By Lynn Mosher from Heading Home

In the Old Testament of the Bible, King David said to God, “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit them together in my mother’s womb. Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it.” (Ps. 139:13-14 TLB) God made each of us as a precious being: A body, soul, and spirit needing special care. His intention was that we preserve the purity of our bodies, protecting them from anything that would harm the integrity of His creation, His gift to each of us. The Bible says we are to keep ourselves pure. So, how do we treat our bodies? How do you keep your body pure? Let’s take a look. To preserve purity, be cautious about… …what you allow to enter your ears …what you allow to enter your eyes What do you look at or listen to that tempts you or puts you at risk of lusting, or desiring what you shouldn’t have? You cannot look at or listen to just anything. Your eyes and ears act as conveyor belts of the world’s junk, dumping it all into your mind and heart. Impure sights and sounds siphon out the purity of your life and become infinitesimal steps of separation between you and God. Making careful choices is essential, especially when it comes to being cautious as to… …what you do with your body Do you place yourself in the position of trying to fit in with what others are doing? Like drinking, smoking, doing drugs, or having sex? Let’s just focus on one: sex. 1) You do not have to give into your boyfriend’s pleas that he loves you. If he had respect for you, he would not force himself upon you. 2) You are not a baby for wanting to remain pure and not giving him your body. You are not his sex toy. 3) Engaging in sex does not makes you popular. If you think having sex makes you more popular among your peers, think again. Studies show that others will like and respect you less when you engage in sex. Getting a reputation for being promiscuous, slutty, or easy will stay with you long after high school or college is over. 4) Oral sex is not safe. Teens believe oral sex is the safe alternative to intercourse. However, statistics prove otherwise. Why stay sexually pure? Well, how about for these reasons: 1) Sexually transmitted diseases such as Chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, genital herpes. These things are contracted not only by having intercourse but also by having oral sex. 2) This biggy…HIV. HIV and some STDs are forever, meaning they cannot be cured. 3) And this one…pregnancy. You’ll be responsible for taking care of another life in addition to your own. 4) Depression and suicide. Studies have shown that early sexual activity undermines the emotional well-being of teenagers. When compared to teens that are not sexually active, those who are sexually active are significantly less likely to be happy and more likely to feel depressed and attempt suicide. 5) The greatest reason for not having sex is that God doesn’t want you to, because of all these negative effects and because He has a better plan for your life. Your body is sacred territory. It is the temple of God. The apostle Paul wrote, “But sexual sin is never right: our bodies were not made for that but for the Lord, and the Lord wants to fill our bodies with Himself.” (1 Cor. 6:13b TLB) In order to stay pure, make sure you don’t place yourself in a compromising position and you won’t have to worry about it. If you know that being alone with a boy will stir up your hormones to the lusting stage, then don’t make plans to be alone with him. If, however, you have engaged in sex of any form, God still loves you. You can never do anything that can make Him stop loving you. His forgiveness is always available. Saving yourself for that right mate in your future is the smart and right thing to do. It is God’s plan for your life. I pray you will have strength to turn away from temptation. Be blessed with purity.

~~Stay pure for the love of your life, Lynn~~