The Heart of the Matter (Part Two)

Spiritual Lessons

The Heart of the Matter
Part Two

Please note, this is the continuation of my previous post, "The Heart of the Matter Part One". (Please consider reading part one before reading on further.) Here, I would like to continue to address the struggle most Christian girls experience with their desire for marriage and the discontentment that can arise, when that desire is not met.

Thirdly, our desires and our affections should be set on Christ, not marriage.

Here is a quote by Hannah Whitall Smith that I would like to share with you. It is a little bit lengthy, but it was a help to me and I hope an  encouragement to you too.

“But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” (Galatians 6:14) “By being ‘crucified to the world’ Paul meant that he was dead to it. …To be dead to a thing must mean that that thing has no power to attract. And this is what is meant in the Bible by ‘taking up the cross’. It is to become so dead to the world (that is, the lower plane of living) that its power to tempt is gone. It is to have our affections so set on things above, that merely earthly things have lost their charm.”

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1-3)

“To have our ‘affections set’ on anything must mean that we love that thing; and if our affections are set on the will of God, we must love His will. It is impossible that God’s will should seem hard to a man whose affections are set on it. It may be accompanied with hard things, but in itself it must be a delight. Our Lord could say, ‘I delight to do thy will. O my God!’ because He was dead to everything that was contrary to His Father’s will. His affections were set on the will of God; and until our affections are similarly so set on the will of God as to delight in it, we have not ‘taken up the cross’ in the Scripture sense at all.”

(Hannah W. Smith, The Commonsense Teaching of the Bible p.115)

Our affections, our heart desires, our love, should be set on Christ. Does this mean that you never have any other desires? No. Does this mean it is somehow wicked to want to be married? Certainly not. But what we thought was so dear and precious and even important to us before, in the sight of Him, fades completely. He is more precious than that desire ever could be. And He is more lovely than its fulfillment in our lives.

I think many young girls can be in danger of believing that marriage will somehow make them happy and content, when otherwise, they weren't. But this idea is false, not to mention rather covetousness.

What is covetousness? "To desire ardently (especially, something that another person has); crave; long for."

I know many young girls who reek of covetousness, when it comes to this subject of marriage. Girls who literally hate weddings, because they themselves haven't had their own. They are envious of what God has chosen to given someone else, and even bitter. Just because you don't have a statue of Buddha sitting on your desk, doesn't mean you aren't guilty of idolatry. Not according to the Bible. Many girls' innocent desire for marriage has become an idol in their heart. And although they might not even verbally say it, feel like God isn't good unless He gives them their desire for marriage. This is scary. 

Are you covetous? Longing for something that isn't in your possession? Is your heart coveting something that isn't yours? Or maybe even something that the Lord hasn't seen fit to give you yet? (Like marriage.) Are you maybe even coveting someone that doesn't belong to you? (Like a specific person you might admire or maybe just the desire for a husband in general.) 

What do you usually talk about? 
Where does your mind oftentimes wonder? 
What seems to make you more excited than anything else? 
What (or who) are you always excited to talk or think about?

If we answer these questions honestly, I know it would reveal where our hearts truly are.

Hebrews 13:5 says, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." 

Why are we able to be content with "such things as ye have"? (Such as singleness) Because we have Him. He has promised never to leave us, never to forsake us. He is that life-long companion most young women have both dreamed about and yearned for. He is that friend. He is the one who can hold your hand through the hardships of life. To comfort your pain. Who accepts and loves you just as you are. The one who adores you and seeks to capture your heart. The one who will be faithful to the end. The one who you can trust no matter what. "We can face anything, if we face it together." This is Christ. 

Fourthly, our heart motivation for wanting to get married shouldn't be derived from selfishness, but actually from love.

 And here is what I mean by that. A lot of girls have silly infatuations towards someone they admire and label it as "love". Just because you "like someone" doesn't mean you are "in love" with him. Love is so much deeper than this. 

