Purity.

Hi there!

Can I just be honest? I am kinda long winded and am workin on Jesus' time frame so just pull up a chair and hang on!

Interestingly enough, God laid this upon my heart and then when I was at work, I was putting away books on girls on self-esteem and purity This is a close subject for me, because as Alyssa's mommy, and being one of my biggest charges as her parent is to pray for her and teach her. 

I feel the need to bust out with purity.  We're talkin about sexual purity where you abstain from any form or kind of sexual activity outside of marriage. And I'm not just talkin' to kids here. Parents, wake up! Talk to your children. Educate them. Listen to them. Direct them. Show them. Help them desire to refrain and choose purity! Don't just tell them, show them.

 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. -Psalms 22:6(NIV)

My biggest prayer for her and you is that she/you choose to remain pure. And simply not because she/you "has" to because the word says that it is a must, but because she desires that in her own heart. You desire that in you heart. I can spout off tons of scriptures and really be passionate about this, but I want her/you to desire that not just because I am pounding it in to her/your head but because that is something she & you choose.

Before I go any further, I want to share this with you. I am not affiliated with these peeps at all. These books came to me as a suggestion when Alyssa was 5. Yeah.. She was only 5 (thank goodness I am one open mommy and hit it straight on). Someone on her bus while living in England asked her if she knew about sex. That's when I went to my bible study group and friends and not only asked them to pray, but suggest how to handle this delicate topic to a 5 year old. I bought these, God's design for Sex.  We didn't buy the first one because she already knew about being a baby inside of me, just not how she got there. I loved them. She loved them. They worked for us. They may or may not work for you. But there is my suggestion.

Bing Dictionary defines purity as this. 

pu·ri·ty

 [ pyrətee ]   

1. freedom from contaminants: the absence, or degree of absence, of anything harmful, inferior, unwanted, or of a different type
2. innocence: virtue and innocence
3. clarity: clarity of tone or sound

 I think the bible defines it as this:

God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.  Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor— not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.  Never harm or cheat a Christian brother in this matter by violating his wife, for the Lord avenges all such sins, as we have solemnly warned you before. God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.  Therefore, anyone who refuses to live by these rules is not disobeying human teaching but is rejecting God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.1 Thessalonians 4:3 NIV

It's kinda the same thing. However, let's talk about sin for a little bit. I don't particularly care what you think, but if you are engaging in any sexual activity and you don't have a ring on your finger and aren't married you are in sexual sin and aren't being any kind of pure. Doesn't matter what you think or what you call it. Whether you are engaging in looking at things, talking about things, or actually doing things, that's not okay. Sin manifests itself in many different ways and our cultures depicts that its okay to engage in sex prior to being married. I don't really know the stats, but I can assure you, I bet its pretty high. Let me just say, IT IS NOT OKAY TO HAVE SEX PRIOR TO MARRIAGE. 

That is a sin, and I know all too well.

Let me share a lil bit about myself. I am only going to apologize once in advance for being so open and honest on here. It's how I roll. While I don't particularly care if I step on your toes and feel the need to apologize, I don't want to continually do so and affect you reading this. This blog and its real, raw, and honesty is me. It's what I feel led to do so forgive me if I step on any toes being so open and saying TMI. 

