My fellow Christians: I need help!?

Question

I have this wonderful Christian friend. She has very bad eyesight, so she wears glasses. Recently, she's been starting to wear her contact lenses that she never really wore before. Her contacts are daily disposables, so she can only wear it for about a day then throw it away. The reason for this is because her father is very strict about contacts, she right before he comes back from work, she has to take them off before he sees her in her contacts. I honestly don't know why he doesn't allow her to wear them, but she's been really struggling about this. She really wants weekly contact lenses and just be a a normal girl who wears contacts. She's been praying a lot lately, and she tells me that she thinks God isn't going to grant her the weekly contacts unless she does something first, like ask her parents about it which she hasn't done.

So what do you think God is telling her to do?

Answer 1

She is struggling because she is a Christian, and is going behind her father's back by doing this. In effect, she is deceiving him, and not honoring her father.

It isn't so much an issue that she sins by wearing contacts, it is the deceit that is making her uncomfortable. I would expect that the Holy Spirit is convicting her of that.

I don't understand why her father doesn't allow her to wear them, and that is something she needs to discuss with him about. But she also needs to quit deceiving her dad.

Answer 2

God helps those who help themselves is the first thing that comes to mind.
Another is God will help us after all we can do. She can't just wish it to happen and do nothing to try to make it happen.
Sounds like she needs to talk to her parents about it. Try to be as mature and rational as possible, thinking like they would think and come up with realistic answers to their questions/comments.
She could still take them out when her dad came home, but at least she wouldn't have to waste money. Daily's are more expensive than weekly's.

UPDATE: Did I miss something? Did you say/imply that she's doing this daily contact thing behind her parents back? I don't think I read that. But if she is, that's an entirely different story. She needs to honor her parents, but that doesn't mean blind obedience (no pun intended). She needs to know why her dad is so against contacts and if there is any wiggle room. For example some men really like long hair on a woman so they don't allow their daughters or wife to cut their hair. However, as long as it was still long they might be ok with it. In her case as long as some compromise could be reached like a week with them a week without, or never allowing her dad to see her with them in, it might be ok.

Answer 3

Her father may consider contact lenses to be a form of vanity. She may have to wait until she is 18 before she can get the weekly version. On the other hand, maybe one of her teachers can talk to her father about the importance of being able to see well when she does her homework!

Answer 4

Tell your friend to keep the faith,and be consistent in her prayers.Tell her to labor in her prayers.Reiterate to her just how hard Jesus prayed before they took him away to be crucified.This may indeed be a test by God himself to test her faith.

More than likely her father wants her to wear glasses because sometimes glasses,depending on the style of the frames,and the size of the lens can be non attractive.He may not be ready to cut the apron string so to speak.He's being a protective daddy like most are and should be toward their daughters.But he must also have faith that she will make the right decisions in her life.That's not a place you really want to stick your nose in.Daddies can be vicious when it comes to their children.Stand by her side,and love her and support her as best as you can.Always have grace.Be the salt of the earth.

Answer 5

This makes me want to cry.

First off, I highly doubt she can talk any sense into her loony-tunes father. He's obviously living in the dark ages. Or the optical version of the movie Footloose......

I don't agree that she needs to obey her father in this case. I strongly disagree with that. However, if she doesn't have the means to afford these contacts, she'll just have to live with it until she's old enough to throw off those ridiculous shackles and get the hell out of dodge.

She can certainly try talking to him, but if she does, she may end up having to give up even her daily contacts. She'd better be careful about how she words things if she wants to keep that secret.

Answer 6

If she were Catholic, I'd suggest asking St. Lucy to intervene (Patron Saint of Eye problems). However, not knowing her denomination, I say she should probably find out why her father doesn't like contacts. It could be a money thing (my dad hates a lot of stuff because he hates spending money) or maybe some kind of weird fear (I knew a lady who thought you can get poisoned by dying your hair). She should also save up for when she's in college and can get contacts on her own. I'm guessing she's still onher parent's eye care plan (which means they'll find out sooner or later when they review their bills).

Answer 7

Maybe talk this over with her father. Ask him why won't he allow your friend to wear contact lenses. Also tell him how she feels about it as well. I'll be praying for you.

Answer 8

Honesty is always the best policy,especially when dealing with parents. Tell her to pray about it first, and then to tell both her parents at the same time, and be honest about the reasons that she wants to wear contacts.

Answer 9

I won't tell you what God is telling her to do, but I will tell you what God's inspired Word says. Colossians 3:20, "Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord."

This means until she is an adult, i.e. 18 years of age, she does what her father says. This doesn't mean she's not allowed to ask her father for permission!

Let's also hope that her father follows Colossians 3:21, "Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged."

Answer 10

That's a tough question. Well first of all we know that deceit and things of that nature are not Godly. Sad to say but she may need to really talk to her parents about how they feel and why they feel that way.

If she grew up in a family like mine that may be a little hard to do.
I'd say continue fasting and praying and seek the Lord about how to go about this. Pray that He will touch their hearts as well. Either way support her, love her and keep her in your prayers.