Posted on Monday, June 5, 2023

Don’t Judge Me

The longer I reflect upon the damage created in the wake of countless mistakes, the more I’m convinced that in order to remain engaged in the good fight in life, I must lean upon an age old lesson in wise counsel–know which fight to engage. Please hear me out before jumping to any conclusions.

It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve practiced the art of biting my tongue on more than one occasion over the past few months, particularly as it relates to the opinions of others, social media, and personal responsibility. It wasn’t long ago in human history when getting from place to place meant walking, or returning home before the street lights came on.

These days, it appears the idea of brutal honesty has been traded in for brutal stupidity. The things people post publicly on their social media accounts would likely never be said in person, yet for whatever reason, it seems empowering to sit behind a computer screen and curse the very existence of anyone who disagrees with an unchallenged worldview.

Today, I ran into a young woman in her early 20’s that enjoys the “party” lifestyle more than life itself. Her perspective orbited around young men and their perceived affections for her. All hell broke loose when I asked a simple question, “Do your guy friends respect you?” …. I received her undeniable response loud and clear, “Don’t Judge Me!”

This trite response was merely code for, “Don’t influence me to acknowledge and own my stupid choices.” After calming her down and appealing to the core of her pain, it was evident to me that the pain of her absentee father had left a scar so deep that she was willing to sell her soul to be affirmed by a replacement “daddy” with washboard abdominals and a golden boy smile.

Listen, respect doesn’t begin AFTER your clothes come off. Far too often, we think our perspective is the only relevant and valid viewpoint, so we feel a sense of duty to judge others harshly. I wonder how effective we would be in life if we were slower to speak and quick to listen? Make no mistake, meek is not weak.

Until next time, Be encouraged.

I speak to thousands of young adults, men, women, and couples annually on leadership, decision making, and relationships. Sometimes life has a way of being the antidote to life itself. If you’d like more information on this topic or how to bring me in as a speaker for your next event, please contact me.

In the meantime, I encourage you to subscribe to my Tribe/Newsletter on my homepage. Post your comment below, Share my blogs with your friends on social media, and visit my website often for daily inspiration. Until next time, Be encouraged.

Egypt McKee

Speaker | Mentor | Podcaster | TV Host

www.EgyptSpeaks.com | www.Facebook.com/EgyptSpeaks

Posted on Monday, April 22, 2019

Chocolate.

by egyptspeaks

egyptspeaks

Speaker. Mentor. Podcaster

There simply aren’t many things in life that seem to carry the prestige of indulgence that is fantasized more frequently than Heaven itself. The power to motivate some through sensual appeal, yet condemn others through compulsive appetite is an incredible phenomena. The mere thought of it can buckle the knees of the strongest mind or cause the dedicated to abandon their purpose; yet stand as a succulent reward for those who dare reach out to grasp its fame.

Speaking of weaknesses, have you considered where your battle is fought? The heat of battle is often fought without understanding the objective, yet we march on to fight another day for a purpose we neither understand nor believe. In the midst of all the chaos, arguments and failures, lays a subtle reminder of our vulnerability wrapped in an attractive package containing the sweet temptation of the finest chocolate.

Long before you knew you were in battle, the scars of repeated failure reminded you of the intense warfare, yet an understanding of “why” would not be answered. Rhetorical questions swirled around in your mind and lay uneasy on your heart like a dormant land-mine awaiting discharge. One failed relationship after another led you to blame others, yourself and finally God, yet your chocolate was always there to sooth your pain through another mistake.

Targeted campaigns of sensuality, lust and sex have risen faster than the stock market in times of plenty! The two-sided coin features the women who starve for genuine affirmation & attention through men and others who attempt to meet those needs from character birthed in the tail end. Navigation never meant as much as it does now as you bend, tuck and roll to avoid the moving targets of life that reinforce social acceptance for acting out illicit fantasies and behaviors.

2 Corinthians 12:9, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” (NIV)

What do you see in yourself? How do others see you? Is there a difference? The rocky road you’ve traveled thus far is merely getting started. Do you remember the boy or girl you first dated? Emotions were difficult to gauge because everything was new, exciting yet somewhat uncomfortable. Small talk of anything quickly became the focus of life, yet your relationships today are dying for lack of oxygen.

What else is there to do when your alone again, or worse–married for a significant period of time and feeling alone. The person who once was your source of chocolate has now become a lemon. This tragic transformation didn’t happen over night, yet picking your fights has ultimately been rewarded with a cold relationship, a broken heart and a perceived unattainable chocolate: the joy of being happy again.

