Alrighty, I am going to use the rest of this section to tell you some things that are important to me. I am no way criticizing you, putting you down, or saying you are wrong in what you believe, but rather telling you some things that Christ put upon my heart, as I strive to please Him, and showcase His love and beauty. It is my prayer that God would be glorified in what I write, and that you may in some way be encouraged, and inspired to live a life set apart for Jesus Christ! (I’m sorry this is so long, but I shared some stories, and so that’s the main reason why. I hope you will take the time to read it even if you don’t get the chance to read it all at one time.) =)
Purity:
I think that purity has always been somewhat important to me, but it became even more important when I heard Eric and Leslie Ludy speak at the home-school convention in April 2010. They were definitely one of- if not the best- speakers I have ever heard. My brother, sister and I walked away encouraged and greatly challenged by all that they said. We have continued to be encouraged by their blogs, books, emails, etc. People in this generation I believe, have a warped view on purity, and all that it is meant to be. They get a purity ring or just say they are “keeping themselves pure,” when in reality what they are really doing is asking themselves “How far is too far? How far can I go and still keep myself ‘pure’?” They draw a line and tell themselves “As long as I don’t cross the line, I’m okay.” What they should be asking themselves is “What can I do to honor and glorify God and keep myself pure for my future spouse?” (**Note: I am taking some of these sayings from Leslie Ludy, you may have heard them before.). I have a purity ring, and it is much more than just “I‘m saving my first kiss ‘til my wedding day“ (like some people say). I read this article by Leslie Ludy once (found in one of her online magazines at www.setapartgirl.com) and found it to be very inspiring and how I felt. I am going to share it with you here. (for more inspiring stories go to http://www.setapartgirl.com/)
Protecting purity: Keeping sacred things sacred
A young engaged couple that I know recently confessed to allowing sexual compromise into their relationship. They didn’t technically have sex, but they did almost everything up to that point, the whole while assuming that they were still protecting their purity. “I just didn’t think it was really that big of a deal to God,” the young woman told us. “I mean, we’re planning to get married anyway. We’ve committed our lives to each other. What’s wrong with expressing our love physically prior to saying wedding vows?” That young woman articulated a very common attitude among modern Christians. We might believe that having casual sex with random people isn’t God’s best, but most of us don’t see the significance of vigilantly guarding pre-marriage purity once you have pledged your life and heart to someone. So how big a deal is purity to God, anyway? If you love someone and know you are going to get married, why is it so important to hold back?
The reason we don’t understand the importance of purity is because we don’t understand the significance of marriage covenant. A wedding isn’t merely a ceremony in which you verbally commit to love each for the rest of your lives. A wedding is a sacred exchange – a holy covenant in which two lives become one. Until you have entered into that covenant, you are still individuals – no matter how committed you might be to the relationship. Once you enter that sacred covenant, you are no longer two individuals, but “one flesh.” Then and only then are you free to enjoy each other’s bodies in an intimate way – entering the “holy of holies” without shame. (Note: for more detail about this principle, read Set Apart Femininity.) If you engage in sensual touch prior to entering that sacred covenant, you dishonor God’s perfect design and leave yourselves wide open for the enemy to ravage the beauty and nobility of your relationship. God’s Word says:
Marriage is to be held in honor
among all, and the marriage bed
is to be undefiled; for fornicators
and adulterers will judge.
Heb 13:4 NASB
When we choose to engage in sexual intimacy prior to a covenant exchange, we dishonor the sanctity and holiness of marriage. The word “fornication” in Scripture might seem vague at first glance, but there is nothing vague about it. According to God’s pattern, any sexual expression outside of marriage covenant is considered fornication. To keep sex sacred, we must keep ALL expressions of sexual intimacy sacred. Sexual touch of any kind is an intimate “knowing” of another person – and such intimate acts, in God’s pattern, are only meant as an outflow of a holy marriage covenant. When we read the Song of Solomon, we discover that it is not just the act of sex – but all other forms of intimate touch and expression – that are reserved for the “holy of holies” alone. This may sound strange, but Eric and I decided not to even kiss until our wedding day. We wanted to go out of our way to keep every form of intimacy sacred. My dad had once told us, “Anything physically that you save for marriage will only be more beautiful and fulfilling as time goes on. Anything that you experience beforehand will eventually loose its luster.” When we put this wisdom into practice, we found it to be true. Even to this very day, whenever we share a kiss it is just as beautiful, thrilling, and satisfying as it was on our wedding day. Instead of asking the question “how far is too far?” God challenged us to start asking a new question – “how far can we possibly go, to honor Him in this area of our lives?” And as we made it our goal to live without even a hint of impurity in our physical relationship, we discovered that God’s ways are truly beautiful and perfect. I used to feel the need to qualify or downplay the fact that Eric and I didn’t kiss until our wedding day. It seemed so extreme and unnecessary to people, and I didn’t want them to think that I was “judging” them if they chose to kiss before marriage. So I went out of my way to say, apologetically, “Eric and I chose not to kiss until our wedding day – but that doesn’t mean that you need to do that – it’s really not a big deal either way.” But in recent years, my attitude has changed. While I certainly don’t believe it’s a sin to kiss prior to marriage, I’ve seen too many purity-esteeming couples compromise along the way because they “didn’t want to be too extreme” about their standards. And every time, they end up with a human-led, mediocre romance rather than the stunningly