Okay.. So about me.  I didn't grow up in a Christian home. My mom never ever talked to me about sex or anything like that however, I do remember having a few conversations with my brother. Most of what I knew I learned in school and you can best believe, it wasn't Christ centered. To act cool in school, I remember I would just listen like I knew about what was being said. Some of it isn't really rocket science since the Lord created us to be sexual beings, some of the topics that left me scratching my head and I later learned through the hard way.  As I grew and did my hormones that were wild & raging, and I'm just being  honest, teenagers at the time of puberty and beyond have it rough. I don't think I knew I should choose to remain pure, and sadly I did not. Yes, you read that right. I was not a virgin and for a long time, I was pretty promiscuous. I am not afraid to admit that, because it is in that where the Lord filled me with a love and covering so vast that it washed away my sins. Don't get me wrong, I knew right from wrong but there was no one there to guide me and help me choose to save myself for my marriage.  But I also, put myself in situations that would lend itself to impurity. In high school, I fooled around. I didn't think what I was doing was wrong at all. Who knew? Surely not me. Did a lot of making out, lots of flirting, and even went so far as to have oral sex. I would like to believe had I knew, I may of have a conscious about it or cared enough to remain pure. But that was not my choice or path, and sadly enough I was sinning. I was filling a God-shaped hole that I spent years filling with sexual sin. God is the only one who can fulfill every. single. area. of your lives! After the act went away, I was left with it all. My feelings, my guilt, my frustrations, etc. 

Friends, let me just share with you that we are actually supposed to remain pure. The bible is clear on that. But in my opinion it starts with your mind. Our minds are powerful. You know that, I know that. We are bombarded with junk all the time. It is all around us. We are fallen people living in a fallen world. However, we are supposed to fight it.

Firstly with our minds. Our minds are a powerful place. We have to ensure we are renewing them. Every second of the day.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:1-2 NIV

Then your heart. Ah.. The heart. Where most of our "feelings" come from.

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure. -1 John 3:2-3 NIV

Now I know that I said in the beginning I want Alyssa to desire that and I do. It is her one greatest gift that she will give to her husband. To me, that in itself is one of the most exciting, liberating, fantastical things ever! Imagine that you choose to remain pure. You save yourself all your entire life and you get married. Your spouse and you become one. There is nothing more sweeter, more innocent, and more pleasing to God than this act. 

I don't beat myself up or think about the past as in regret though. God washed me! I have been saved by his grace! It has allowed me the floor to talk to you today and that's why I am here, like the countless others that want to share to you to remain pure and actually do so! But because I violated this early on, I later violated it further in myself, who I was with causing them to sin, and our Jesus by eventually having sexual intercourse. That's not choosing to refrain, to remain pure, to save myself for my husband. And I am sharing with in this with you so that you do not make the same choices. God wants the best for you!

We have to choose. You have to choose to refrain. Aside of the word, let me share with you a couple of things. Firstly, remember God wants all of you, including this. If you have fallen, then go to Him and He will wash you white as snow. He will cleanse you and you will be new in Him! I know that doesn't negate that you may have chosen to not remain pure. I know the pressure from feeling like a dirty rag and not because of your activity but because of your choices. Do not beat yourself up. If we were perfect people we would not need a savior. And man let me tell you, we need Him! 

So today my friend, choose different. The 5 minutes, 30 minutes, the hour that you spend in sexual sin is not worth it. Do you hear me? It is not worth it, trust me. Sure it feels great for second you're in it, just remember that once its over and the raging inside of you subsides you will have to stand. So today friends, if you have fallen know there is a gracious God who will stand firm with you and help you. I wanted to share this from Focus On The Family. I like them. Go read it here. 

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.-Psalms 103:12 NLT

O Lord, you are so good, so ready to forgive,

so full of unfailing love for all who ask for your help.

Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord;

I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble,

and you will answer me.-Psalms 86:5-7 NLT

And if you are someone who has chosen to remain pure, good on you! Remember though, just because you are not "acting" it out doesn't mean that your mind isn't wondering, thinking, or sinning. Stand firm with your mind and guard it as much as you guard your heart.

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,  training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.Titus 2:11-14 ESV


 Ephesians 6:10-17"Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day and having done everything to stand firm. Stand Firm therefore, HAVING GIRDED YOUR LOINS WITH TRUTH, and HAVING PUT ON THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, and having shod YOUR FEET WITH THE PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the HELMET OF SALVATION, and the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God." 

Put your purity in to action by standing firm! Start right now. You now have a choice!

Much love friends.

e.