And in the same sort of way, some girls hold an infatuated idea of what marriage is. And their dreams and hopes and imaginations for what marriage will be for them, are usually, at the core, selfish. 
Feelings like-
 Marriage will make me happier. 
Marriage is my romantic dream come true.
Marriage will make me feel loved, cherished, and accepted.
Marriage will make me feel secure. 
Or marriage will change my current unhappy circumstances.
Marriage will ____(this), or marriage will ____(that) for me.

Is marriage all about you? Are you hoping to get a husband, just for the happiness and fulfillment he may give you? This isn't real love. 

I would like to share another quote with you from Hannah Whitall Smith. This quote is on love. Real love.

"We must remember, however, that a great deal of what is called love ought really to be spelled s-e-l-f-i-s-h-n-e-s-s. [selfishness] People love their own enjoyment of their friends more than they love the friends themselves, and consider their own welfare in their intercourse with those they profess to love, far more than the welfare of the so-called loved ones. It has been said that we never really love anyone until we can do without them for their good; and, measured by this test, how few there are who really love."
 ....
"The law of love can never be a cherishing of self at the expense of the loved one, but must always be the cherishing of the loved one at the expense of self." (The Commonsense Teaching of the Bible p.141)

True love, is Christ's love. A love that doesn't think about self at all. A love that is never motivated by selfish wants or needs. Marriage isn't something to enter into selfishly for your own pleasure, although I think the majority of people do. The first motive for marriage, should be a love for Christ. A love that desires His will over our own. (Whether that will is marriage or not marriage.) Marriage is a picture of Christ and His bride. And when a marriage is derived from knowing His will and in His timing, it can be such a pure and beautiful testimony. The second motive for marriage, should be out of real love for that other person. Not a selfish desire to please your flesh, but from a desire to please that man and fulfill his needs. To be his helpmeet. To love him, to honour him, and to accept him as a gift from the Lord, and also as your "new ministry". 

"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." 
(Romans 13:8-10)

Girls can also be in danger of thinking that marriage will somehow magically change them for the better. But this simply isn’t true. Walking down the wedding aisle doesn’t suddenly warp you into Cinderella. Sorry girls! Haha J Marriage changes your circumstances and your position maybe, but it doesn’t necessarily change you. If you are discontent before you are married, you will be discontent after you are married. If you are selfish before you get married, you will still be selfish after you get married. Marriage is joining yourself to another fleshly human being. And through Christ, it can be wonderful. But, everyday life goes on after the honeymoon. And you are still you. The girls I have known that were discontent and unhappy in Christ while they were single have still been just as discontent and unhappy married. It is sad. Marriage doesn’t change the state of your heart. And instead, now I see a marriage that is struggling, and a husband that feels frustrated, because she is trying to take something from him, that he simply cannot give.

Only Christ meets the deepest needs of our hearts. That is a place reserved only for Him. Girls have a strong need for love. This is how God made us. We naturally need and yearn for affection. But human love can only take you so far. And while human love is imperfect and selfish at best, Christ’s love is perfect and unselfish. He satisfies like no other, every time. He desires us. He draws us to Himself. He seeks our hearts. He is a friend that is closer than no other. And His love is forever. 

  "My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." (Psalms 62:5)

And fifthly, the Lord knows what is best for each of us individually, what brings Him the most glory, and is the greatest furtherance to the gospel.  

“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psalms 40:8)

If we can honestly say that our whole desire is Christ and that His will is our delight, as David did, then surely we would be accepting of that will, whatever it might be. Even when that will crosses ours. What if marriage wasn’t His perfect will for you? What if He needed you single? Not many are even willing to consider that an option. I don’t think anyone believes I Corinthians 7, where Paul says it is better to be unmarried, in serving the Lord, than married.

“But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord: But he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife. There is difference also between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman careth for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: but she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.” (I Corinthians 7:32-34)

This isn’t to say that marriage isn’t a godly calling, or that you cannot serve the Lord married, but we should be willing, if He asked.

Letting Jesus direct our lives, from the biggest decisions to the smallest details, is peace. It is sweet to trust Jesus, because He is trustworthy and because His love is towards us. His plans are good, not evil. If He chooses to withhold a desire from your heart, it is withheld in love.