beautiful Heaven-on-earth fairy tale version of love God intends. But when couples vigilantly protect the physical purity of their relationship at all costs, even going to seeming “extremes” to save everything for the sacred covenant exchange of marriage, God honors and blesses the relationship with more beauty and Heavenly romance than they could have ever hoped for or dreamed of. Even something as innocent as kissing before marriage can subtly erode the “sheen” of purity in a love story – especially certain kinds of kissing! It’s not that God can’t still bless a marriage when physical things have been allowed into a relationship prior to marriage. But it could have been even better. It could have been an unclouded picture of Heaven on earth – a vision of the most stunning, spectacular, brilliant purity this world has ever seen. The more physical expression you allow into a relationship prior to marriage, the more you allow emotions and selfish desires to lead the way, rather than the Spirit of God. Physical touch is a powerful and dangerous thing – that’s why it’s meant to be saved for the “holy of holies” alone. If you want a relationship that is truly directed by God rather than your own selfish whims and agenda, then go to all lengths to vigilantly guard the physical purity of your relationship. Most modern Christians are so concerned about being “extreme” that they justify treating purity lightly. But I believe we should be far more concerned about violating God’s standard for righteousness than about coming across as “extreme” in our standards. Once a violation of purity has been allowed into a relationship (even if you haven’t technically had sex) your ability to hear God’s voice becomes clouded. You think you are hearing the Spirit of God, when in reality you are only hearing the voice of your own selfish desires. Purity is not something to mess with or take lightly. Jesus Christ cannot remain at the center of a romance in which your own agenda is leading the way. Scripture is very clear on how seriously we are to take the protection of purity in our lives:
“Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God…Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body…Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?...Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.”
I Corinthians 6:9-20
When God talks about fleeing sexual immorality, He doesn’t mean to be cavalier about all physical expression up until the point of technically having sex. He means to run away from anything that would compromise the purity of the sacred marriage covenant He designed between a man and a woman.
“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints.”
Ephesians 5:3
The phrase “not even be named among you” literally means that there is not to be even a hint of uncleanness or sexual impurity in our lives. When God prescribes that young men and women treat each other as “brothers and sisters, with all purity” – He means it. (ref) Even if you are in a serious relationship with someone, that doesn’t give you a justifiable reason to engage in sensual touch prior to your wedding day. Until you enter into a sacred marriage covenant, you are to treat him as a brother, with all purity. Think about what that means. Would you kiss your younger brother on the mouth? Would you wrap your arms around him sensually? Would you rest your hand on his thigh, or allow him to rest his hand on yours? Would you sidle up to him on the coach and whisper “sweet nothings” into his ear? (If you would – then it’s probably time to address some serious issues in your sibling relationships!) It may sound extreme to treat your serious boyfriend or fiancé the same way you would your brother, but that is God’s prescription. In fact, He goes as far as to say that if there is any temptation toward compromise in a pre-marriage relationship, the couple should go ahead and get married in order to avoid sexual sin:
“...but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
I Corinthians 7:9
Giving sway to impurity seems so right in the heat of the moment. Sexual temptation is very much like the above-mentioned harlot in Proverbs– it entices us with sweet-sounding reasons about how harmless and beautiful it is to express our love physically. But with each step down the path of impurity, we venture further away from the perfect design and sacred intent of our King. And soon we end up with only a shell of a God-written love story – a relationship that proclaims to honor Christ but in reality only honors self. That’s a shaky and dangerous foundation upon which to build a marriage.
When Eric and I were first married, a Christian leader took notice of the fact that we had “wisdom beyond our years” about spiritual things. He felt that the reason we had been blessed with unusual spiritual insight was because we’d protected the purity of our relationship prior to marriage. We’d listened to God’s Spirit above our own fleshly desires, and as a result we had cultivated the ability to hear His voice without the cloudiness and confusion that compromise so often brings. Honoring and protecting purity did so much more than merely enhance the romance in our marriage relationship. It strengthened our relationship with Jesus Christ and laid the foundation for our marriage to be built upon His amazing strength.
So I no longer apologize for the fact that Eric and I didn’t kiss until our wedding day. I no longer act sheepish when I talk about the Jane Austen dignity that marked our love story. Esteeming purity in all its glory – and going to every “extreme” necessary in order to guard it – is what made our God-written love story a taste of Heaven on earth. And I hope with all of my heart that you will experience the depths of Christ-centered romance the way that we did.
When I describe the level of purity and innocence that marked my relationship with Eric, it may seem hard to believe that we both came from very impure backgrounds. Eric and I grew up in Christian homes and went to youth group, but like most Christian young people today we approached purity from a selfish vantage point. We constantly asked, “how far is too far?” rather than “how far can I possibly go to please God and honor my future spouse?” And as a result, our lives were full of sin, selfishness and compromise. Both of us gave our heart, mind, emotions and bodies carelessly away in temporary flings, even though we “technically” kept our virginity. For most of our young adult lives, saving a kiss until our wedding day would have been the last thing either of us would have considered doing.
