Purity

Purity  is something that I find really important because God calls us to live holy and pure lives. I read an article now that really challenged my view on purity - especially as a  leader to the tweens I meet with, as an accountability partner and friend.

When people speak of purity it immediately get's linked to sexual purity. It's all about the "don't have sex before marriage", but actually purity goes so much deeper than that - it's about your whole life. Purity is about living a life that honors God in everything you do. Elsa, the director and founder of More to be wrote this article on purity http://www.moretobe.com/2015/01/purity-message/

I was challenged by it because I also lived in a space of purity is about keeping yourself pure before marriage. How it's not about pushing boundaries or doing things that will rob you from what is intended for marriage. David and I put a lot of emphasis on purity when we were dating and engaged. We had solid boundaries of not staying over at each others house later than a certain time, we never stayed the night at each others house, we never touched each other in certain ways and all of that. We wanted to protect each others hearts and minds and to not steal from the intimacy that was created for marriage.  After reading the article I was like, "how I am I still maintaining purity in my marriage now that we are married?" Just because David and I are married doesn't mean we can throw caution to the wind and striving for purity gets cast out the window.

I think it's the whole thing of keeping the marriage bed pure. The obvious one is that we don't commit adultery. Some other ways I think I can do this is by honouring David for who he is and by keeping him in spot two in my life, after God and building intimacy with only him by sharing life with him and not other men. Healthy barriers and friendships need to be put in place with other men. I also think it's about what we watch together and individually, as well as what we talk about  to keep our hearts pure.

The second thing that challenged me was how am I living a life that is pure that shows an example to other people, especially the tween girls I meet with. Yes, I can tell them not to have sex before they are married  or to not do a whole bunch of things with boys and they may choose to listen. I certainly never listened when I was younger and I kind of wish I had someone to look up to, to see what it really looks like when you wait.  Luckily God gives us grace and fixes what we break, but I want to live a life with my husband that  really shows how it is worth to wait for intimacy on all levels with one person in marriage and what it's like to live a life that honors God.

xKx