Who Are You Really Trying To Attract?

I did this paper a while back but I feel like it will go good with my blog (seeing my main focus is on keeping yourself emotionally and physically pure for your future spouse).
So I'm reposting it: Enjoy! :)

Who Are You Really Trying to Attract?"

In this paper I may say some hard things. You may read this and then just disregard everything I say, which I seriously hope you will not do!
My question is- "Who are you really trying to attract?"

As a Christian girl growing up in an awesome Christian home I've noticed something VERY dangerous that's grieved and vexed my soul.
You look at the worldly teens and young adults around you and it seems that all they care about is boy friends and girl friends, flirting, attracting the opposite sex, and just totally selfish desires. They dress immodestly, worry about their hair and make up constantly, and they can't pass a mirror without checking to see how they look. You look at their Facebook pages and there's about 5000 pictures of themselves doing different poses, and they just post goofy nonsense that means absolutely nothing. And you say to me: "That's what you expect, I mean they're unsaved!"
Well yeah, but the dangerous and Horrible thing I've noticed is you see the EXACT same thing going on with the Christians! As Christians this should NOT be. We are called CHRISTians. Notice that we have taken on the name of "Christ". When you act just like the world when you have the worthy name of Christ as your own name, you are actually blaspheming the holy name of God! You are literally breaking the third commandment ("Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain...") in a BIG way. We are to be COMPLETELY different from this world. A holy people, a peculiar people, sanctified and set apart. We are to be in this world just not of it. And quite frankly, I'm really not seeing this. I see Christian (or so called "Christian" anyways) boys and girls flirting with each other, wearing horribly immodest clothes (jeans that are glued to the thighs, showing off cracks, crevices and cleavage, etc.), and even if they are "modest" they're trying to push the limit as far as they can, caking on the make up, obsessing over their hair and fixing it every 5 seconds, putting their humor and jokes on display to get attention, trying to figure out "who likes who", and just so worldly and carnal. They're acting JUST like the world, the thing they supposedly came OUT of! There should be a VERY clear and distinct line between the world and Christians. I don't want to be like them! What about you?

Why can't it be that you see Christian teens and young adults studying their Bibles, praying together, encouraging each other, going out witnessing (and literally witnessing! I've seen first hand how kids treat "Evangelism night" as a social club- a time to flirt, talk, and goof off, and then maybe leave a tract on a bench or chair), asking each other Bible questions,serving God with all their hearts, praising God, talking about what God's been doing in their lives, and just treating each other as true brothers and sisters in Christ. And you may say, "Well, no one is like that! When I get together with my friends they just want to talk about "who likes who" and just goof off. If I even brought up the things of God it'd be brushed off and the subject changed instantly." And you know what? I COMPLETELY understand! Sometimes I get so discouraged about all the carnal talk that I just stay with my Dad, because I know that who he's gonna be talking with will talk about what matters -Eternal stuff. Actually to be honest the MAJORITY of my friends are older then me (some even like 40 years older!). And I really enjoy talking with them because I know I can encourage (and be encouraged),pray for that person, share testimonies, study the Bible, talk about what God's doing, and go out witnessing with them. I know they'll be happy to talk about Jesus, and not brush it off or change the subject. Yes, I LOVE my older friends! <3 And not to say I don't have a few younger friends who do that too, I do. And also, on the flip side, if I only talked to my older friends, then who would encourage the younger ones? We need a generation that's gonna stand up and not care what their friends think.
It doesn't matter if they don't want to talk about Jesus, you still do it! Did the subject get changed? Change it back! They need you to be an example to them. I love all my friends, I care about them, and pray for them everyday. And you know what one of my prayers is? I pray that we'll be the generation who seeks God's face.
I pray that we'll be the generation that searches for Him with all our hearts, that loves precious lost souls and wants to see them saved. I pray that I can set a good example to my friends.
I completely understand if you get discouraged though, because sadly, there's almost NO young people out there who love God with everything in them. If you're like me you probably think how worldly, and carnal, and in mature they all are. You may feel like you're all alone in your walk with Christ. You may not understand how anyone just couldn't be HEAD OVER HEELS in LOVE with Jesus!!!! Just Madly and passionately in love with your Saviour!!! <3<3<3 But, as sad as it may seem, most young people today all they care about is the world. Jesus is not the love of their lives. They just care about having a new boyfriend or girlfriend every week. They obsess over their body, skin, hair, clothes, and face. Jesus is not the center of their lives. Their excuse usually is that they "don't have time" to serve Jesus. And I agree! It's true. They waste all their time on worldly meaningless stuff, that they truly do not have any time for Jesus! Well, you sure would have time to pray and read your Bible in the morning if you didn't spend 4 HOURS "getting ready". You could see lost souls get saved if you weren't hanging out at the mall, or out at the movie theaters for hours on Friday nights. You could draw closer to God and be fed, if you were actually paying attention to the sermon instead of thinking of that boy or girl, or passing notes to your friends. And you could be an example to your friends and encourage them to serve God, if you actually posted godly stuff on your Facebook or sent out godly emails, instead of posting 300 pictures of you in that new outfit or hair do, or sending out goofy and carnal emails.

