should be the one. In our selfie, me-driven culture, it isn't against the norm to, above all else, think of "number one". But, have you ever met people who promote and serve others above themselves? It's refreshing. 

Maybe it's in the form of a conversation where the other person seeks to ask about how you are doing before filling you in on everything concerning their life, or maybe it's a person who celebrates with you even when they have nothing to celebrate. I think the most effective way of overcoming jealousy and the urge to want to impress people with our accomplishments is to celebrate others. It's hard. Especially when all you want to do is complain about how she always gets the attention or he enjoys the promotion that you worked hard to get. However, I've found from personal experience many times that it makes me feel better when I take the time to re-orient my perspective and genuinely rejoice with those around me. It also encourages and uplifts the one you are celebrating. Have you been caught in the middle of "what if land" today or recently? Maybe it's time you really thought about how celebrating others can improve your attitude and your perspective. It feels good to have people who will celebrate you; your accomplishments, your dreams, your life. So why not take the time (and maybe even the money) to do for someone else what you want done for you? Take the time to celebrate others.