well... as i go to different places, the mall, school, cafeterias, restaurants... theres always something i notice, FLIRTING. Dictionary.com defines, "To deal playfully, triflingly, or superficially. Playful behavior intended to arouse sexual interest" (Par. 1, 3) Thesaurus.com used toying as another word for flirting.... and when someone flirts they flirt with another person, so when u think about it... when you are flirting you are toying around with them... toying with their feelings, their thoughts... and their emotions. I dunno about you guys, but for me personally i believe that flirting can be quite hurtful and is not nessasarily the best thing.... the problem is, i see flirting in the WORLD.... but i also see it in our CHURCH BODY. "Father, I don’t ask you to take my followers out of the world, but keep them safe from the evil one. They don’t belong to this world, and neither do I. Your word is the truth. So let this truth make them completely yours. I am sending them into the world, just as you sent me. I have given myself completely for their sake, so that they may belong completely to the truth." John 17:15 you see, as christians we DO NOT belong to this world of... glammer, superficial relationships, pride, pimping, fame, we should be "transformed with the renewing of our minds". so why do we combine our christians lives with the way of the world? The church is not a place to meet new people of the opposite gender, or to hang out with ur buddies, or a place to hit it off with people, but it is a place of worship... it is God's home. how would we like it if all of the sudden a bunch of ppl came barging into our house with the ways of the world... flirting and partying and doing things we did not approve... im sure we would be FURIOUS, imagine how God feels. yknow... our christian lives should be different from a non christians life... we should be walking witnesses... where people of the world would be like "MAN... so thatz what christians are... I want a piece of that". Flirting causes jealousy, hate, mixed feelings/emotions, gossip, and the breaking of a unified church. you dont see how flirting can cause these things??? here are some examples Jealousy - im gonna use myself for this example... so yeah i like this girl, but constantly my own friends would be flirting with her, hitting it off even though they knew i liked her.... i got so jealous and so pissed off, this eventually leads to... hate. Hate - through jealousy i started to hate my VERY OWN FRIENDS... such a little thing caused me to actually HATE another brother... when i think back it is very sad that i would be pushed to the point where i hated them. Mixed emotions/feelings - when people flirt...people get emotionally attached to the opposite gender... especially women(God programmed them this way). and then they start to think "awwww i think he/she likes me". but then they find out that the person ACTUALLY doesnt like them... and KABLAMO!!!! HEART BROKEN... this later leads on to hate and jealousy... Gossip - doesnt it make u mad when moms and dads are talking about u and this other person and how they say u are dating when u arent. WELL thatz because u are guilty of.... flirting too much. people observe... and people talk and they assume things... flirting can be a stumbling block in this area as well Breaking church unity - the fact that we are jealous of one another, and hate one another... and gossip about one another... alredy are signs of the church body breaking, we shouldnt be doing this. the church body is important to maintain because that is what truly builds us up for our purpose. I know sometimes flirting does not come intentially... but it is when we dont notice it that it can be the most dangerous because we wouldnt know where to start to fix the problem. we should be careful with how we act to the opposite gender... it will give mixed emotions and thoughts... and also, it can encourage gossip as well. being nice is a good thing, but being TOO nice to the point where people think differently or that it can make someone mad... is a problem. WE SHOULDNT BE STUMBLING BLOCKS... even if u arent intentially flirting and are just being too nice...but it makes others mad and causes them to stumble... we should think about it, maybe we DO need to change? we should be careful with everything we do and say because it can affect others in such a negative way that eventually the church body will be destroyed. And if people are flirting with u... be careful with ur reaction because they might think you like it... and will continue to flirt. by walking off, or by being stern and telling them to stop or giving them a HINT that u dont like it... will save the problem of gossip, jealusy, hatred... mixed feelings... and the whole nine yards. So in conclusion... please watch what u are doing and remember to ask urself, is what im doing Glorifying God?... does flirting or making someone laugh for recongnition further Gods kingdom? everything we do say and think should bring Glory to God... so are we? "Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity." TImothy 5:1-2 | 
