Why I won't be going to see Magic Mike.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few weeks, I am sure that you have heard of the movie that just came to theaters, “Magic Mike.” In case you do live under a rock, the movie is a film about male strippers- I have no clue what the actual plot is, but the preview consists of men including Matthew McConaughey, Channing Tatum, and other actors in little clothing, seductively enticing the women that are paying them. Good family film, right?
As it has been being advertised, girls have been going CRAZY. It has been on Pinterest, Facebook, I have even heard girls talking about it at church. But I will not be joining the masses of people flocking to see this movie, for many reasons.

1) As I read through the Scriptures, it is apparent that our thoughts are of the utmost importance to God. He calls us to take every thought captive, to not give the devil a foothold, and the Bible even says that if you look at someone lustfully, you are guilty of adultery. As I hear women talk about going to see Magic Mike, there is nothing Christ honoring about their intentions. Their motives are not to glorify God, they are to fulfill their lust, which is sin. Or intentions must be to glorify God in ALL that we do, and all that we see (or read, for that matter). I don’t want to mince words- we need to have a community that is willing to name sin as sin- and fight against it with all of our might.
2) These men are creations of God. We are supposed to honor God’s creation, to respect God’s creation- not degrade it.
3) A study at Heriot Wyatt University in Edinburgh found that chick flicks have similar affects on women that porn does on men. They cause high expectations that don’t bode well for real-life relationships. These films cause women to have unrealistic expectations for their love lives, which leads to dissatisfaction with their relationships. This applies to our emotions and our physical desires. That means, it includes Magic Mike AND other chick flicks! We must be diligent in guarding our hearts (Proverbs 4:23).
4) We are called to be ambassadors for Christ, to live lives set apart for His glory. Job 31:1 says, “I made a covenant with my eyes to not look lustfully at a woman.” How would we react if men wanted to go see a similar film? Wouldn’t it feel degrading? Is it God-honoring? Is this how God designed our relationships to go? It most certainly is not! He instructs us to dress ourselves modestly, to honor Him with our bodies- and the same goes for how we view other’s bodies.

I could continue, but I think you get the point. I beg you all to consider your motives before you go to see this film, and before you read books, watch movies, or participate in other activities. If we are going to call ourselves followers of Christ, we need to obey the Scriptures. We need to love Him and honor Him. We are His ambassadors. We are representing Him. Do we live like that? I am ashamed of the ways that I have represented Him- it is something I need to work on. And I am starting by examining my heart.