Reason #585
I hardly ever watch TV anymore, and I haven't listened to secular music in a few years, but I heard about the VMA's on Sunday night. Of course, if you pay any attention to the news or social media, you probably did, too. There was one performance that everyone was talking about, so I decided I'd youtube it to see what the big deal was.
Miley Cyrus made a new name for herself on Sunday night and started quite the buzz. I won't lie, I watched the video with my mouth hanging open in complete shock. It didn't take long for the new feeds to fill up with negative comments. It seems that every comment has been negative, and while it's easy to be so judgmental about the whole thing, and towards her as a person, I think we need to take a long hard look at ourselves before we start throwing rocks at her.
Now you're probably reading this thinking, "Ya right, I am nothing like Miley Cyrus. I don't act, behave or think like her in the least." Well, Sunday night, she spent less than 10 minutes hopping around stage to make a mint of money. She made a strategic career move that would not only grow her bank account but would also grow publicity. And she made sure to look her best doing it. In shape, thin, and looking sexy, she was the ideal pop star. She sold her image to millions of viewers paying to watch her. Rather that was positive or negative, it didn't really matter because either way, she got attention and a lot of it at that. So you still think you have nothing in common with her?
Miley Cyrus stood on that stage exemplifying everything the American culture has become. A girl who started out as a Disney star and has completely changed her image within a few short years. And so we look at her and we point fingers. We cast judgment on her and say things like, "What a shame. How could she do that? How disappointing." Yet, in reality, we do the same thing every day. Truth be told, our lives don't always look a whole lot different from her life. The only exception is that she has the opportunity to showcase it on public TV while the rest of us live it out in private. Because how many of us are willing to work ridiculous hours, put our job before anything else, go to great lengths to get attention, power, and approval at work so that we can make more money? Our job didn't start that way, but the higher our paycheck got, the more we were willing to do to keep it that way. And while it sounds really noble that we are hard working, we are actually working hard to build a worldly kingdom for ourselves. Working hard to not only keep up with Jones's but also out do them. Building homes large enough to house a small village, a car that costs more than we make in a year, and designer everything. And image, yea, how many of us have poured countless hours of energy and effort into the way we look? Desiring to be an object of affection and admiration. Choosing to skip a meal here or there, run to the newest diet fad, take shots of Botox in an attempt to reverse the clock, snip here, tuck there, conceal that, cover those, and crunch, squat, crunch. Hollywood isn't the only place where image matters. We pursue the exact same things, we just take a different avenue to get them.
I'm preaching to the choir here, people. I have more in common with that girl that I'd like to admit right now. Because I like money and making more doesn't ever sound like a bad idea. I want to look good and be admired. I want attention, I want power, I want to be noticed, and I like it when I am. I want people to know who I am, and I want them to know what I can do. And while I'll never see my name in the lime lights, I'd have a hard time turning it down were the opportunity ever presented. But I secretly judge and I point fingers while saying things like, "I'd never do that." And while I wouldn't on such a grand scale, there are so many little ways in which I actually do.
Remember that story about throwing stones? Remember how Jesus told the crowd that anyone who wasn't like that "sinful, adulterous woman" could throw a stone? And remember how they all had to drop their stones because they realized that they were just like her in their own way? But notice the very one who could have thrown a stone, the one who was perfect and sinless, chose to love. He chose not to judge but to look deeper and see that the very thing that was going to change that woman was not the pointing out of her faults but rather sincere love, which covers a multitude of sins.
And so yea, I don't agree with any of the performances on the VMA's last night. I don't agree with the culture, either. But I realize that cutting people down and ripping them to shreds never solves anything. Love does. Because we aren't any better. We are just as guilty, lost, and hopeless without Jesus in our lives, and so we need to put down our stones. We need to love people, pray for them, and show them what an abundant, fulfilling, joy filled life looks like. And praise the Lord that He came to give us that rather than coming to throw around stones.
#585 - Because He came to show us love, not to throw stones.
"When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” - John 8:9-11
Miley Cyrus made a new name for herself on Sunday night and started quite the buzz. I won't lie, I watched the video with my mouth hanging open in complete shock. It didn't take long for the new feeds to fill up with negative comments. It seems that every comment has been negative, and while it's easy to be so judgmental about the whole thing, and towards her as a person, I think we need to take a long hard look at ourselves before we start throwing rocks at her.
Now you're probably reading this thinking, "Ya right, I am nothing like Miley Cyrus. I don't act, behave or think like her in the least." Well, Sunday night, she spent less than 10 minutes hopping around stage to make a mint of money. She made a strategic career move that would not only grow her bank account but would also grow publicity. And she made sure to look her best doing it. In shape, thin, and looking sexy, she was the ideal pop star. She sold her image to millions of viewers paying to watch her. Rather that was positive or negative, it didn't really matter because either way, she got attention and a lot of it at that. So you still think you have nothing in common with her?
Miley Cyrus stood on that stage exemplifying everything the American culture has become. A girl who started out as a Disney star and has completely changed her image within a few short years. And so we look at her and we point fingers. We cast judgment on her and say things like, "What a shame. How could she do that? How disappointing." Yet, in reality, we do the same thing every day. Truth be told, our lives don't always look a whole lot different from her life. The only exception is that she has the opportunity to showcase it on public TV while the rest of us live it out in private. Because how many of us are willing to work ridiculous hours, put our job before anything else, go to great lengths to get attention, power, and approval at work so that we can make more money? Our job didn't start that way, but the higher our paycheck got, the more we were willing to do to keep it that way. And while it sounds really noble that we are hard working, we are actually working hard to build a worldly kingdom for ourselves. Working hard to not only keep up with Jones's but also out do them. Building homes large enough to house a small village, a car that costs more than we make in a year, and designer everything. And image, yea, how many of us have poured countless hours of energy and effort into the way we look? Desiring to be an object of affection and admiration. Choosing to skip a meal here or there, run to the newest diet fad, take shots of Botox in an attempt to reverse the clock, snip here, tuck there, conceal that, cover those, and crunch, squat, crunch. Hollywood isn't the only place where image matters. We pursue the exact same things, we just take a different avenue to get them.
I'm preaching to the choir here, people. I have more in common with that girl that I'd like to admit right now. Because I like money and making more doesn't ever sound like a bad idea. I want to look good and be admired. I want attention, I want power, I want to be noticed, and I like it when I am. I want people to know who I am, and I want them to know what I can do. And while I'll never see my name in the lime lights, I'd have a hard time turning it down were the opportunity ever presented. But I secretly judge and I point fingers while saying things like, "I'd never do that." And while I wouldn't on such a grand scale, there are so many little ways in which I actually do.
Remember that story about throwing stones? Remember how Jesus told the crowd that anyone who wasn't like that "sinful, adulterous woman" could throw a stone? And remember how they all had to drop their stones because they realized that they were just like her in their own way? But notice the very one who could have thrown a stone, the one who was perfect and sinless, chose to love. He chose not to judge but to look deeper and see that the very thing that was going to change that woman was not the pointing out of her faults but rather sincere love, which covers a multitude of sins.
And so yea, I don't agree with any of the performances on the VMA's last night. I don't agree with the culture, either. But I realize that cutting people down and ripping them to shreds never solves anything. Love does. Because we aren't any better. We are just as guilty, lost, and hopeless without Jesus in our lives, and so we need to put down our stones. We need to love people, pray for them, and show them what an abundant, fulfilling, joy filled life looks like. And praise the Lord that He came to give us that rather than coming to throw around stones.
#585 - Because He came to show us love, not to throw stones.
"When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” - John 8:9-11
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