Psalms 84:11 says-“For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

Are we able to say, as Paul did, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.” (Acts 20: 24)

Shouldn't this be, without question, the purpose and heart cry of every Christian? There shouldn't even be anything to weigh that desire with. He is both worthy of our best and worth seeking after with all our hearts. He should be our goal. Our whole desire. To the point that we count nothing dear unto ourselves, but that we may win Him. 

The Dream You Hold

Spiritual Lessons 

The Dream You Hold 

Thoughts and Encouragement on Purity

"He loves me, he loves me not...he loves me, he loves me not...”

Did you ever learn as a little girl the silly plucking of flower petals to see if a guy “liked” you? Of course it proved nothing and only resulted in a naked flower. But today, as young women we tend to still “pluck petals” in our imagination. Strong feelings follow. We battle between our emotions, our desire for purity, and guilt if we've fallen short. A constant battle for even us Christian girls.

Many of us Christian singles hold onto a hope of a certain someone. I would like to offer some encouragement in this.

Firstly, I want to hearten you in the fact that it is quite human and natural to admire someone. Most likely you cannot manually change your feelings. You can't help but be attracted to him. It's okay. We don't have to beat ourselves up because we are attracted to someone.

If this man is your future man, you don't have to worry – God is a perfect orchestrator. If He handles the universe, He can handle the details and timing of your relationships.

Our attraction can be viewed as something to keep ourselves cheerfully dependent on Jesus. This guy is a cross in a way. As with any cross we let Jesus do the carrying. We simply accept it.

With Him as our head, we have someone to keep us accountable. We can safely trust Him with our heart and tell Him when those strong feelings come up. He is our outlet. We can pour those feelings into His hands and He will deal with them. He will take every emotion, the natural, the evil or the innocent.

We can also remember, that Jesus loves that man more than we do. We can pray for him and trust Jesus to guide him and not have to feel anxious over anything. We don't have any responsibility in nurturing our relationship with that person. If we follow Jesus and allow Him to rule our heart, our path will be pure and right and best. Jesus can choose whether or not to allow our relationship to turn into anything deeper than friendship. We don't have to woo or prove or “reel in” or keep track or make sure of anything! It's ultimately Jesus' responsibility, and secondly it will be the man's responsibility to initiate anything.  

Secondly, what is our part? To follow Jesus. To remain faithful in what He has called us to do today. We are on an adventure of singlehood right now and He is just as involved and interested in it as in our future marriage. Life isn't waiting...we're living it right now! And He has a plan for our 'right now'. He desires to use us. Are we distracted or are we totally willing and running after Him?

It's okay to have a hope. Without any intentions on your part you may have found yourself suddenly admiring this young man. I understand that you don't want to pine away. To hold your breath. To be silly or giddy. You want Jesus first in your life.

Perfect. That's all He needs. He can do the rest.

This young man is not ours. Even if he is our future spouse, his isn't ours yet. If our heart has selfishly stamped “mine” on anything or anyone we can be sure we've taken our focus off of Him. There's freedom from the tyranny of self in all aspects, not just in this. Just as with every other thing in this earth, this young man belongs to Jesus. Even if Jesus promised him to you. He is still Jesus' son, and we have no right to a child of God. Even if he someday is ours, he will still be a gift... Even if this man is given to you someday, he truly will still belong to the Lord. Acknowledging that fact is freeing.

We also must remember we aren't fighting our hope, and ignoring it or telling ourselves we must throw it away, but simply desiring His will over our own and surrendering our dream to Him.  

  And lastly, what if the Lord does take him away? Hasn't He taken away things before in our lives? Though there was temporary bleeding and pain didn't the joy of being fully His far outweigh the ache? The same in this dear dream. We don't need to fear where He will take us or what He plans to do with this young man. It's so natural to tremble at the thought of pain. If Jesus told us “No...this man is never going to be yours” it would be painful, but the sacrifice does not need to be feared. You and I both know that if He asked there would be no other alternative in our heart. We could burn our hope on the alter. He would provide the grace.

