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Today brings us to day six of our Bible Plan!

Day by day, we are learning together how to be at Home with the Father. We’re studying how Jesus lived, and how He would live today if He were you. We can learn a lot from the practices that guided His life. Today’s? Chastity.

First, a baseline that we all need to understand: God created sex. It was His idea! It’s an expression of love and it’s the first command He ever gave us. “Be fruitful and multiply.”

So what is the practice of chastity and why on earth should we engage in it? Chastity, in this context, means to turn away from engaging in sex. And yes, that means even when you’re married. The truth is that abstention in marriage can be a good thing. Through it, we can learn how to appreciate and value both our sexuality and our whole body without being governed by it. So many of us struggle with sexual desires and history and abuse, so to abstain by choice gives us an opportunity to lean on God for strength.

While we can’t white knuckle our way to discipline, what we can do is develop a vision for the type of person we want to be. Perhaps that is someone who is no longer enslaved by sex. Then, we commit to making decisions that would be in line with that vision.

Ultimately, to practice chastity, we must first practice love. When we love well, like He loved us, we will surely be at Home with the Father.

Watch today’s video for more.

Today’s invitation:

If this practice is for you today, do two things. First, decide the kind of person you want to be. Who would you be without an enslavement of some kind to sexuality? Write it down. Think on it.

And second, commit to act in accordance with the vision of your future self. If that’s a commitment to not look at a certain billboard, do that. If it’s a commitment to avoid a certain website or a certain place, do that. Regardless, think through the actions that would set you up to be able to live out this practice and make a place for how to accomplish them.

Ultimately, honor one another, honor yourself, and love well. That’s what today’s practice boils down to: love. Welcome Home.