Author: Robert
Refrigerators and Singleness
A buddy of mine came to my house today and was looking through my refrigerator and made the following comment: “You can tell a lot about a guy by the way his refrigerator looks.”
To which I replied, “Are you implying that the organization of the contents of my refrigerator suggests that I am gay?” He said, “Yes.”
Why did I tell you that seemingly pointless story? My friend was jokingly expressing a true fact of life and that is that my character is reflected both in the contents of my refrigerator and in the way it’s organized.
“The heavens are telling of the glory of God.”
If you have been a Christian for a while this verse may sound familiar to you. It’s from Psalm 19:1. You may have heard it interpreted as God’s characteristics being reflected within nature. This is an accurate and true interpretation of the verse. But nature is not the only realm in which we can see God’s character. We can also see his character through human relationships.
Man is made in the image of God and there possess characteristics or attributes that are similar to God; attributes such as holiness, righteousness, creation, etc. Please understand that we do not possess these attributes as perfectly as God (we are not perfectly holy) but we do possess them nonetheless.
Paul explains another way in which we reflect the character of God when he talks about marriage in Ephesians 5:22-25 as he describes the relationship between a husband and a wife as being similar to the relationship between Christ and the church. It is not uncommon to hear Christians make the same comparison today. Why? Because it’s true. If you want a visible, tangible reminder of how much Jesus loves us find a healthy marriage.
My point is simple: humanity reflects the character of God. And this is just as true in marriage as it is also true in singleness? That’s right. In the same way that the marriage relationship teaches us about God, so does singleness. But what exactly does singleness teach us or remind us about God? Consider the following thoughts:
Singleness is a reminder that God is one. The trinity has been a hot topic of debate but has sort of waned a bit. One of the good things that came out of this debate was how much the trinity reflected God’s goal in human relationships. Just as God is three, it is has always been God’s design that his people exist in community. But we must not forget that just as God is three persons, he is also one God.
Singleness is a reminder that God desires unity within his Church. God is one and also expects his people to be unified (John 17:21).
Singleness is a reminder of the continuing importance of the Great Commission. Singles (non-married and childless) do not have the restrictions that come with marriage and children and therefore have some discretion with that they do with their time. So it seems to me that the church should not have a problem getting singles involved in The Great Commission. However, this is not the case. Very few singles realize this freedom or even if they do, may not care to take advantage of it. Why? Perhaps one reason is because so many think of singleness as a state to get out of rather than maximize for the potential it gives them to get involved in the Great Commission. Therefore instead of being preoccupied with spreading the awareness of a loving God, they are preoccupied with finding a wife or a husband.
Singleness is a reminder to the church that the primary mechanism of the growth of God’s Kingdom is spiritual birth. In the Old Testament (OT), God’s Kingdom grew by procreation. That’s why marriage and childbirth are seen as such a big deal in the OT because in that day the primary means of numerical growth among God’s people was natural childbirth. Eunuchs and barrenness were seen as curses and marriage and childbirth were seen as being accepted into the people of God. Thus, for an Israelite, the potential tragedy of dying as a eunuch or virgin in the OT goes hand-in-hand with the tragedy of dying barren. Singleness was frowned upon and nobody wanted it. However, things changed at the advent of Christ. The coming of Christ established a new order. The primary mechanism of growth of God’s Kingdom was no longer procreation, but spiritual birth through The Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20).
These are a few things I think about as far as what singleness teaches us or reminds us about God. It’s time we start taking this season of life a little more seriously. You agree? Whether you are single or married, the bottom line is that God wants you to maximize that this season of life for all he wants to do in you and through you.
What would you add, modify or remove from my list? What do you think singleness reminds or teaches us about God? Leave a comment.
Homosexual Christians???
Is that an oxymoron? Is it possible for someone to be gay and still be a Christian? Some say yes and others say no. What do you say? I’ll share my thoughts later.
Should Girls Be Allowed to Join a Wrestling Team?
On March 4, 2009 Elissa Reinsma became the first female to compete in the Minnesota state high school wrestling tournament.