No rival in our heart. No possession. He might ask us to make an Issac sacrifice. He might not. Either way we can trust Him.

True love would allow any baser love to be extinguished. To hope that our future will include this man is not evil, but we also know that true love for him would want God's best for this man over any dream we might hold.

Over analyzing and cross examining our intentions and emotions never helps. We can simply accept it. But we shouldn't only accept our cross but insist that it works our death. It isn't really a cross if we're unwilling to be crucified and completely yielded. Reassuringly, we will not be left hanging there forever. After any spiritual death always comes a resurrection. We don't have to fear. We know He loves us and will work all together for our good – whether that includes this man or not.

Hold up your hands unclenched – palms up and wide. Laying there is your dream, a small and shining hope. You can't rid yourself of it but you don't have to claim it either. If He asks, you will place it on the alter and burn it permanently. Humbly bow and hold it up before Him. He will decide. Even if He doesn't answer for years. You are exactly where He wants you. The young man is only benefited by your true love and prayers for him. Your relationship with Jesus will deepen. It's okay to hold a dream... but with hands opened wide. 

The One

Spiritual Issues 

The One 

While sharing my heart and my convictions on relationships, singleness, and future spouses it interests me to hear women's responses. Some people tell me, “Wow....that's awesome for you...but quite unrealistic in today's culture.” I know that some peers even think that I will end up an old maid. I've been told I'm "Old fashioned". But not all responses are negative, (not that being "old fashioned" is a negative!). Some women have asked questions. Recently I had someone ask me some very good pointed questions concerning these issues and I thought I would share them with you.


"I am wondering...how then do young women identify "the one" if not able to get to know the person? ...If you are to save your thoughts and heart for your future husband, how do you know who that man is until you talk to him, share your thoughts and values and determine what his thoughts and values are? Did I misunderstand something? I believe that God knows who the one is for you, but how does He reveal him to you?"


These are quite relevant and even understandable questions. I decided I would not only answer them....but share my answers with you.


Of course the Lord reveals "the one" to us in individual unique ways, since each one of us have unique and individual circumstances.


But, how does the Lord show us anything in our lives? He shows us through prayer, our authorities and His word. And certainly with something so huge as our life's mate I think He has a will concerning such a choice.


It was asked how we will be able to identify "the one" if we aren't able to get to know the person... Of course we can get to know him! But it first starts just as with any brother of Christ: on a careful sisterly/brotherly basic relationship.


I have been told by multiple couples that the best way to learn someone is to see how they handle the real life, day to day situations. Especially if you can BEFORE you are interested in each other and trying to impress the other individual. Seeing how the young man treats his mom is a tell tale sign of how he will treat his future wife. Many of the important issues can be best evaluated on a emotionless level.


For example:


Is he saved?


Is it apparent?


What is his relationships with his family and Pastor like?


What Bible does he believe in?


What's his worldview?


Could you possibly respect him?


Is he diligent in his work?


How does he spend his money?


What do other's think of him?


What's your best friend's opinion of him?


Does he meld well with your family?


Is he respectful of your Dad?


Who are his friends?




You can be quite sure of these things without ever giving your heart away. You don't have to share your thoughts and feelings with the guy to figure out these things. The easiest way to do this is to spend time as families....your family with his family. Obviously our families knows us best...we can't pretend to be someone we aren't with our family there. Same with him and his family. It's a safe and realistic outlook. Of course everyone's circumstances vary....but it's really the ideal.


THEN, if the things that are important to you meet your standards, and he expresses interest in you, that's when you seek God's revealing. He WILL show you. He knows your man! And He will be more than willing to show you either a “yes”, “no”, or “not yet”. He has always made it very clear for me.



That's also a benefit of being close to your protectors (ie: our fathers and if we have them: brothers.). They usually know "the guy" much better than we do....I have asked my brothers opinion on guys before. This way, no heart strings need ever to be attached or at risk of being severed later on.


This is pain free and purity guaranteed. :)



And then, when God does give us the "yes", then begins the journey of learning the person on a different level of relationship...courtship.


