Category Archives: double standard

DAY 193 (2014)

Standard
Look into the mirror and understand, we are NOT what others say we are. We are who God created us to be.

Look into the mirror and understand, we are NOT what others say we are. We are who God created us to be.

I saw the music video to the song, Try, today. It is by Grammy award winning artist Colbie Caillat. The video, I have to be honest, brought me to tears. Not because it was sad, but because it was beautiful and honest. I am a female and the standards that I am judged by many times are harsher and more critical than say, the standards my brother is judged by. Not because I am less somehow, but because while my brother will be judged on his abilities. Many times before people ever find out what I am capable of, I am judged by my looks.  Am I slim enough, pretty enough? These are questions that many times plague the female population. The lyrics of the song lead to a very important question: “Get your sexy on. Don’t be shy, girl. Take it off. This is what you want, to belong, so they like you. Do you like you?” Do YOU like you? Such a simply question, yet so profound. Why? Because many times we can’t answer. We have become so busy trying to become what society thinks we should be, that we don’t know who we are ourselves. So how could we even begin to know if we like ourselves? It took me a while to like me, and I can honestly say that I do. I may not be the prettiest girl out there, but I am loved by the people in my world. I like my laughter (I love to laugh). I like my personality (stubborn, nerdy, and funny… it’s an awesome combination). We are created in God’s image, each of us has a purpose and I can guarantee that purpose is NOT to fit into society’s cookie cutter standard of  “cool”. So stop trying so hard. Be who you are. We weren’t made to fit in, we were created to STAND OUT!

“So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27).

So what’s the plan? Be me. Because I like me.

Here’s the link to the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXoZLPSw8U8&feature=kp). Enjoy!

DAY 134

Standard

Tebow vs. CollinsRecently I read an article on the double standard placed on Christianity by society. The article was sparked by a cartoon in the Chicago Tribune (cartoon pictured in post). I found the article very interesting because the author shows just how far society has moved from its moral core. Just fifty years ago, Tim Tebow would have been the hero for standing up for his faith and taking a stand on the side of righteousness. However, in the current world climate Tebow is seen as a “freak”, while Jason Collins is being hailed as a hero. The writer of the article makes this very poignant statement:  “Americans should by and large understand why Tebow speaks up about Christ since roughly three quarters of Americans identify themselves as Christians and thus, know that Jesus told them not to be ashamed of their faith and spread it throughout the world. In spite of all this, Tebow is frowned upon by the media in a largely Christian nation, and even catches flak from other Christians. The irony here is that Collins theoretically identifies with the minority and receives praise from as high up as the White House, while Tebow theoretically identifies with the majority and receives abundant criticism from not only the media, but his own teammates” (Jonathan Ebanks). If three quarters of Americans identify themselves as Christians, I have a question: What is your definition of Christianity? If seventy-five percent of  America is Christian, why are we ignoring God’s written word?  We (society) are on a trend and it’s NOT upward in motion. We are spiraling downward as our world looks at good and calls it bad, while embracing (with open arms) wrong as right. I am not saying that Jason Collins is a bad person. I am merely asking when our standards changed? When did it become acceptable to choose wrong over right? How can society ask Christians to hear and understand its point of view, if it is not willing to do the same?

So what am I thankful for today? That people are still willing to speak truth, even if it is not popular.