Passionate About Purity

A water drop. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Have you ever wanted something so badly, you would do anything to get it?

Maybe you wanted to buy something or go somewhere and you worked your pretty little tush off to earn the money. You avoided lattes, movies, and vending machines because nothing was going to deter you from that something.

Or maybe it’s a fitness thing. A sports goal or a desired weight. You disciplined yourself, pushed yourself, punished yourself until your crossed that glorious finish line.

Can you imagine if all tough girls were like that about their purity?

Imagine valuing your purity above anything else. Like a priceless treasure. A one-of-a-kind painting. Something of so much value and worth, you would do everything in your power to protect it.

You guard your eyes, not wanting anything that you see to mar your purity even a little. That might mean not watching certain TV shows or movies. Or maybe even avoiding hanging out with certain people who don’t believe in modesty (that goes for girls and guys).

You guard your body, knowing it’s been bought with the precious blood of Jesus. You know you’re walking on this earth, filled with His Holy Spirit, and the last thing you want is to bring Jesus into an unholy situation. So you draw the line at not even a hint. No compromise. You are precious and worth waiting for.

You guard your heart, knowing it is the very center of everything you feel and do. You don’t let lies, compromise, or negativity taint it even a bit. Instead, you fill yourself up with things that build you up, encourage you, and grow you in godly ways. The Bible. Books. Music. Friends. Time. It’s all pure.

Can you imagine being so passionate about your purity, it shapes everything you do? Can you imagine fighting for it?

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God…Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.” – Colossians 3:1-5

Question: Is there any impurity in your life? Any compromise or shame? What do you need to change? Do you fight for purity, seeking it in every area of your life? What are you actively doing to cherish purity?

 

Related articles

• How to Pray for Purity (purehopeblog.net)
• “Purity Sucks” (procrastinatingtomorrow.com)

What To Do When You Screw Up In A Relationship

Maybe you’re dating someone and things went too far. Or maybe you just have a good guy friend and an awkward pause lead to an even more awkward situation. Maybe it’s neither of those things but you have a friend who has one of these problems.

Relationships are tough enough as it is. Add in crossing physical boundaries and the storm suddenly turns into a tsunami.

So how do you navigate your way out? Where is the healing when the hurt and shame feel larger than life? How can you find forgiveness when your guilt feels insurmountable?

Tough girls, I wish I had all the answers. I certainly don’t. But I do have my own story. Here comes some straight from the heart, totally vulnerable stuff.

I wasn’t a virgin when I got married. I wish that I was. I wish I hadn’t screwed up. I wish I hadn’t compromised. I wish I hadn’t made those mistakes that can never ever be erased.

There was a time when guilt and shame consumed me. I wondered if I would ever find a guy who would love me despite the ten ton baggage I carried. Would he look at me and see the scars that those relationships left behind?

The man that I married is amazing. He’s kind, forgiving, understanding, and compassionate.

But he isn’t the one who healed me.

“Therefore you are a new creation in Christ. The old has gone. The new has come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Jesus made me new. Not refurbished. Not polished off with a new coat of varnish to cover up the nicks. NEW!!!! The old me is dead!

Ladies, it’s never too late to be made new. There’s no sin, no screw up, no mistake that Jesus can’t remove as he makes you a new creation.

He’s dying to make you new!

He died to make you new. Do you hear that? Do you believe that?

If you’ve screwed up, the first step is confession. Bring it to the Lord. Tell Him that you are sorry and that you know He wants better for you. Then sit and bask in His love and forgiveness.

The second step (and significantly harder) is to stop. Stop screwing up. Stop messing around in ways that bring about shame and guilt. Maybe this means having a DTR with your boyfriend and laying out some clear, uncompromisable boundaries (check out this former post for some amazing ideas). Or it might involve breaking up with him all together. Whatever you need to do to protect the new you, do it. Don’t see how close you can get to the line without crossing over. Turn the other direction, run away from temptation, and run into the arms of God.

What if you do steps 1 and 2 and then screw up again?

Do steps 1 and 2 again. And remember this:

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life…We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” – Romans 6:1-6

Print it. Post it above your mirror. Tattoo it on your forehead. Pray to Jesus for a hatred for sin and a burning desire for purity.

You are a new creation in Christ. Does your relationship reflect that?

Make sure it does. Today.

Related articles

• Five Minute Friday: New (fightlikegirls.wordpress.com)
• ground level at the cross (restoringthesplendor.wordpress.com)
• Forgiveness Is More Than Relieving Guilt (paulstohler.com)