20 :: My Sexy Earthen Vessel
The way I see it, my body has three purposes.
- To highlight my Creator. I was made in His image, and I’m His workmanship … I reflect His creativity and passion, and my body, in general, is beautiful. Not that a skinny, hairy, goofy-looking fella like me is particularly “attractive” … but I’ve definitely got some amazing stuff in me (mitochondria, passions, an immune system, a spirit that connects with Eternity, loads of snot, etc). And it’s right for me to look at another one of His creations and see something beautiful or lovely … anyone who says otherwise simply doesn’t understand how to worship (and probably has a pretty unhealthy self-image to boot).
- To temporarily house me. This body is a flimsy tent, a container that is designed to fall apart. As I go through this mortal life, it breaks down … and I shouldn’t be surprised when sickness, injury, disease, and death all have their way with it (or with the bodies of the people I love). In fact, when that stuff happens it once again highlights our Creator! Nope, I wasn’t meant to live in this body forever … but I was meant to groan for freedom from it, for the Eternity that has started in my heart and will continue when I die. In the meantime, however, I should take care of my body … it’s His temple. To pursue His kingdom, I need to be healthy and alive and able to give!
- To give her pleasure. Let’s face it … most men are just plain ugly. But if my Smeagol-looking self is somehow sexy to the one I love, then she can have all of me. If she wants me bald, I’ll get bald. If she wants me buff, I’ll get buff. I’ll wear the clothes she thinks are attractive, shave or grow a beard as she desires, get really skinny or put on the pounds, and pierce or tattoo myself to high heaven … if it pleases her. And I’ll do everything that I can to learn to serve her physically and sexually with my body … ’cause God designed us to fit together.
Wouldn’t you agree?
May 20th, 2008 at 8:04 am EST
what if she just wants you to be yourself??
May 20th, 2008 at 8:22 am EST
Then I, of course, will.
But I really doubt that she won’t have any preferences, and I know that I’m going to care a lot more about her than I will about my body. So it’s hers!
May 20th, 2008 at 9:29 am EST
of course i’ll agree! as a female, why wouldn’t i?
May 20th, 2008 at 1:40 pm EST
yeah, I’d say that about sums it up, and nicely so, lance
May 20th, 2008 at 3:07 pm EST
I hope a lot of people read this post in particular. Well said. Specifically for guys, I would add that you are created the way you are to provide protection for others - which falls into both #1 and #3. I think #1 is obvious. In case #3 isn’t so obvious… I’m getting at the desire many women have to feel secure and how it makes us feel (safe, happy, sexy even) when our husbands provide protection for us and for our children. Matt doesn’t have to do anything in particular to make this happen either - it’s just his presence in the home or with us when we’re out and about.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:20 pm EST
I hope so too, Beth … these words have been percolating for a long time.
May 20th, 2008 at 9:48 pm EST
You’re… Too sexy for your shirt… Too sexy for your shirt… You’re too sexy!
May 21st, 2008 at 1:01 am EST
HP - I laughed out loud when i read your comment!
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:09 pm EST
Playing the ‘what if’ card here….
What if your girl doesn’t have the same sense of body sacrifice? If she (unlike you) cannot lose the pounds you want her to….or doesn’t want to make any changes to her body to fit your version of pretty?
May 22nd, 2008 at 5:24 pm EST
Great question, anon. To be clear, I’m talking about my own body, and about my own choices … I think that it would be quite unreasonable to project the expectations from #3 onto her, especially before I even know who she is! But I see what you’re saying, and I think it would definitely make me a little sad if one day she just decided to give up. Even then, however, I’d choose to love her … because I already know that she is gorgeous.
Here’s where it gets interesting, to me … if the situation were reversed, and she had expectations that were beyond my capabilities, I’m not sure what I’d do. Probably everything I could. I know my body pretty well, and I’m pretty sure that all of the things I listed are totally feasible, at least in the near future. But what if i just end up falling short … if my touch just isn’t soft enough, or if my skin just doesn’t clear up, or if I develop an illness or injury that incapacitates me?
Simply put, if we don’t have a healthy understanding of #2, then we’re in big trouble. Our relationship must be based on the eternal!
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:19 am EST
Along the same lines as Beth’s comment, you are also unique so you can be a provider. (Think cave man killing whooly mammoth with bare hands…GRUNT!) There are many times when I am so exhausted (physically, mentally, spiritually), yet I need to press on beyond what the “weaker sex” (not meant in a denigrating way - see 1 Peter 3:7) may be able to handle.
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:53 am EST
Of course it would be sad if she “gave up.” It would be sad, though, not because she is no longer as attractive as she was in her younger years, because we all know that age works against us if we wait long enough, but sad because she is no longer making the effort to please you in that way. However, I think the important thing here is again communication. (Yes, this is definitely theme with me.) If you communicate, lovingly, what you desire of her in her appearance, she will probably enjoy working towards that, especially when you praise her for what you find attractive and for her efforts in improvement. But there needs to be encouragement rather than judgment, grace when it’s difficult, and unconditional love even in the face of failure, as you alluded to. And hopefully she will extend the same encouragement, grace, and love to you in your efforts to be what she desires as well.
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:39 am EST
Great advice … thanks, Jenn!
July 11th, 2008 at 8:22 am EST
I sooo thought of this post when I read this headline; ” George Clooney takes his sexiness seriously ”
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-07/11/content_8529200.htm