You may wonder why this is such a big deal considering this is a site about living out our theology. The reason this is important because it raises all sorts of issues related to gender and how there are differences between men and women. John Piper expresses this very well in his response as he calls on fathers to stand up and be leaders:
Wrestling obliges you to grab, squeeze, and pull with all your might. If a boy tries not to touch or grasp a wrestler around the chest, or not to let his legs entwine with the other wrestler, or not to slam his full body length on hers, he will wrestle with a handicap. Of course, he is being taught that handicap is not a virtue.
Get real, dads. You know exactly what almost every healthy boy is thinking. If a jock from Northern Minnesota encircles her around the breasts and twists his leg around her thighs, trust me, he will dream about that tonight. Only in his dream she won’t have clothes on. And if he doesn’t dream it, half the boys in the crowd will. Wake up dads. You know this.
Manly gentleness is not an epidemic in our culture. Rap videos, brutal movies, fatherless homes, and military madness have already made thousands of women the victim of man’s abuse. Now we would make the high school version of feministic nature-denial a partner in this undermining of masculine gentleness.
When the apostle of Jesus tells us to live with our wives “in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel” (1Peter 3:7), he dumps a truckload of wisdom that fathers should build into their sons.
There is a way to honor a woman. That’s our job as men. This honor “understands” something. It understands that women are the “weaker vessel.” This has nothing to do with less personal worth and in many cases not even with physical stamina. It has to do with pervasive realities that shape the way healthy societies work.
It means that we should raise sons to think of themselves as protectors. Tell them they should lay their lives down to protect girls. Help them know that God designed them to grow up to be a picture of Jesus in their marriage. Nurture the instinct of a boy to fight for girls not against them.
I just watched a wrestling instructional video on line, illustrating some basic moves for the takedown and pin. These two guys are pressing and pulling on each other with unfettered and total contact. And it isn’t soft. It’s what we do not allow our sons to do to girls.
Okay, dads, here’s what you tell your son. You say, “There will be no belittling comments about her being ‘a girl.’ There will be no sexual slurs. If you get matched with her, you simply say to the judges, ‘Sir, I won’t wrestle a girl. My parents have taught me not to touch a girl that way. I think it would dishonor her. I hope you will match me with a guy. If not, I am willing to be disqualified. It’s that important.’”
Be a leader, dad. Your sons need you. The peer pressure is huge. They need manly restraints. They know this is wrong. But then they look around, and the groundswell of conformity seems irresistible. It will take a real man, a real father, to say to his son. “Not on my watch, son. We don’t fight women. I have not raised you that way.”
Is God a Hypocrite?
God tells us to love our neighbor which includes our enemies. However, we are also told that God chooses who will go to heaven. Does this make God a hypocrite? What are your thoughts?
The Right Way To Study Theology and Doctrine
Some of my favorite Christian books are by dead people. One them, Martyn-Lloyd Jones made a comment about the proper way to study end times doctrine.
This quote is from a book he wrote called The Great Doctrines of the Bible. The quote is specifically about studying Eschatology (end times) but I felt it was also applicable to the study of theology in general.
There is a right way and a wrong way to study this great doctrine, and if you want to be sure that you are doing it in the right way, this is an infallible test: if your study of it humbles you, your study is in the right way. If it inflates you or inflames your mind and your passion, you are studying it in the wrong way. If the study of it leads you to go down on your knees in worship and adoration and praise, it is the right way; but if it gives you a sense of self-satisfaction that you have understood it and, as it were, have encompassed the thing with your own mind, this it is utterly and absolutely wrong. If your study of it makes you realize that the time is short and you must be up and doing, that you must purify yourself and prepare yourself for it, then you are studying the right way. But if it is something purely intellectual, and it does not affect your spirit and your way of living, then you can be certain that your whole approach is wrong. This is not a subject for the mind only, it is for the whole person. It is the ultimate end of salvation. It is the completion of all that we have hitherto been privileged to consider together. May God give us grace, therefore, to approach this glorious truth in that way (emphasis added).
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