Have you ever stopped to think about what makes the ideal man or woman? It is a great question that college freshman, Paige Roberts, decided to tackle for an English class assignment.
Take a few minutes to see what Paige and her peers believe is the ideal for a man or woman:
What did you think?
Do you want to know what I think?
Well, I am thrilled that Paige is wrestling with this question and challenging her peers to consider it as well. However, I am a bit disappointed by a majority of their responses. Their sincerity is obvious, as well as their hopefulness that their definition of man or woman would one day be fulfilled in their spouse. Yet, I don't believe they realize how subtly they have been tainted by the opinions of the culture. In their thoughts, I see a naivety in understanding what make an ideal man and woman. Moreover, I am deeply concerned about how their future relationships might turn out if their ideal is indeed pursued and fulfilled.
After thirteen years of marriage, I can testify to the fact that both societies standard of ideal and the thoughts of these college students miss the mark. An ideal man or woman should not be someone with the right personality, right appearance, right social habits. That is personal opinion. And remember, looks fade and personalities change.
Determining an ideal man or woman should not be like selecting ice cream and toppings off a menu at the local Friendly's. Tastes change. And ingredients turn sour. An ideal man or woman needs to have substance that transcends personal preference. The answer to this question needs to go deeper, beyond the surface. It should focus on the character of the person, and most importantly their heart.
We ought to be looking for our ideal in the same way God does -- at the heart.
The heart is the command central for every human being. Physically, it keeps life going. Spiritually, it houses the source of our identity, purpose, passion, pain, and perspective. It is in the heart we believe that Jesus is Lord. It is from the heart that the mouth speaks. It is in the heart we hide our pain. It is from the heart we share God's love.
1 Samuel 16:7
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."
The state of our heart determines the state of our lives. So instead of looking on the outside appearance, we must look into the heart of another person to find their character.
In my humble opinion, the ideal man or woman has received Jesus as their Lord, allowing His transforming work to take place in their heart and manifest through out their lives. This ideal person honors God, obeys His Word, loves Jesus, is led the by Holy Spirit, repents quickly, confesses sin to others as a form of accountability, seeks to care for the poor, the hungry, the fatherless and the widow. The ideal man or woman knows their own depravity and God's ultimate sovereignty, living in reverence of Him and purposed to give God glory in all things.
A man or woman who lives by these principles is not perfect, but rather is continually being transformed by God into His perfection.
A man or woman who lives by these principles is not beautiful according to the standards of this world, but rather is beautiful from the inside out with a captivating countenance.
A man or woman who lives by these principles is not necessarily popular, but more often is persecuted for their faith. Even so, in this God's strength is display and it is stunning.
To find an ideal man or woman is to find the character of God living on this earth. It is a worthy pursuit, to find such a person. Moreover, it is a worthy pursuit to become such a person, for the glory of God.
By His Grace & Mighty Power,
Mrs. P
About Paige Roberts
I am a freshman at Miami University. I’m involved with Campus Crusade for Christ at Miami and I love meeting new people every day here. The most important thing in my life is my relationship with God. I was saved when I was a little kid and made the decision to be baptized during high school. To me faith is everything and don’t get me wrong, I have been teased for it, but in my eyes what I’m living for is worth everything I’m getting here. I am trying to live my life like a woman of God, so when my English 112 professor assigned our video assignment I knew this would be a perfect opportunity to show what matters in a relationship in general. I know people my age tend to think it’s all about looks and I was hoping to prove that looks weren’t everything. As it turns out, there are some more important factors when looking for a mate, whether you are a male or female and my video explains what I found in my research. Enjoy!
I loved this!
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