Fact: U.S. Representative for Florida, Bill Young (since Jan. 7, 1997), had brought to the floor the greatest number of bills that were later enacted, numbering 65. |
Representative Responsibility [Part 1]
Ever heard the phrase, “I don’t care what people think of me?” I know I have! It’s used hundreds of times in the media by popular celebrities and of course, in every day life as well. In fact, chances are it is one of the most commonly used “phrases” in modern-day teen culture. Although it’s not necessarily true in every case that “people don’t care what others think of them,” just by looking around it’s easy to see that many live their lives as they think is best for themselves. As Christians, we know that we can’t follow the wishes of our hearts to guide our lives because the heart can easily be corrupted, and if we follow our hearts we may be led astray. Now that isn’t to say we’re supposed to be brain-dead robots that don’t make decisions for ourselves; it’s entirely the opposite! In fact, we are given the right to make decisions, but our decisions must be made based off of what knowledge of the Lord and what understanding of His Word we have been granted. One of the best examples about our responsibility for making decisions is found in the New Testament in Colossians 3 in which we are told of the “Rules of Holy Living.” These rules are pieces of the Faith that we must decide to follow, and it’s definitely difficult! But most importantly, by practicing these instructions with faith and prayer, we will become as we act (ever heard the phrase, “practice makes perfect” or “practice makes permanent” to similar affect?) Our hearts will become focused on the “things above” and our obtained nature will change from one which is primarily sin-oriented to one which is God-oriented. Then we will truly be representatives of our God and of our Faith in the Lord.
That leads us to the main reason for this article being titled “Representative Responsibility.” Maybe you’re thinking “what does it mean, representative responsibility?” I’m sure many of you who are reading this article already know what it implies, but just to make it clear, it simply refers to each and everyone of us and our responsibility as representatives of our beliefs, countries, families, and, most importantly, our God.It is a commonly acknowledged fact that the way in which we act is seen as directly related to our upbringing. Our upbringing is comprised of many things. This includes one dominant determining factor of our personalities: our growth environment—family, friends, and anything we are exposed to. Now I don’t mean to label anyone or anything of the sort but someone who has been raised in an environment which is relatively violent (violent parents, friends, video games and TV shows) may possess a tendency to act out violently as well. In the same way, someone who is raised in a peaceful, Christian environment with truly God-loving parents may be rather peaceful and would have an excellent foundation for their Christian life. (There are always exceptions though.) In most cases, children and young adults such as ourselves are seen as accurate “representations” of our upbringings. Ultimately, since the way in which we act is seen by many as a depiction of our upbringings, it is based on such indirect characterization that people will view our families. I know that the last thing I would want to do is make my family or my roots appear to be of low quality simply due to the way I act. But sadly, that is how many of us view this world. Illogically, people reason that “if one piece of the whole is bad, the whole is bad!” We can complain and say how such a mentality is erroneous, but it still doesn’t change the fact that the way we act represents who we are.
Another aspect of representative responsibility is that of visual representation. This is a pretty touchy subject among today’s youth, but the truth remains that we are meant to dress modestly. Although I will touch this topic in the next publication of the Opinion Column, it’s important that it is touched here and now to show just how important it is to dress appropriately. Just as with the way we act, people will make judgments of our character based on the way we dress ourselves. Girls wearing miniskirts and other revealing clothing or guys wearing baggy pants nearly falling off of them and oversized shirts with gold chains hanging off of their bodies—they all play a major role in what people think of us and where we come from. America has been branded as the “country of rappers with over-sized pants and baggy shirts” and as the “fashion base of immodesty” among women, young and old. So needless to say, as soon as an individual is dressed that way in public, eyes are on them, and the minds behind the eyes are thinking “oh, they must be American.” Personally, I love my country, and I am greatly disturbed by the fact that it has been labeled by the world in such an unrespectable way. It is probably unlikely that there is a problem with the way in which NorthStar students dress, but I honestly urge everyone to just take a moment and pray to God to show them if they are dressing in an inappropriate manner.
In closing, it does matter what people think of us, and we should care. We must always strive to be good Representatives of who we truly are and what God wants us to be and is willing to help us to be.
I will address other aspects of this issue in the next publication of the Navigator. Until then, may God guide your ways and I hope you enjoy the rest of the Navigator Issue 3!