Monday, May 18, 2009

Here are Nancy Leigh DeMoss's excellent views on the subject of Miss California, Carrie Prejean:

I’ve been asked numerous times for my take on the firestorm surrounding Carrie Prejean—the reigning Miss California who lost her bid for Miss USA after publicly affirming her belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

Those who hold to the biblical concept of marriage couldn’t help but be glad that this young woman courageously stood for the Truth, knowing that to do so could be costly.

Yet, for those who affirm and cherish the biblical perspective of femininity and sexuality, this story has an important subtext and raises a number of issues that should be of great concern to us as followers of Christ.

Carrie has made a strong public profession of her faith in Christ. As Christians, we are called to live as redeemed men and women and to reflect to the world the beauty and holiness of God. I’m not in a position to judge Carrie’s motives or her heart. But while I applaud her courage, I also believe some of her choices and public actions, past and present, are representative of many women who consider themselves Christians, but who lack clear biblical thinking and conviction on such matters as virtue, womanhood, beauty, modesty, and discretion.

In my mind, Carrie Prejean’s story is symptomatic of deeper root issues in the evangelical world—issues that in my opinion outweigh most of what is being debated in the secular press.

Sadly, Carrie is the product of a Christian sub-culture that has lost a sense of what it means to be citizens of the kingdom of God and has embraced the values and thinking of this world.

By and large, young adults who have grown up in our evangelical homes, churches, and schools, are buying into a message that they have seen modeled by those around them who call themselves Christians—namely, that Christianity can be divorced from Christ-likeness, and that practical holiness in everyday life is out-dated, irrelevant, or optional.

Carrie Prejean’s situation highlights the desperate need for Titus 2 “older women”—mothers, youth workers, mentors—to take an active role in the training and discipleship of younger women—teaching them to live out the implications of the gospel in every area of their lives.

So many young women in the Christian world have little understanding or discernment when it comes to modesty and personal purity. And can you blame them when they are following in the footsteps of a generation of so-called believers who tolerate, justify, and flaunt immodesty, sensuality, and immorality of every form, along with serial divorce and remarriage?

That’s why as women we need to be asking ourselves questions like:

• How does my life measure up to the Word of God?
• Am I modeling Christ-like, Gospel-drenched virtue, modesty, femininity, beauty, and discretion to the next generation?
• What kind of impact am I having on the younger women in my sphere of influence?
• What I am doing to invest in their lives, to point them to Christ, and to mentor them in godliness?

Carrie Pejean’s story should cause us to be on our faces crying out to God over the extent to which the church today has accommodated to the world. It should cause us to plead with God on behalf of our children and grandchildren, and then to get up off our knees and go out and engage this younger generation with love and grace and truth and to become agents of redemption in their lives.

Friday, May 08, 2009

INSOLENCE and HUMILITY


It has been quite a while since I have posted an entry here! I have no excuse except that I had nothing to say! haha! Those of you who know me personally have by now fallen off their chairs laughing hysterically, saying, "WHAT? Diane ALWAYS has something to say!!!!" But seriously, I had nothing to say and by God's great grace maybe, just maybe, I am learning that if i don't have anything to say then I should keep my mouth and my blog shut! :)

BUT... today as I was studying Psalm 119,
(preparing to speak about Psalm 119 for a mini women's retreat in October), I was struck by the psalmist's humility in verse 80.

Verses 78 and 80 say:

"Let the insolent be put to shame, because they have wronged me with falsehood, as for me, I will meditate on your precepts.... May my heart be blameless in your statutes, that I may not be put to shame!"

A short list of synonyms for the word insolent (from www.dictionary.com) may be helpful in driving home the message in these 2 small verses:

Overbearing
insulting
abusive
offensive
saucy
impudent
audacious
pert
impertinent
rude
reproachful

The psalmist has been wronged. Perhaps slanderous things were said about him by insolent people! Insolent people, as defined above, are not very nice! Perhaps he was betrayed by someone he thought a friend but is now an enemy. Persecution of some sort has affected him.. maybe by an acquaintance, maybe by a political figure or a political group.

Regardless, the psalmist in verse 78 calls these people insolent and calls for God to put them to shame! The psalmist could have "meditated" on the wrong done to him. He could have rehearsed in his mind the falsehoods said, the falsehoods implied and he could have churned it over and over again in his mind but look at what he chose to do! He chose to meditate on God's precepts instead! He chose to meditate on the Word of God RATHER then meditate on the accusations and/or falsehoods spoken about him! And not only did he choose to set his mind on things above but then he also remembered his own tendencies to sin and insolence!!!!! In verse 80 he asks God to make his own heart blameless so that he, himself, may not be put to shame!!!!!

This affected my soul today. It is so easy for me to point a finger at someone who has spoken lies about me or has unjustly accused me of something. It is so easy for me to point my fingers at political groups who differ from my opinions and call out for God to shame them for their insolence! (Please know that I understand there are certain things we must stand up for, ie.. abortion.. but we do not have to be insolent about it.. we can humbly fight for the unborn).
It is so easy to look at the ungodly and point fingers and call for God to shame them!

AND THEN, by God's grace, love and mercy he reminds me of how helpless and insolent I am apart from Jesus! I can do NOTHING apart from Jesus! I am helpless and hopeless and yes, insolent apart from Jesus. I can be overbearing, saucy, offensive, verbally abusive... I can and have been all those things and I would consistently walk in those ways still if not for the grace of God and salvation through Jesus Christ!

While I was still a sinner Jesus died for my sins! While you were still a sinner Jesus died for your sins!!! What love is this??? Amazing.. absolutely amazing!

God make and keep me humble, remembering that apart from YOU I can do nothing. I pray that I would choose to meditate on YOUR Word and YOUR promises and YOUR goodness rather than on the insolence of others. I pray God that You would continually increase my faith, my love for You, increase humility in my life and love towards others. I pray that I would have a compassion and love for the unsaved, insolent ones so much so that I would pray for them to be saved. Oh Lord, apart from You I cannot even pray. I am happy to say that I need You and depend on You. Abba Father I call out to you to keep me. I trust in Your promises. Amen.