Have you seen the Live 31 campaign?
It’s blanketing the internet on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and the blogosphere; here is how their website says it began:
“Live 31 began on November 30, 2011 with a simple status update, “I’d rather have a Proverbs 31 woman than a Victoria’s Secret model.” Throughout the night, this status was reposted numerous times. As the status spread, we saw there was need for more action. We started with a Facebook page saying the same thing as our status updates. With mixed receptions of our message, we decided to post a video. Our founder, Alex Eklund, clarified our message, and we started to grow. In 3 days, we received over 120,000 views on youtube, and our Facebook page grew to over 7,000 likes.”
Basically it’s five freshmen guys from Baylor University wanting to change the way society looks at beauty. Clothing line and merchandise will be available soon to help this happen. *clearing throat*
Here is a link to the video that is getting most of the attention:
I believe this guy is serious (and a serious entrepreneur) and I do applaud his stand against the sexist way that women are treated and how beauty has been falsely portrayed as something to be seen and not experience within.
But, honestly this whole Live 31 campaign has been troubling to me from the beginning. I’m afraid it puts the sense in a woman’s head that she feels she must live up to either a Victoria Secret model OR all the characteristics of the busy Proverbs 31 woman. God has uniquely created each and every one of us to know Him and be beautiful in the life that He gave to us. Not all of us will be wives, mothers or work outside the home as the Proverbs 31 woman did. And some supermodels will know Jesus and love Him with all their heart and be wonderful wives and mothers.
Unfortunately I’ve spent a lot of time lately with women who are struggling under the weight of performance. Trying to be such a Godly woman, wife and mom that they are missing the whole point of being a Godly woman…the relationship with God. With the help of church leaders they’ve taken on a burden to perform that God never gave them. Running around trying to do it all and yet they’re dry and thirsty on the inside desperately needing a time of refreshing that can only be found in a one on one relationship with their heavenly Father.
A Godly woman is one who has her hope in God and knows she’s loved by the One who created her and shows that confidence in all she does by living loved and loving others. Sadly I think that the whole point of Proverbs 31 gets lost in the middle of the chapter with all the “doing.”
Proverbs 31:30: Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
Start there…with fear (honor and respect) for God, and watch what He does with your life.
I made this a few years ago when I had written a few posts on women in leadership.
Whether a woman is walking a runway or busily spinning her wool and flax or doing neither, she is beautiful and loved by God exactly the way she is. When she yields her life to God, He will bring her on a journey to take care of the outside stuff that needs to change and heal whatevers hurting on the inside in the process.
Here’s a link to another article that I read yesterday on the subject: J Bryant Writes
I’d love to hear your thoughts…
Innteresting read