But that's a whole separate topic! I hope this was a blessing to you. When the Lord would have you identify your man, He will make it clear. There will be plenty of opportunity to share thoughts and values later on.


Be encouraged dear girls! Your hearts are worth protecting! Be careful for nothing...realize His thoughts toward you are good thoughts and numbered over the grains of the sand. He loves you and if marriage is in your life's plan, then certainly He will not keep you “in the dark” for forever.

Your man is saving his heart...how could we do less?

HeartStrings

Spiritual Lessons 

HeartStrings

This has been on my mind for a while. I was recently chatting with a godly friend of mine, and she mentioned that she felt that it was impossible to wholly guard our hearts as young women. Our hearts will just leap out and hand themselves over....even without mental consent.

It made me wonder – Is it possible to guard our hearts? Then I really thought on it....what is our heart? What's our responsibility with our heart?

We know that Jesus wants us to seek and love him with all of our heart.

I know that He asks for specific parts of me....my time, my thoughts, my meditations....and those are really parts of who I am. I think perhaps they are parts of my “heart”.

Obviously the “heart” in this sense can't be the organ that pumps our blood. But there is a connection. Our physical heart is vitally important to our existence. So is our spiritual heart.

I decided to see what the Lord had to say about the heart. It was amazing!

What is our heart?

The Lord commands us to keep our heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:25). We know that as humans we see the outward appearance (1 Samuel 16:7) but God looks on the heart. We are told to do the will of God from the heart. (Eph. 6:6) And that as the heart thinketh, so are we. (Proverbs 23:7, Phil. 4:7)

So in summary, we know that the heart is obviously who we really are. It is our life. It's our personality – the real us, in all sincerity, no facades; us without anything else.

What is our Hearts Purpose?

Our hearts are capable of and created to

follow (1 Kings 14:8)

sing (Job 29:13, Eph. 5:19 See post on Life's Music)

rejoice (Ps. 19:8)

trust (Ps. 28:7)

wish (Ps. 73:7)

discern (Eccl. 8:5)

know (Jer. 24:7, Jer. 30:21)

believe (Luke 24:25, Rom. 10:10)

Love (Luke 10:27)

Our hearts are created to follow after Someone. To sing of Someone. To rejoice in Someone. To trust in Someone. To desire after Someone. To know Someone. To believe in Someone. To love Someone. It's our built in nature.

Marriage is a picture of Christ's relationship with us. And so, Jesus has allowed us to not only give our hearts to Him, but also, in a way, to our future spouse. The Bible says that our hearts shall be toward our husbands and he will trust his heart to us. (Proverbs 31:11).

This is what we are created to do. The Lord first and always, and later our future spouse.

What Isn't Our Heart's Purpose...

Unfortunately, we are either ignorant or forgetful, and are so overwhelmed by our hard-wired need to give our hearts away, we find something or someone else to give our heart to.

I really believe we can give our hearts in entirety. Brides who have saved their hearts for their husband place their entire heart into the care of their groom. But we can also give pieces of our hearts away. I call it sewing heart-strings. It's a perfect picture of what happens when we “give a piece” of our heart away.

When we praise a man, we've sewn a heart-string. When we choose to trust a man, we've sewn another heart-string. When we follow a man's leading, we sew a heart-string. When we desire after a man, rejoice in his accomplishments, make the effort to learn who he is (his heart), we're sewing a heart-string. When we believe in him, there's another heart-string. When we choose to love someone – heart-string.

Sewing heart-strings is enjoyable. It's because we are meant to. We were created to sew heart-strings. But it's when we compromise that we start to see problems form by sewing heart-strings.

What is Compromise? Compromise means to adjust, to agree, to settle, to allow, to concede.

When we steer away from the original purpose of heart sewing, we have compromised. We've adjusted our course, agreed to settle for less, conceded or yielded up something that was to be guarded.  

I have several girlfriends right now that are in relationships with men they are unwilling to marry. They would never marry them because it would be compromise. A settling for less. And yet, it is obvious to everyone around them that they and their “friend” are an item. That they have mutual feelings for each other. That they are in a relationship, sewing heart-strings. THIS is compromise, and the end is destruction.

