whatsoeverthings// PURE

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"Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."
II Timothy 2:22

Purity.
If you have been in church for any length of time, you've no doubt heard the countless lessons and sermons on the importance of it. Especially as a teen. In our culture today however, it seems that there can't be enough of those lessons. As much as they are drilled into us, I would think more Christian teens would take it more seriously. Yet sadly, I witness more and more young people with such potential for God fall into the trap the devil has set for us, myself included. Teen pregnancy, pre-marital sex, and pornography run rampant outside, and even inside the church. There seems to be no shame in anything. Young people's minds are corrupted at such early ages; filled with wicked images and the wrong ideals, which they pick up in the public school systems, on the Internet, or through the television. By high school, most have been exposed to pornographic images at one point or another, and they have been presented with, and sadly many have taken the opportunities to have sex. 

In the world, purity is something regarded as "weird", "abnormal", or "immature". The devil has taken the picture of intimacy that was originally reserved and ordained by God, between a man and wife within the sacred confines if marriage, and turned it into something perverse and corrupt. It is something given and taken loosely and effortlessly. Sex is easy to get, the definition of "love" is turned around and more often than not, is the equivalent of lust. There is no commitment, no giving, and no honor. This generation has stooped to the lowest possible rung of the ladder when it comes to sex. I find it sad how people are shocked when I tell them I have never " messed around" with any guy, even my boyfriend. Their jaw often drops and they ask things such as, "How are y'all still together?", or "How does he know you love him if you don't have sex?", or they question how we keep a good relationship for three years with no sex. Now, I will readily admit; it's hard. Even as a Christian - whether you're in a relationship or not, staying pure can be hard. But not impossible. After all, with God, all things are possible, right?

For a Christian girl, purity should be important. It should be kept and guarded as something sacred and holy, as God intended. Once it is lost, it can never be taken back, no matter how sorry you are, or how much you try and forget about it. We must be very, very careful with ourselves. Not just with our bodies, but also with our minds. It is easier than you might think, to sin with your mind. That's where lust comes in. And many times it doesn't just stop there. Like fire, lustful thoughts can spread, and they can swiftly turn into actions, and oftentimes, that is how we lose our purity. The good news is though, if we keep our hearts and minds pure before God, it is easier to keep our bodies pure. In Psalm 119:10-11, David writes, "With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." David sought the LORD with his whole heart. He didn't want there to be any room for impurity or sin. If we strive to seek God with our whole hearts, it will make it difficult to have any room for the wrong thoughts as well.

As girls, our purity is also something very special. It is a gift from God for us to give to the man we will someday marry. It is a way we can express our love for this person in the closest, most intimate way possible, a way we connect with the one we love so deeply. I like one writer's take on it from a guy's perspective. He says, "Sex should be as pure and holy as worship. It is not a pastime to play with your friends, like shooting hoops or jumping on the GameCube. When you make love, there is a connection made with another's soul. It is a connection God intended for you to make with your bride, a connection that will defend the relationship against the world and against the hard times to come." Although he was addressing teen guys, the same can be applied to girls. It is not something we should give away carelessly to anyone, not even your boyfriend. It is something that should be designated for your husband, and him alone, in the right time. 

Keeping your mind free from the wrong kind of thoughts, such as lust, is the first step in being pure. In Psalm 139:23-24, David intreats the LORD by saying, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." Like David, I often find myself asking God the same thing quite often. It can be hard to keep my thoughts right. But I like what a verse in Proverbs 16 says. It says, "Commit thy works unto the Lord , and thy thoughts shall be established." It reminds me that, when I'm busy serving God, my thoughts will be established on Him. It becomes more difficult to dwell on things I shouldn't, because I'm doing what I should for Him. 

I encourage you to stay pure and draw closer to God today, by keeping your mind on Him completely, and off the world. Maybe by keeping the TV off, and spending a little extra time in your Bible. Whatever you do, make sure it is pleasing to Him. Have a great rest of your week!