Near the end of 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul used a shot-gun approach by giving the Church several random short commandments. I want to focus on the last burst which states: "Abstain from every form of evil." This happens to be one of those verses that lost some of its spiritual impact, because of the translation. A more literal translation carries the following thought: "Avoid the very appearance of evil." What does this mean? That Believers should make an effort to refrain from any activity that would call into question their commitment to Christ.
Just this week Polish tennis star Agnieszka Radwanska was dropped as spokesperson by a Catholic group in her home country. Agnieszka is the fourth ranked women's tennis player in the world and had been appearing in a commercial for the Youth Crusade, which runs a campaign with the slogan “I’m not ashamed of Jesus.” Why was she dropped? She still claims to be a Believer, but she also appeared in ESPN's "Body Issue" sans clothing. While the nude picture is not explicit a spokesperson for the Catholic Youth Crusade explained their decision: "Personally I am very sorry that someone declaring herself to be on the side of Jesus has at the same time played up to the mentality of those who treat people as just a thing to be looked at."
Let me translate: While not evil--this has the appearance of evil. In a world fascinated by the the exploitation of women and the plague of internet pornography, Believers are not well-served by having a 24 year old tennis star posing naked while telling people, "I'm not ashamed of Jesus." I do not know if Agnieszka understands what is at stake, or if she regrets her decision to pose for ESPN--but, all around the world, young girls looked to her as a role model, at the very least, her testimony is now tarnished.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, firstly, I pray that Agnieszka would understand why she was dropped as a spokesperson and repent. Somehow, I pray that You would turn this situation around and work it for Your glory. Please keep the young girls that looked to her as a role model safe from the pull of this world that would tell them that appearance is everything. Continue to raise up a generation of people who are so focused on following You that avoiding the appearance of evil is simply a natural fruit of the way that they live. Amen"
Let me translate: While not evil--this has the appearance of evil. In a world fascinated by the the exploitation of women and the plague of internet pornography, Believers are not well-served by having a 24 year old tennis star posing naked while telling people, "I'm not ashamed of Jesus." I do not know if Agnieszka understands what is at stake, or if she regrets her decision to pose for ESPN--but, all around the world, young girls looked to her as a role model, at the very least, her testimony is now tarnished.
Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, firstly, I pray that Agnieszka would understand why she was dropped as a spokesperson and repent. Somehow, I pray that You would turn this situation around and work it for Your glory. Please keep the young girls that looked to her as a role model safe from the pull of this world that would tell them that appearance is everything. Continue to raise up a generation of people who are so focused on following You that avoiding the appearance of evil is simply a natural fruit of the way that they live. Amen"
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