The world (and the devil) are BOMBARDING young people with this false image of how they should act or look by using the T.V., computers, magazines, and books. Just look around you (or maybe don't look- it's so bad!). The T.V. shows encourage teens to flirt, have a million boyfriends or girlfriends, and disrespect their parents.
The magazines pull people in with phrases like: "Get skinny in 30 days!" or "How to get perfect skin in 5 easy steps."  also-"Hate your frizzy hair? Get the new Frizz-be-gone!" and even "How to attract a cute guy." etc.etc.etc. the list could go on and on! It's sickening to behold....:/ And they also have those "perfect" (actually air brushed) models on the front covers, who every girl is trying to look like, though they never will because they aren't even real pictures! It's all just a propped up, false image, that every one's going after. All the "new styles" that come out everyone just has to have, no one is an individual anymore. All the girls look like the latest actress or pop star singer, and same with the boys (Justin Beiber hair cuts, etc.). It's just plain RIDICULOUS!!!! The Bible says in Exodus 23:2 that "thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil..."No one listens to that anymore -for sure! And now worldly and Christian young people alike are buying into it hook, line, and sinker. SAD. VERY SAD.
We are NOT to be going to the world and seeing what they are doing, or how they do stuff and imitate them. Remember Dinah in Genesis 34. It says that she "went out to see the daughters of the land...." If you continue reading you'll see disastrous results that followed that very bad decision. Don't look at the daughters of the land (the world) and see what they're doing, look at Jesus and His words. If you look at the world you'll end up insecure, helpless, abused, and heart broken. Jesus would NEVER do that to His beloved children!