The delusion of proving your strength by returning to the scene of the crime is as pathetic as the alcoholic who thinks they are strong enough to hang around a bar or someone with a sexual addiction who spends hot summer afternoons at the beach studying the inhabitants of the land. Weaknesses are found in everyone, yet there is only one source for overcoming them and I am convinced that is through a deliberate relationship with Jesus Christ.

Many of you have heard that before and are sick of it, yet whatever it is that you’ve been trying so far isn’t working out; at least not as you’d hoped. Rest assured, life offers more varieties of chocolate than you will ever know. I know there is hope for you today, but the question is, Do you want it?

Until next time, Be encouraged.

I speak to hundreds of thousands of young adults, men, women, and couples annually on leadership, decision making, and relationships. Sometimes life has a way of being the antidote to life itself. If you’d like more information on this topic or how to bring me in as a speaker for your next event, please contact me.

Egypt McKee

Speaker | Author | TV Host | Life Coach

Posted on Friday, December 14, 2018

Condom Nation.

by egyptspeaks

egyptspeaks

Speaker. Mentor. Podcaster

If you close your eyes long enough and concentrate on your surroundings, you’ll faintly hear the murmurings of intimate chatter, ruffled papers, and emotional appeals. Warnings of sensory overload overwhelm your mind and the satisfaction of balance is no longer familiar. Profound questions pound against the wall of your character while simultaneous conflicts arise in your mind in secret chambers of privacy and discretion.

Do great gifts come in small packages? Can something so small carry such a burden to shield, protect, yet promise bliss? In an instant, everything around you has stopped long enough to recognize the state of being versus the state of doing. The facial expressions of your closest friends melt away in the face of truth, and the pain of loneliness, depression and insignificance is recognized from across the room.

The magnifying glass of life leaves no burden unaccounted, yet the strength to apply it to self is infinitely more difficult than analyzing other peoples indiscretions. Is it the clothes or lack thereof that is the problem? Never before have you experienced a desire to know the cause beyond the effects. Promotion of failed relationships, hook-ups, and fitting-in has left you scrambling around for cover, yet the promise of bliss is yet to be fulfilled.

The struggles of life have once again confronted you on the grand stage of character and integrity. Until now, neither mattered in a world where purity and hope were senseless commodities; severely lacking popular appeal. The promise to deliver protection and bliss is merely the question that demands a verdict, yet many will not consider the obvious.

Guarantees that “one size fits all” work overtime to ensure delusions of grandeur to be the greatest goal of life. The will to stand up for truth is quickly swallowed up in the first person to show you attention. A beautiful smile, curves that defy logic or muscles that need your attention are merely intoxicating eye-candy that leaves you dazed in emotional euphoria.

Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” (NKJV)

The pressure to perform has skyrocketed to an all-time high and the opinions of others motivate your behavior to appease. Who’s appeasing whom at this point? Whispers from childhood memory, remind you that you reap what you sow, yet payment would eventually come due. What’s the big deal? Live a little is what you’ve always thought, or at least that’s what you heard others say. Unfortunately, the profound depth of “living a little” won’t be realized until its far too late.

Eventually, an investment must be made, commitments must be given, and actions must be taken. The promise to protect is once again put to the test in the court of truth and popular opinion. Everyone faces the same judge and enters through the same doors of the court. The smell of fresh cut wood line the floors, walls and rafters, yet there is something distinct about the rough splinter-like appearance of this majestic hall. The courtroom is clearly marked and the contrasts of those who are seated in popular opinion far outnumber those sitting on the side of truth and integrity.

Another decision is brought out for all to see. To be or not to be might be “a question”, but rest assured it is not “the question.” The evidence has been presented and witnesses have testified, and there is one thing left before the judge renders a decision—your testimony. Instantaneously, you feel the adrenaline of fear and anxiety cripple your bones, yet giving your opinion will be required without the aid of your paparazzi.

At this point, it is obvious on the battlefield of truth, that your opinions, convictions, and character have been intertwined in the hands of those who know less about you than yourself. Decisions made repeatedly in the past, have now been challenged on the basis of authority and obedience? The desire to reach into your pocket and trust a small silicone package is now more pathetic than the embarrassment of having been called out to make your own decisions. Years of hiding behind the silhouette of false promises and expectations smeared in the lubricant of deception and delusion is no more fulfilling than ransoming your most prized possession—your virginity!

Until next time, Be encouraged.

Egypt McKee

Speaker | Author | TV Host | Life Coach