I have had a lot of friends which took pride in being referred to (or tagged) as "PLAYERS". From the age of 16 to the age of 21, I worked with a special group of guys. Our job title was Beach Lifeguard (LG). Many of these guys were very proud of their "PLAYA" status. To a lot of them, I was an anomaly... there was something wrong with me because I did not take part in the head games that left many girls crying FOUL! Don't get me wrong, I was no saint! I tried it and just couldn't do it! It was not me. See, as a lifeguard, speaking to good looking girls was not a challenge. All you needed to do was sit on the chair, give them the eye... soon after there was a smile! Then the LG would call to a fellow LG "in hopes" that he will cover the LG chair while he (the original LG) got his "Mack" on.
To give credit to some of the girls that frequented the beach, I have to say that sometimes you got some girls that needed to be courted in order to be "wheeled-in" (sorry for the term, but I need to stay realistic to the lingo that was used by my old buddies). But in the end, it was a relatively easy task. Why? Allow me to explain.
Many of these girls started off on the wrong foot. They allowed themselves to be driven by the "lifeguard" status. Not sure what it was about these girls, but they took pride in saying that they were dating a beach lifeguard. As a result, their senses were, for the most part, dulled out by the time the LG was getting ready to execute his game...
My old buddies would say everything and anything in order to get what they were after. They were confident in knowing that half the battle was already won because of their job title (lifeguard). All that was needed to close the "deal" was for the LG to figure out just enough about the girl to start feeding her ears with words that would make them giggle. It was all about tickling their ears. I'm sure you would have guessed by now that their words were not necessarily genuine... instead, their "pick-up lines" (words) would later become a source of laughter to all of the other guys at the lifeguard station (including me).
Have you ever fallen for someone (or something) because of pre-perceived notion of what it would be like? If so, did you overlooked obvious faults?
Lastly, did you let yourself go and completely let your guard down only to be disappointed? Did you believe in someone (or something) only because it gave you what you wanted rather than what you needed? In other words, did you hear the things that you were looking to hear?
There are a lot of people (Christians and non-Christians alike) who play both of these roles very well. Some religions have taken note of what some "desperate" people are looking for. As a result, they have taken the title of "PLAYA" to a new level... some have taken it to the Christian church while others have taken it to new movements that have been heavily publicized in recent days (e.g think 'Oprah').
I'll opt to concentrate concluding on what I have seen within Christianity. In the Christian church some people have allowed themselves to be "wheeled-in" by some church leaders (and celebrities) that do not preach the gospel; instead, they preach a variation of the gospel or a total different belief.
It seems as if these "leaders" were adviced to:
Leave out all of the details that address self-sacrifice, trials and tribulations, and judgment (to name a few, not a complete set). And to instead, concentrate on the "good" and easy to swallow, scriptures(note the quotes around the word 'good'). Feed their egos, self-image, desires, etc.The bible says that "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof {rebuke}, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). Note that it does not say, some Scripture... additionally, the passage notes that Scripture is also meant to be used for correcting.
Friend, please do not let your guard down! Do not allow yourselves to fall into the hands of people that are just feeding your ego and telling you what you want to hear. In other words, do not seek to have someone tickling your ears... feeding you what you want to hear rather than what you need to hear.
Scripture says:
2 Timothy 4:3 - I solemnly charge {you} in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
2 Timothy 4:2 - preach the word; be ready in season {and} out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
2 Timothy 4:3 - For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but {wanting} to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
2 Timothy 4:4 - and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
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