Some years ago the “Hot or Not” website was released, and made quite a sensation. I never had the courage to submit my photo. My self-esteem is low enough, thank you very much. But recently I had reason to mull over what it is that makes someone “hot.”
The very existence and popularity of a site like “Hot or Not” says much about the superficiality of our culture. Many women and men have all the trimmings of a “hot” exterior, yet have such offensive personalities or behaviors that their relationships are doomed, or at least prone to constant conflict, disappointment, and pain. Despite this obvious fact, our culture places much more emphasis on the external factors than on the characteristics that contribute to lasting, healthy relationships.
Are Christians “hot”? And should they be?
If you visit a Christian bookstore, and glance over the covers of books and CDs, you’ll surely see that some Christians have what it takes to be hot in the world’s estimation (as long as they keep their mouth shut about their faith!). And of course there are many others who are not-so-hot on the outside, quite like the rest of us.
Should we even be asking about our hotness? Apparently so, because in Revelation 3:14-22, God describes one of the church’s weak spots as a failure to be “hot” (or cold) — instead the church has become just so-so.
It’s clear that what appeals to God as hot is not the same as what our culture esteems. God’s woman in Revelation is described as pure, clothed in white linen which represents her character (Revelation 19:8). She is modest and consecrated. By contrast, the other woman in Revelation, God’s enemy, whom He calls a harlot, is described in very different terms — clothed luxuriously, and inflamed with evil passions (Revelation 17:1-6).
“Hotness” can be defined as the intensity of something. For example, the intensity of one’s sexual attractiveness, or the intensity of one’s faith. There are many aspects of human nature that can be described on a hotness-coldness scale: we could add our emotional nature, our intellectual aptitude, our sociability, our health and vitality. Of all these qualities, the Bible clearly communicates that spiritual fervor is the most important way to be hot. More generally, it is worthy to aspire to whatever makes us better people. And while it’s undoubtedly true that God wants us to be attractive physically, it’s best to keep the lust of the world on ice. It’s exactly the inverse of how the world views things.
Are you hot? Am I? And in what ways? It’s good to be hot where we ought — but not where we will be a stumbling stone to others.