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Real Treasure

This Tuesday marked the end of season 4 of NBC's hit reality show The Voice. The two-hour season finale was packed with performances from the top 16 artists as well as from some popular recording artists, such as Cher, One Republic and Florida Georgia Line. Some performances I enjoyed, such as winner Danielle Bradbury bringing back three other powerful female contestants for a rousing rendition of Carrie Underwood's "All-American Girl." Others I had a hard time paying attention to. (Seriously, who could focus on a word Cher was singing with that outfit and hair drawing attention away from the vocals?) One in particular struck me because it missed the point entirely: Bruno Mars' "Treasure." The song talks about a woman he treasures, but the lyrics and dance moves suggest that he doesn't know what that means.

A treasure is something that is sought after because it is rare and valuable. Pirates wouldn't have gone after something they could find just anywhere; it had to be special. A treasure that was out in the open for anyone to see wouldn't be worth much because anybody could get to it. Part of the value of treasure hunts is searching for something that few others, if any, would be able to find. That's why most treasures were found on remote islands. Only those who were skilled enough to find the location on a map and safely navigate there would be able to find the treasure. The treasure was so valuable, it could only be found by those who understood its value and were dedicated to seeking after it.

In much the same way, a man who truly treasures a woman is one who is aware of how rare and valuable she is. He respects her enough to not force her into compromising her integrity or her purity. A treasured lady is worth waiting on because she is worth more than just a one-night stand or a summer fling. A man would not spend the night with a lady he treasures, unlike what Mr. Mars seems to think. Instead, he would wait until the day he marries her, and would remain true to her the rest of their lives together.

Girls, we were created by God to be treasured. Genesis 2:24 states, "That is why a man leaves his father and is mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." We will know a man treasures us when he is willing to pursue us, woo us, wait for us, care for us and spend the rest of his life with us. He will respect us and listen to our desires. He will be the spiritual leader of our house, willing to pray about any decision he makes. He will love God more than he loves us, recognizing that He made us and we are His first and foremost. When he wishes to propose, he will first go to our father and ask for our hand, knowing that our daddy is the first man in our lives and will always be the first man we ever love. More than anything else, he will acknowledge that he will always be second in our lives, because he will never come before our One True Love, our Savior Jesus Christ.

Remember that you are a treasure in the eyes of God, and if any man you meet will not acknowledge this fact, don't give him the time of day. We were not made to settle for anything less than God's best.

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