A FEW GOOD REASONS TO JUST SAY “WAIT”

If you are doubting the benefits of saving sex for marriage, allow us to briefly summarize a few findings. Did you know a recent survey found that the highest levels of sexual satisfaction are linked to marriage and traditional sexual ethics?

That is, the ­ people most apt to report that they are very satisfied with their current sex life are not singles who freely flit from one sexual encounter to another, but married ­ couples who “strongly” believe sex outside of marriage is wrong. In fact, “traditionalists” rank an astounding thirty-one percentage points higher in their level of sexual satisfaction than singles who have no objection to sex outside of marriage. The findings contribute to a growing body of research linking sexual satisfaction to marital harmony, fidelity, and permanence.

These researchers found not only that sex is better in marriage, but it is best if you have had only one sexual partner in a lifetime.

“Physical and emotional satisfaction started to decline when ­ people had more than one sexual partner,” the researchers stated. A study at the University of South Carolina revealed that ­ people who engaged in premarital sex were more likely to be involved in extramarital affairs once they were married. David Larson, a senior researcher with the National Institute of Health, in a review of existing research summed it up this way: ­ “Couples not involved before marriage and faithful during marriage are more satisfied with their current sex life and also with their marriages compared to those who were involved sexually before marriage.”

And did you know that research from Washington State University revealed that in marriages, “Cohabiting couples compared to married ­couples have less healthy relationships”? Researchers at UCLA explained that “cohabitors experienced significantly more difficulty in [subsequent] marriages with adultery ... than ­ couples who had not cohabited.” In fact, marriages preceded by living together are fifty percent more likely to break up than those marriages where ­ couples did not.

Abstinence, research has clearly shown, makes the heart grow fonder. But long before studies and statistics pointed to the practical reasons for saving sex for marriage, biblical wisdom tried to steer us clear of the emotional aftermath of having sex-too-soon (see I Corinthians 7:1-2; I Thessalonians 4:3-7; Hebrews 13:4; Matthew 15:18-20; Ephesians 5:3; and I Corinthians 6:9).

The Bible ­doesn’t say premarital sex is wrong just to test our self-discipline. We too often view God’s principles as a list of rules set up to test our determination. The Bible says premarital intercourse is wrong for our own protection because sex-too-soon is certain to hurt us. Ask anyone who’s broken up with someone they slept with. Three reasons: Research, God’s loving mandates, and the potential for personal pain. Each of these should be reasons enough to just say wait.

Are you worried about waiting? God isn’t. He recognizes how hard it is to fight temptations and wants to give you a way out.

Remember, God doesn’t expect you to be faithful to Him without first being faithful to you!

...God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:13, emphasis mine

Ask your faithful God to help you be faithful to save yourself for marriage. Evidence proves that His best is worth it.