Desperate Women, Desperate Measures, Desperate Times!

"In that day seven women
will take hold of one man
and say, "We will eat our own food
and provide our own clothes;
only let us be called by your name.
Take away our disgrace!" (Isaiah 4:1, NIV text)

The situation concerning which Isaiah prophecied is not far from true in our own day. So many women do not know what it means to be a woman, neither do they know what it means to be a man (it is important to know both since woman comes from man and must be defined in light of this--for women are not independent of men (nor men of women) (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:11-12, Genesis 1-2), nor do they know what a good husband is like and what it is that their hearts truly long for.

In the culture which brings us such shows as Sex and the City, The O.C., and Desperate Housewives, it is no surprise that both men and women are confused as to right and wrong and what is actually good for them. The days of chivalry are dying off quickly for the lust of feminism. Men are often seen as, portrayed as, and become merely sex-driven maniacs who will do anything to get a woman (or as many women as possible) into bed. Men are becoming mere machines who are passively controlled by the whims of any sun-bathed blond. No longer does the man seek to please his date in gentlemanly kindness so that she will have an enjoyable evening, rather, these men only show any kindness to get a night of pleasure, and they'll live at the mercy of their date to gain this mud-pie of a reward.

With this loss of true manhood has also come a loss of true womanhood. Women have been reduced, in many occassions, to mere sex objects. Our culture, in the name of liberating women, has made them to be mere objects for perverted pleasures. Women are made to think that they have to look a certain way--and many go to any extreme to become the starved Victoria's Secret model that God has not crafted them to be. There is a fine line between seeking to be a stick figure and seeking to live a healthy life--but women are told they must be a 5'10" size 0. Women are made to think that they must be the pursuers, and not the pursued. They are left to believe that they must present themselves in a way that men will take the bait; they are conditioned to believe that they must grab hold of a man at all costs, and that they must be the instigators.

Now, I am not degrading women in the least, and I apologize if it seems that I am, rather, I am simply stated what I have observed--after all, I have met some very amazing, godly women in my life. But I have also seen guy's websites that have desperate women who are searching for someone to love them posting comments about the guy's body, how they want him, and countless other quite illicit blurbs. The women want to be noticed, they want to be liked, even if that means that all that they get is a guy who treats them horribly. They aren't concerned with finding a man of God (for Christians, and at least a genuinely sincere, intelligent, gentleman for unbelievers) who will treasure them for the rest of their lives. Rather, they'll try to attach themselves to a man who has fading affections for them. Women beware! Men often know what you want. They can play the part of a witty, charming, seemingly caring man until they have you emotionally dependant upon them--then, when it is too late, they show their true selfish, conceited, uncaring nature. These men will not make good husbands, and don't think for a moment that you'll truly be able to change them.

Many women, so confused by the culture, are left in a never ending search for romance and love in all the wrong places. Many do not even know what they truly want or need. Rather than looking for a man who is genuinely kind to them, who has a servant's heart and is willing to put them first, women look for the James Bond model of a man. Do not look for the man who is debonair (in the modern definition), flashy, and can merely show you a good time. Look for a man who is following God, and follow him. Look for a man who is kind to all, not just to you on rare occassions. Look for a man who you think is attractive; but remember that you don't need Tom Cruise. Look for a man with whom you can have fun, but also a man who can be serious and who can be the head of a household. No man is perfect. He's going to have faults. If he is a man who is worth keeping, he'll listen to you, so tell him what you perceive as his faults and help him to work on them. If you find a man like this, he's a rare find (they were rare in Biblical times, and they are just as rare now)--as is a godly women (cf. Proverbs 31:10).

It's a sad day in which we live--times that are quite like those of Isaiah. Desperate women are going to desperate measures to find themselves desperately lacking men. Sisters (and brothers) in Christ, do not get sucked into this trap. Men, do not be "hanger-outer boys." Women, do not seek to force yourself into a relationship with the rockstar by posting seductive pictures and sayings on his website. Seek excelence, not cultural mores.