Too Many Sirens

Homer's Odyssey tells of mythical sirens, bird-women nymphs, who drew men off of their chosen path with the enticement of sweet music.  Knowing the danger of these women, Odysseus wisely told his men to cover their ears before they were in vicinity of the sound.

Unfortunately, sirens are not only mythical creatures but also real-life women.  The modern world has taught young girls that the only way to "get a guy" is to "chase a guy," and becoming a siren is disturbingly effective.  Many guys are susceptible to the sort of "harmless flirtation" that will eventually lead them astray.  Young women often believe that flirting with guys is the only way to a relationship with any man.  In fact, I often have found myself trapped between this apparent reality with its pragmatic solution and Biblical values that preclude casual flirting and guy-chasing.

If we look at the truth of the matter, however, all of us should know that the results of abandoning a "meek and quiet spirit" are not really what we desire (I Pet. 3:4).

• Does a young women really desire marriage to a young man who is not strong enough to resist her call?  Will he be able to resist the call of other women any better after marriage?
• Does she want a man who is not resolute enough in his own desires to want only her--to choose only her?  Will he continue to choose loving her over other alternatives every day of his life when he never chose her in the first place?
• Does she really desire a young man who can charm her socks off when she realizes that his looks and charisma are capable of charming twenty other women at the same time?  Will he not continue to charm other women after marriage when that has been his constant habit?

The men would likely not choose the results of their irresponsibility either.

• Does a young man really desire a woman who was forced to live behind a mask used as camouflage in order to catch him?  Will she remain the same woman for a blissful fifty years of marriage if she has been accustomed to changing her attitudes and looks on the whims of men and the culture at large?
• Does he want a woman who has found that flirting is the only way to make a point or get her way with a man?  What if his wife then has to deal with other men besides her husband?
• Does a man really want to relinquish his leadership responsibility to the young women in his life?  Does he want to follow her lead in other matters after having forced her to take the lead in courtship?

And the implicit answer to all of the above questions is "NO!!!!!"  I have chosen not to flirt with guys--and I say chosen because I also considered the other option--I have chosen not to flirt with the young men around me because I want one that cannot be turned aside by all of the sirens that sing sweetly to him along the way.  I want him to have the gumption to choose a life with me and then to cover his ears and return home faithful to me, deaf to the sirens' cries all around him.  I want to have that meek and quiet spirit that maintains a peaceful, loving home amidst the chaos of our modern world.

So we each have a choice to make:

• Girls, will you seek the attention of every guy, now and forever, or will you save that loving heart for the one man who will cherish it above every other?
• Men, will you make yourself available to every woman, now and forever, and surrender to the first woman who pursues you or will you watch for a dear heart that will be the other side of you and pursue her unwavering to the ends of the earth?

Don't wait to make your commitment to a strong marriage.  Make your choice known by your actions today.