The other day I was looking in Google Images for a picture to go with a blog post, when I scrolled down the page and my eye caught a photograph. It was the silhouette of a young man kneeling-- praying. My heart jumped. It suddenly occurred to me that my man might actually be praying for me. I pray for him all the time. Even though I don't know who he is.

Has it ever occurred to you that Christ has chosen and is molding your man to be? Have you ever thought that maybe this godly man prays for you every day? Have you ever considered that there may be a man who guards his heart for you? Not only his body, but the purity of his emotions and thoughts?

I keep my heart for my man. I pray for him. I save my emotions and thoughts for him. Why is it considered inconceivable to believe that my man does the same for me?

Who do you sew heart-strings to? I think it is wholesome and even biblical that daughters sew heart-strings to their fathers. If our fathers are our guardians of our hearts, then it makes sense that they must know the hearts they are protecting. There are even a few girls in my life the Lord has allowed me to trust my heart with and share. I don't even believe it is healthy to sew heart strings with every relationship. Not everyone can be trusted with something so vulnerable, so precious. And of course there's Jesus.

He is asking for your heart. He wants you separate from the World...you are in the World, not part of it. As much as the World is not our playground, people are not our playthings. We aren't created to sew heart strings to many hearts.

Some of us have sewn heart-strings to men other than our fathers. You are, in every sense of the word, “attached” to “him”. And yet, God has commanded us to keep our hearts with diligence. To save our hearts. To sew heart-strings to any other man is compromise.

The man you won't let go of is in actuality --  God's responsibility. Has it ever occurred to you that your refusal to obey Christ and entrust that man to Him is  hindering that man from a relationship with the Lord? Will he ever choose to yield his life to the God that you won't even obey? You have decided either compromise or Jesus Christ. No decision is a decision.

Of course heart strings will bleed when cut. But He is faithful to come and heal your heart. I know you miss Him. You miss His sweet fellowship. And He hurts for you. He knows you are sewing your heart to someone that will only tear away at your heart seams. He is calling you away to Himself.   You can't sew your heart to Him AND to the wolf dressed as "Prince Charming".  They are both calling you down separate paths....whoever your heart is sewn to...that's who you will follow.  He will love you without any selfish motivation. He is a master at binding and healing. He is a balm. Given the opportunity the Spirit will live your life. He just waits for you to choose Him over your compromise.

He will take care of as much as we will give him. Why not give Him your whole heart? You say you have.... but you've given part of your heart to a man you aren't even willing to marry. To a man who doesn't even know your Father. How silly to be offended when Jesus only blesses and fulfills half of your life....when you've only given Him half.

I have given Him everything. Because He has been given control of my love life I know that He will give His best in His perfect timing. If you manage your love life, why be surprised if you get someone less than His best?

I've purposed in my heart not to compromise. I'll allow Jesus to guide my love life. Someday the Lord will have me meet my man..

It may be a hard journey, but waiting for God's best will lead to only one thing – God's best. 

For more posts on similar subjects please read:

Keeping our Hearts with Diligence 

Is there a difference between infatuation and giving away your heart?  How do we practically keep our heart?

Biblical Womanhood

Are our fathers really our head?  What is woman's purpose?  Why should woman stay at home? Are woman weak?  Can women be adventurous and brave?  

Compromise

Our hearts are at stake! This post addresses the temptation to compromise our standard of purity.  Honest and to the point about relationships with guys.

Temptations 

Temptations will come.  Whether they're something or someone.  This post is on how to face them, what to do with them, how to feel about them and how to find encouragement in them.  

The One 

Is there really "the one" out there for us?

What to do as a Single?

It's easy to grow restless and wonder if there's more to singlehood.  This post encourages single woman what "to do" in these years. 

Holding out for a Fairy Tale

Is it silly to hope and pray for a "Prince Charming"?  Do such men exist?  

Courtship Defended 

 Courtship: is it biblical, or is it flawed?