Striving for purity

Introduction

I remember being taught as a child to guard my heart physically and emotionally in everything I do. It always sounded cliche to the point of ignorance and because of that, I would knowledge the statement and move on.

It wasn't that I didn't understand the idea; I heard it many times but didn't understand the why behind it all. That question would most definitely be the leading cause of arguments with my parents. My parents would instruct me to do things, and typically the first word that came to mind was “why”. I find myself even asking God this question. What made me doubt my parent's wisdom? And what does it actually mean to  “guard your heart’?”...

It wasn’t until I entered a relationship that took me down a path I never thought I’d go down. I began to see and realize why purity was not only important but a must in a relationship to be God-focused. Dating for me meant I was on a journey to find the person God has for me, however, it's sad to admit that many out there would say the exact same statement, but completely disregard God’s design for sexual intimacy in all sense of the word.  We know that God made us with a passion for sex and pleasure but in the context of marriage. It's such a  beautiful thing, that I’m so incredibly excited to experience and with a right heart for the things of the Lord.  

 

Casting down the thoughts

As a believer, we should create our friendships and relationships to be godly and always push toward a good character. Having a godly relationship was something I always wanted but it hasn’t always been mutual. Even in the majority of male friendships I’ve had, they tried to get me to fall as far as physical boundaries were concerned. As a result,  friendships come and go but I don’t mind. But even in those situations, I trusted God to lead me the right way out and through it all without any pain and hurt. Unfortunately,  I had to deal with the pain and heartache. 

The recent request I’ve been asking God is to mend my heart. To mend my heart so that I may be able to love once again. To mend my heart so I won’t have the opportunity to become bitter or angry.

 I recommend asking God for the same thing if you have gone through a similar experience. God is so full of mercy and love and without a second thought, He will mend your heart like He is mending mine. 

Oh, my friends,  purity doesn’t start and end with not having sex until marriage. It’s so much greater than that. It's about renewing your mind over and over and giving up the urge to fall into sin. It’s about creating and protecting your testimony not only for God but for your future family. It's about saving yourself the heartbreak that isn’t necessary. 

 Purity starts with your thoughts. It is easy to get into a negative mindset. In general,  when you entertain the thoughts of this word it becomes easier to accept them, keeping them in your mind. When you decide to do this, it creates a toxic cycle that is hard to stop. Entertaining quickly becomes wanting to perform. The thought of depression is a great example of this. Your mind is a battlefield. If you don’t guard it, you will lose control. 

(Romans 12)

You are not alone

A few last thoughts (no pun intended when it comes to purity). Realizing we all have a story is in a way relieving... That means there’s hope, there’s healing, there’s forgiveness! God has a plan for your life and sometimes there are battles we have to face in order to see the victories. Guarding your heart and thoughts is something you don’t have to do alone. There are people waiting for you to share, I’m sure of it. And even if you are not ready to share with the people around you, please know God is there and waiting for you to talk with Him. Don’t be afraid to fight for something worth fighting for, especially in our culture today. Give your burdens to our Heavenly Father. He wants to lighten the load, He wants to help. 

Give God your heart so that He may protect it. (:

(Mathew 11:30)