Another thing I'd like to say is this: you're really not as "eligible" as you think. You're only gonna be ONE man's wife, or ONE woman's husband. ONE. Not a million.
So why are you trying to attract every guy or girl possible anyways? And when you (as a Christian) are dressing like the world, and acting like the world, you know what you're gonna attract? A worldly and carnal person (or even in unbeliever!), who could really care less about you, but they're just selfish and like the way you make them feel.The whole dating philosophy is feeding this, and its SO messed up, but that's another discussion. I, for one, am NOT trying to attract a worldly guy. You know what kinda guy I'd like attracted to me? A God fearing, King James Bible loving, Satan and sin hating, holy, and set apart guy. A guy who loves God with ALL his heart, and desires to serve Him. A guy who loves lost souls and desires to see them saved. A man of God willing to take a stand no matter the cost. A mighty warrior for Jesus. But if I'm not being a God fearing, King James Bible loving, Satan and sin hating, holy, and set apart girl. A girl who loves God with all my my heart, and desires to serve Him. A girl who loves lost souls and desires to see them saved. A woman of God willing to take a stand no matter the cost. And being a mighty warrior for Jesus myself, then I won't attract that kind of guy! A true man of God will be attracted to a true woman of God. You don't even need to look for this match though. If your focus is the Lord Jesus Christ, and you're madly in love with Him, he'll provide you with a godly man or woman in due season.
A good Christian isn't gonna be attracted to someone who constantly worries about their looks, or who's flirtatious, or carnal.
I'm not saying that there's no physical attraction, but true love isn't just physical attraction. My brother is in a beautiful courtship with an awesome girl, and I thought it was so sweet that they told each other that even if their faces got clawed by a bear, or burned off, or whatever, they'd still love each other. Now that is true love right there.<3
True love isn't selfish, but selfless. True charity is a giving love. Read the famous 1 Corinthians 13 chapter and just look at all that giving. The word charity is a very strong word. Back in the day when a man really, REALLY loved a woman he'd say "I cherish you", which meant that he really meant it! Love gives.<3

Okay, so we've seen the world's opinion and now let's look at the Bible our final authority.
It says in Proverbs 31:30 "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."
A woman that fears the Lord will be praised! You may see all those worldly women everywhere getting praised for their beauty, but don't let it fool you. They just have a empty, hollow, and propped up beauty that is going to fade with age and time. If you see a godly women who loves God-she is the fairest of them all! Even if she doesn't get praised here on earth, she definitely WILL in Heaven. If you look in verse 28 of that same chapter it states that, "Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her." She definitely had a God fearing man who saw what a jewel she was, and he called her blessed, and he praised her. Her kids did too!
Another good verse is 1 Samuel 16:7 (This is VERY providential because I just read this verse in my Bible reading! God is so awesome-sigh)
"But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." Man may look on the outward appearance but God looks on the heart. What does God see when he looks at your heart?

Guys, we need to stop being so focused on outward, outward. I mean we do need a proper balance. You do need to be focused on outward when choosing what to wear (modest apparel), or on conducting ourselves in a holy matter, and the Bible does say in 1 Thess. 5:22 to "Abstain from all appearance of evil." But, that's where proper balance is key.
Also, when you're serving God, and your heart is right, the outward will start becoming the inward. When your heart is right with God you'll want to be modest, you'll want to be holy, and you will abstain from all appearance of evil. Make sure your heart is right!

If you desire to someday (Lord willing) get married to a godly person (I know I do!), then you need to not adopt the world's way, but God's way.
What's "cool" or "in style" shouldn't be our lifestyle. Who cares if everyone thinks you're weird, or outdated. Who cares if all the so called "pretty" girls are getting praised. When you get to heaven and God himself looks at you and says (in my case)"Hope, well done thou good and faithful servant. Enter thou into the joy of the
Lord." And you get HIS praise and HIS rewards, and it will be just Awesome! NOTHING will compare-I Promise you that much. :) We are not serving man or pleasing man.
One of my favorite verses is Galatians 1:10,"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

My goal is to be So focused on God, so FULL of Him, and SO MADLY in love with Him that -even if I never get married- He WILL be enough. He IS enough. And even if the Lord wills me to get married I will always know who my FIRST love is-The Lord Jesus Christ!<3<3<3<3
My future husband will be second, but I know he won't care because I'll be second to him too!
Jesus is my first love and my beloved, and I know that He'll be my future husband's first love as well.

Guys, let's be a generation that's different. Let the world look at us young people and say "Man, they are weird. They aren't like us!"
Let's be like Jason and the Disciples in Act 17 where they "...turned the world upside down..."
Let's be radical young people who aren't after attracting the opposite sex, but trying to attract Jesus Christ. Let's go after God's VERY heart.<3
Is no one else doing this? WHO CARES! Are you with me? Though none go with me, still I will follow.
Who Are You Really Trying to Attract?
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
~Hope <3