Make A Decisionنموونە

Prayer: Before you begin, take this time to ask God to reveal Himself to you as a perfect, loving Father. Ask Him to increase your faith in His goodness and to help you trust that His commands are for your good. Praise God for His protection and discipline in your life, because everything He does is out of love for you. 

The Benefit of Boundaries

Growing up, one of my favorite gifts I can remember receiving was my very own pink tricycle. Besides the fun tassels dangling off the handlebars and the bell I could ring over and over, what I loved most about the bike was that I got to spend quality time with my dad as he patiently taught me how to ride it. 

I know my dad loved spending that time with me too, and especially loved watching me enjoy his gift to the fullest. As he taught me how to ride, he also gave me very strict boundaries and warnings about where and when to ride my new bike. When my dad warned me not to ride my bike in the middle of a busy street, it was not to kill my joy and keep me from having fun. He gave me that rule in order to protect me SO THAT I could fully enjoy His good gift!

This is also true for every command God gives us in the Bible. God is love (1 John 4:16), and everything He does is loving. He is our perfect Father in Heaven who adores His children and wants only what is BEST for us. Therefore, we can trust that when God says “no,” He ultimately means “Don’t hurt yourself.” 

Sex is a good thing that God wants us to enjoy FULLY within the context of marriage. When it is used outside of its intended purpose, however, sex becomes dangerous and can cause destruction and pain in our lives. This is why God commands us to “flee sexual immorality” (1 Thess. 4:3). He is the Creator and Author of life and it would do us well to trust His kind, yet serious, warnings. 

Questions to ask yourself:

1. Matthew 5:8 says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Jesus is clear. The pure in heart see God. Such purity includes sexual purity. Are there areas of your life, especially in regard to your sexuality, where you are not seeking purity? How is this affecting the way you see God?
2. Do you trust that God’s commands are for your good? What do you think God is specifically protecting you from by commanding sexual purity?

What’s next?

1. If you are living in sexual sin, please talk to someone about it. If you confess your sins, God is faithful and just to forgive you and cleanse you of all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Ask someone whom you trust to keep you accountable to walk in purity. And pray that God would make your heart pure so that you would see Him!