Respecting ourselves and setting examples

As a teen, I realize that I do not have the experiences that the adults around me do. However, I am still affected by what goes on around me, and especially the things that revolve around the younger part of my generation. It makes me upset to see how many pre-teens think it is cool to post pictures that show way too much skin. These postings even bother me when someone my age is the owner. I think it is in no way attractive when I see pictures of guys wearing their pants too low and smoking a cigar, or doing drugs. In fact, I find it horribly disgusting! I also don’t like how girls now think it is only attractive if they show off all their cleavage, or if they go so many times to the tanning bed that they turn out orange. I’m not as upset about the pictures themselves, rather the message they send. So many pre-teens look up to teenagers, and by posting these pictures, we aren’t really setting a good example for them. While media from celebrities has an impact on what society defines as beauty, we somewhat have the same effect on the younger part of our generation. I remember when I was in 6^th grade and walked into the middle school for the first time. The eighth graders seemed so cool, and the seniors in high school were like celebrities. I can’t be the only one that looked up to them, and hoped to be like them someday. Doesn’t that mean, then, that others do the same? That when those 6^th graders see posts from 10^th, 11^th, 12^th graders on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, they put it in an ever-expanding file in their mind? That when these tweens find themselves posting on the social websites, they might recall those files, and use them as examples? That’s why I think it is so important to remember who is going to see those tweets and pictures. Likewise, God says in 1^st Timothy 2:9 “I want women to show their beauty by dressing in appropriate clothes that are modest and respectable. Their beauty will be shown by what they do, not be their hair styles of the gold jewelry, pearls, or expensive clothes they wear.” I realize that most of us want to look nice; we want to wear the jewelry and makeup. However, we can do that without exposing all of our skin. Aren’t we supposed to respect our body? Isn't our body a temple of God? I can’t imagine that God finds all these pictures ‘cute’ like the girls that post them do. I respect my body, and I know that by being modest and not worrying so much about how short my shorts are, it will be easier for me to keep my eyes on God. 

                             -"Stand tall but above it all, fix my eyes on you" Fix my eyes by For King and Country 

                                         ~Anna~