 | Husbands, Relationship Builder, WivesMaintaining a Pure SpiritPosted Wednesday, February 27th, 2008 and visited 733 times, 2 so far today by MInTheGap |
One of the most difficult things to do in this present, sex-driven culture is to remain pure in our thoughts and those things that we see. This is even harder when you’re on the Internet– though it’s much different than it was just a few years ago.
The problem is a mixture of curiosity and the differing views society has on the matter.
Curiosity
Curiosity killed the cat, so they say. Curiosity is one of the reasons that we’re now in a sinful state. Satan said to Eve, “You won’t surely die,” but catch the next phrase: “and when she saw that it was good for food…” Sure, Satan talked Eve into doubting God, but Eve also had to become curious once she saw that she could eat it.
Near my house are two adult book/video stores. Every time we get fast food (which is more often than it probably should be!) we have to drive by them. We’ve watched as they’ve built fences around their parking lots (which have fallen down), commented on how many or few cars are there, etc., but there has been times that we were curious as to what’s inside. It’s not that we’d ever go there, but curiosity can take you places that you shouldn’t go under the guise that “I just want to see what’s there.
Society
Society doesn’t perceive purity as a high standard any more. And who can blame them? Sex sells all sorts of products from shampoo to Life Insurance. Women are told to base their value on how they appear. Men are told that they are supposed to take advantage of women, and now there are sites that will help you cheat on your spouse.
When you combine this attitude with Curiosity and mix it with the Internet, you can have a recipe for trouble if you are not careful. The reason is that you can never un-see something. That which you allow in, even in your curiosity, will be with you and it will effect you.
And worst of all, this impact to your purity will effect your relationships with others, especially your spouse.
So, guys and girls, it’s important to maintain a pure spirit– to rejoice in the husband/wife of your youth, to find in him/her the pleasure and prize that is uniquely yours, and to make sure that you take good care of that relationship.
Visit This Author's Website
February 27th, 2008 at 3:17 pm Subscribed to Comments
Min, you’re so right. Often there are grey lines, too. I’ve had thoughts about men I wasn’t married to that I shouldn’t have and, as a Christian who knows better, I am able to nip those thoughts in the bud. But so often, our culture teaches us that it doesn’t matter what you think – it matters what you do. So a pure heart, mind, and spirit are not as high a priority as pure actions. But how can you expect to be faithful to your spouse (or to your Lord if you’re still waiting for your spouse) in your actions when your heart, mind, and spirit are adulterous?
This is one reason I don’t like to visit Las Vegas. I am a very visually stimulated person and all the billboards, tracts, etc. cause me to stumble in astounding ways. I was there for three days as a high school student and haven’t been back since because I don’t feel like putting myself in that battle zone. I’d rather go other places and be able to actually enjoy my vacations.
The same is true for some of my guy friends. There are friends I have who I’ve had to distance myself from. I’m able to maintain a pure relationship with them via email, but I’ve had to seriously minimize the in-person contact I have with them and refrain from browsing through their pictures on MySpace and Facebook because of the visual temptation I have. Scripture says that whoever looks at someone lustfully has already committed adultery with them in their heart and I want to be faithful to my heavenly and earthly husbands, so I’ve had to actually remove myself from tempting situations.
Purity is a difficult thing to maintain and very often we need to make the decision between seemingly overreacting to a situation and allowing the temptation to remain. I’d rather overreact and be safe than tempt fate.
Okay, now that I’ve written a book, you may now return to your regularly scheduled programming…
AG’s last blog post..The Truth About Porn
February 27th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
This is one of the reasons that I find it hard to be really rough with the Pharisees sometimes. In some ways, they’re like us today– erecting fences to keep themselves from even getting close to sin. Except they began to confuse this with power. They went from doing this (possibly) out of a heart of concern for obeying the law and obeying God to creating laws just to enact control.
But Jesus called for radical things in order to remain pure: If you’re eye offend you, pluck it out! If your hand offend you, cut it off! He wasn’t suggesting self mutilation as much as He was calling us to be serious about sin. It was something that you shouldn’t even get close to– whereas we live in a culture where Christians see just how close they can get to the line without going over.
February 27th, 2008 at 4:08 pm Subscribed to Comments
Right. And to flee from temptation… not just mosey away from temptation.
Motive has everything to do with it. If you’re erecting legalistic laws and opposing them on other people for self-righteousness, then you’re wrong. Bad pharasee… go sit in the corner.
But if you’re strict with yourself (not judging others) because you’re passionate about pleasing God, I think you’re good to go.
AG’s last blog post..The Truth About Porn
February 27th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I think you’ve touched on the heart of passages like Romans 14 where it talks about the weaker and stronger brothers and the different reasons for the different restrictions. Great way to tie that in.
February 27th, 2008 at 4:39 pm Subscribed to Comments
That’s a really good point. I’ve been a hard core purity-activist because sexual purity is a struggle I have. Others are hard core sobriety-activists because that’s where their struggles would be if they weren’t so deliberate about being sober. Interesting to think about – thanks.
AG’s last blog post..The Truth About Porn
February 27th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Great post and great discussion! The farther we stay from the flame, the less likely we are to get burned.
One of the quotes I found in doing my own research on passion comes form Larry Crabb. He says “The core problem is not that we are too passionate about bad things, but that we are not passionate enough about good things.” – Larry Crabb in Finding God
It is not enough to only flee from the bad, we must instead flee to the good – that is God.
Claudia’s last blog post..Loving Sunshine
February 28th, 2008 at 9:53 am Subscribed to Comments
Claudia, so right. If we aren’t passionate about the good, how can we expect to be strong enough to stay from the bad?
AG’s last blog post..Growing Pains
February 28th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Amazing how strong scripture is on this– Eph 4 and Col 3 speak to this very truth. Both talk not just about putting off something, but with replacing it with a good thing. For example, don’t just stop stealing, but give. Don’t just stop lying, but tell the truth. The Word is powerful.
February 28th, 2008 at 2:50 pm Subscribed to Comments
Hubby and I were just talking about marijuana last night and now it’s a habit-drug, meaning you can’t just quit it. You’ve got to replace it with something. That’s why many former-potheads are alcoholics or have other habitual behaviour. The trick is to replace it with something good like exercise.
AG’s last blog post..Growing Pains
February 28th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Ok, how did we go from Scripture to discussing weed?
You’re right though– most sin needs to be replaced with positive things. Nature abhors a vacuum and other such good sayings inserted here.
February 28th, 2008 at 3:51 pm Subscribed to Comments
Exactly. It’s easier to refrain from a sin when you have something else, something good, to occupy your attention.
AG’s last blog post..Growing Pains