So… are you scared of church girls? The Bible mentions the words “Fear Not” and other words like it roughly 400 times and makes references to themes like worry, insecurity, etc. a whole lot more. Basically, fear and its close relatives are popular characters that show its ugly face that not only show up in the Bible but are actively present all throughout the world we live and muck up the path that we trudge through daily in life. I can’t even remotely count all the times I have been advised by people in my life as it pertains to dating that “ALL you need to do is be BRAVE.” Well, that seems easier said than done. I do not seem to have a problem speaking or preaching to thousands of people or playing basketball in front of 20,000 hostile fans, or taking the gospel into nations that do not hide their agenda of killing Christians. I am not known by anyone to be shy and I can strike up a conversation with anyone anywhere. But when it comes to standing in front of a beautiful girl in church that I have just a pinch of interest in, you will see my panic from an overwhelming sense of fear and anxiety. If fear was an actor in a movie, we should constantly nominate its ugly and deplorable performances yearly for a Razzie award, but somehow we venerate it to Oscar or Academy Award level status. We all hate fear but somehow are ironically afraid to live without it. We are addicted to fear and allow it to dictate our lives. Fear is a multitrillion dollar industry. Marketing is fixated on our constant fear, anxiety, and insecurity. And all of us tend to buy into it and somehow we can’t seem to unsubscribe from it like our Netflix accounts. The church is a hotbed for all these fear driven people to come together and perpetuate it. More and more people are showing up to church because they fear death, eternity, loneliness, God, etc. and sadly, too many people leave weekly church services with just enough spiritual strength and motivation to hopefully get them back a week later for another perfectly rehearsed Worship set by the band and well planned out sermon by the pastor. The church is supposed to be a community where broken people come together in the name of Jesus for encouragement, strength building, discipleship, gift development, worship, excitement, etc. (how can you do that in just an hour service a week?) But sadly, church has all too often become more like the pharmaceutical companies who create drugs that make you feel like you are getting better but keep you coming back for more while never really helping you heal. And somehow the marketing has you convinced that their church is the best option to solve your problems. But that’s church. What does that have to do with dating, marriage, love, etc.? After all, that’s why you are probably here. The truth is, I am single. I am getting older. I am often annoyed, frustrated, hopeful, excited, disappointed, etc. when it comes to my dating life, I pretty much have gone through all the emotional ranges that one can have. This blog is my reflection on my experiences in this area and all my raw opinions that will undoubtedly keep me single forever. I am on a journey to face my fear of church girls… and I am trying to understand more and more how the church plays a role in this fear and so much more. Question to leave you with: WHAT IS IT ABOUT CHURCH THAT SCARES YOU AT TIMES? |
AuthorLuke Elie (That's me) is a hopeless romantic who has a heart for the singles population in the church. Archives
September 2021
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