Gentleman, please!

This is just going to be a quick little thought provoking post about something that's been on my mind lately. 

GENTLEMAN. 

What is a gentleman? By dictionary definition a gentleman is someone who is: civilized, educated, sensitive, or well-mannered: "He behaved like a true gentleman."

And of course, all over the internet lately you see things like this: 

"Real Men" ... "Gentlemen" ... In my mind they're the same thing, just different ways of putting it. But that is besides the point. The point I'm trying to make is this: A lot of women out there are complaining these days about how "there's no gentleman left!" And I'm sure the gentlemen that DO exist are probably wondering why they seem to be invisible. 

I don't think women realize the power they have in encouraging men to be more gentleman like, and so my question is this: are we ladies ALLOWING guys to be gentleman anymore? I think the answer, for the most part, is no. 

Women have a decent amount of influence on most men. The reason guys don't hold doors or bags or offer jackets anymore is because us women try to act like we're too tough for that, and we get all offended when they offer to take care of us and treat us as the precious jewels that we are. And then we turn right around and complain when a guy isn't treating us right. Tell me how that adds up to making sense? Because to me, it really doesn't! 

Ladies: it's as simple as body language...and maybe even a sweet joke...to encourage a man to act more like a gentleman. When you're walking with a guy and you get to a door, don't just bust through it! Stand there and wait, usually they will get the hint. And if not there's multiple ways of nicely saying that you're waiting for him to get the door for you. I'm not as big on the car doors thing, so I don't have a hint for you on that, but I'm sure there is a nice way to encourage that as well. Remember: honey catches more bees then vinegar.... Or something like that. Principle being this: if your nice a guy will want to treat you well.

There's also a Biblical reference for this, Proverbs 31 describes a good woman. If you go verse by verse and pull out her characteristics you will find that one of them is graciousness. Graciousness, by definition, is being courteous. Being courteous is "having or showing good manners, politeness." So if women were more polite to men, wouldn't they be polite back? I think the answer is yes. 

SO. My challenge to you is this: be conscious of how you act around the guys in your life, young and old. Try to encourage them to treat you in a more "gentlemanly" manner, and then come back here and let me know if it works! And keep in mind, this isn't just some haughty-taughty thing for women to get treated like queens or whatever, encouraging the guys around you to be gentleman and to respect women is helping men too! Men need to act like men, they need to be protectors and providers because that's how God made them, and I believe those characteristics should includes all women to a degree. 

So much for quick! I just keep going, haha. I think this is an okay place to end this for now, though. Let me know what you think about this topic, leave a comment!