Daily Devotional for Tuesday July 8, 2003

Young women and Cosmopolitan magazine

( Psalm 78:5-8, Colossians 3:16 )

Young women and Cosmopolitan magazine. I have to admit to you, that through all that I have seen and experienced in my life, and during over a decade in ministry, VERY little shocks me any more. It is not that I am apathetic to what happens in this world, but I realize that sinful men and women who rebel against God are capable of doing ANYTHING. But the other afternoon was one of those rare times that I was both shocked and deeply saddened.

As I was leaving my office at Liveprayer one afternoon, I received the phone call most husbands get from their wives. "Honey, on the way home will you stop at the store and get *insert list here*." So I stopped at the grocery store on the way home and picked up all of the items on my list like a good husband. As I stood in the check-out line, I was trying to decide which candy bar, that I shouldn't eat, to get. Of course, in addition to the candy bars that they put there, knowing as you wait, you will buy one, there was the normal assortment of great bastions of journalism like the National Enquirer. There was also a small rack of magazines like Time, Newsweek, People, and Cosmopolitan.

As I was waiting, I saw the cover of Cosmopolitan and the BOLD PRINT featuring an article on "How To Have Great Sex With Your Boyfriend". Now my friend, I am 45 years old, I have been married over 19 years, and prior to fully surrendering to Christ 13 years ago, lived in rebellion to God for many years. So I am fully aware of what goes on between men and women not committed to the Lord. But here was a well established, national publication, geared primarily to young women in a place ANYONE of ANY AGE could see, espousing the glory of having sex outside of marriage. Yes, I was shocked and saddened by the message that Cosmopolitan was sending out.

When I got home, I told my wife about the Cosmopolitan cover and she told me that she was getting her hair done a few weeks ago, and saw a past issue of Cosmopolitan at the salon she goes to. She told me that as she looked through it, she was appalled at the graphic detailed nature of what they were promoting to young women as perfectly acceptable sexual behavior. While I couldn't believe what the cover I saw had said, I assumed that it was just for shock value to get people to buy the magazine.

So my wife and I went out, bought the copy that I had seen, and I can only tell you that I became even MORE SHOCKED as I read through the contents of the entire magazine. The saddest thing to me was that this a very prominent national publication that has been around for years, and is responsible in shaping the views of the young women who read it. What they were promoting as acceptable behavior was not only 100% AGAINST God's plan, but does not "empower" women as they claim, it cheapens them!!!! IT DESTROYS THEM!!!!

I make this an issue today for 2 reasons. First, moms and dads, DO NOT let your daughter read this garbage. It is as bad as any pornography that is on the market, and worse, since instead of being in a plastic cover behind the counter, it is on shelves where YOUR daughter can see it and can purchase it. Second, young women, I often talk about "garbage in, garbage out." What is on the pages of that magazine is GARBAGE. Stay away from it!

Just so that I am clear, I am NOT for censorship. I believe in and support the first amendment of our Constitution. There are MANY out there who would love to censor what I say each day. The publishers of Cosmopolitan have EVERY RIGHT to print that garbage, just as Larry Flynt and Hugh Hefner have every right to print the garbage they do. BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN WE HAVE TO CONSUME THEIR GARBAGE!!!! Sadly, what I saw in that issue of Cosmopolitan was just that, pure garbage, since it was 100% in opposition to God's Word.

Young women, listen to me. I am saying this because I love you, and care about you so much. Sex is a WONDERFUL thing. God created it so it HAS to be wonderful. But God created sex to be enjoyed between a man and a woman in the bonds of marriage. Period! The Bible talks over and over about fornication. That is literally, ANY sex outside of the bonds of marriage. It includes ALL sexual acts, NOT just sexual intercourse! The line was clearly set by Jesus when He said that if you "lust in your heart" you have sinned.

God created you in His own image. He loves you. You are special!!! Sex does not make you special, you are special because God made you. If you have made the choice to accept Jesus Christ into your heart, YOU are a daughter of the King! Don't ever let Cosmopolitan, or any other magazine, or any TV program, or other person make you forget that you are special! You have a ROYAL bloodline if you know Jesus!!!

The sad thing about what Cosmopolitan, TV, the movies, and our culture do is glamorize sin. They make sex seem SO WONDERFUL, which it is IF...IF..IF...it is the way God designed it to be enjoyed....IN THE CONTEXT OF MARRIAGE!!!! NOT OUTSIDE OF MARRIAGE!!! Well, I have news for you. I have thousands of emails daily from young women and young men who fell for satan's (Cosmopolitan's) lie. Their problems range from unwanted pregnancies, to STD's that they will have always have to deal with, deep emotional problems, and a full range of other problems.

These are permanent scars that they will carry with them for the REST OF THEIR LIVES!!! Many have had their world shattered at such a young age. So many are wonderful, good young people who simply fell for the lie of the enemy. LISTEN TO ME. YOU ONLY HAVE ONE LIFE TO LIVE.....DON'T MESS IT UP!!!! The enemy is here for what? TO KILL, STEAL , AND DESTROY! Jesus promised what? LIFE, AND LIFE MORE ABUNDANTLY!!!!

I have broken one of my rules about length today. But I have SO MUCH passion about this issue since I see daily thousands who have bought into the "Cosmopolitan view of life." I will go so far today, without any hesitation and say that Cosmopolitan is just as much a tool of satan to destroy the lives of God's precious young women, as Playboy and Penthouse are in the destruction of men!

I pray this day, that this Devotional gets to the publishers of Cosmopolitan. I pray for their souls because of the damage that they are doing to young women all over the world with their magazine. I say to them that you are simply a tool of satan and you are as guilty as he is in the lives you are destroying. For those who read my Devotionals each day, you know that I don't say these things lightly. But I SEE THE DESTROYED LIVES EVERY DAY. I KNOW WHAT SATAN IS DOING THROUGH INSTRUMENTS LIKE COSMOPOLITAN IN DESTROYING THE LIVES OF YOUNG WOMEN!

I do love you and care about you so much. In closing, let me just say this. God loves you, never forget that! Follow Him daily and your life will be blessed. He gave us His Word so that we didn't have to get lost on our journey. He gave us the roadmap. If we follow it, we will know the joy, the peace, the abundance of this life. If we take a detour, we are on our own, and there is a very real enemy out there, just waiting for us to get off the path to destroy us! To those young women who are reading this today, forget Cosmopolitan and use that time reading God's Word. IT IS NO ACCIDENT THAT GOD IS LETTING YOU READ THIS TODAY! God, NOT Cosmopolitan will make you a REAL WOMAN, ALL THE WOMAN GOD RAISED YOU UP TO BE!!!!

In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ, Bill Keller