By the time I caught a vision for the amazing purity and breathtaking beauty that marked a Christ-centered love story, I honestly felt like it was too late for me to ever experience it. Sure, I’d technically kept my abstinence commitment, but my purity had been forsaken long ago. I’d allowed the treasure of my heart, emotions, and body to be trampled time and time again. I knew I was unworthy of a God-written love story. But then, in His gentle, tender, patient way, my King began to show me that I could be completely washed clean, restored, and made new. If I was willing to repent and receive His forgiveness, I could be set free from all the baggage of the past, cleansed from all the impurity I’d allowed into my life. And I could experience the fullness of a brilliantly pure, God-scripted love story, through the power of His redemption. It seemed almost too good to be true, but it was exactly what He promised. God-scripted love stories are not just for those who have never compromised. In fact, the very reason that Christ sacrificed everything for us was to offer us the chance to be restored, washed clean, and given a hope and future. Just look at this amazing picture of Christ’s heart toward those of us who have sinned: And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” If you feel that you’ve “gone too far” to experience a truly pure and beautiful God-scripted love story, let me assure you that it’s never too late to be restored and made new by His amazing cleansing blood. Repentance means turning and walking the other direction. Once you awaken to the fact that you are heading over a cliff, simply stop, turn, ask God’s forgiveness, and then, by His grace, head in the other direction. There is no reason to look back or second-guess your position as His child. You should not expect a second-rate version of romance. Once you have been restored by Him, you are clothed in His righteousness. You are entitled to all the benefits of His amazing Kingdom. Your forgiveness is complete. Your sin is removed as far from you as the east is from the west. It is finished. We only need to read God’s word to know for certain that He did pay the price for our sin, once and for all. We should never cheapen His amazing sacrifice by wondering whether His work on the cross was truly sufficient. And we shouldn’t try to improve ourselves before coming to Him in repentance. We shouldn’t focus on our unworthiness – but on His conquering, redeeming, transforming power; His precious blood shed on our behalf. Once you’ve been forgiven and set-free, you are ready and able to experience His very best for you in the area of romance.
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I see so many young people now-a-days who seem to care less about purity. They may claim they do, but their actions certainly don’t show it. They go around tickling, hugging, touching every girl/boy they meet. It makes me sad, but I know that I must be an example, so that other people will see a difference in me and want to be like that. That they will realize that saving every part of yourself for your future spouse is so important, and something to take to heart.
This is also something that has always been important to me. I think with this “subject” as well, people in this generation have a warped view of what it really is. Some people claim that they are modest, or say they care about it, but again -like with purity- their actions certainly don’t show it. I am really sick of the modesty all around me, and really wish it would just stop, but I know that won’t happen, unless more people take a stand for what is right. So, I need to be an example so that others may see me and realize a difference in me, notice that I am striving to be like Christ in the way I dress, speak, act, etc. and am trying to showcase the love of Christ in everything I do. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 says, In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array: but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. When we as young women dress certain ways, we are to be pointing our brothers in Christ to our Saviour. When they walk up to us, we should not have things on us, that are tempting them to look at us, instead of looking up at our Saviour. Romans 14:13 says, Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. We have a responsibility as young women, to step up, and point them to Christ, to not put stumbling blocks in front of them. And I can tell you this, if you dress immodestly, you are causing them to stumble. We have an opportunity, not necessarily a duty, but an opportunity, a God-given calling, to serve guys in this area, and help protect them, and their hearts, that they may more fully and undistractedly serve our Saviour. The modesty survey on the rebelution, is a great place to go, if you want to see what is modest/immodest, especially it being from a guy’s viewpoint. Please check it out when you get the time. =) I know some Christians who claim they are “modest” when really, they are definitely not (I am not trying to judge, just stating my opinion). 1 Timothy 5:1-2 says, Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. You will do your brothers in the Christ a favor by being modest-you will respect them, and they will in turn respect you. And you will also be being a good example to other people around you. I read this story once on YLCF and wanted to share it with you.
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It took me less than twenty-four hours to discover that my assigned seat for the conference was between two of the worst flirts there. They flirted with, touched, and gazed at all the girls sitting around us. But they kept me at arm’s length. I would smile and laugh at the appropriate times, share a Bible with them, or let them copy my notes, but they treated me much differently than they did all the other girls. Josh even took to calling me “The Little Amish Girl.” (Despite the fact that I was wearing neither dress nor head covering!) Halfway through the conference, I was discussing flirting with some other guys. I finally asked, “Do some girls have ‘Untouchable’ written on them in invisible letters?" “You do,” Mike stated matter-of-factly. “Oh, good!” I replied. It wasn’t just the two guys who sat beside me, either. Guys everywhere treat me differently; they are more standoffish with me than with other girls. I used to think that I was somehow less attractive. But over the years I have realized that it is because I refuse to dress and act like a simple boy’s plaything. I don’t want to be someone they play with and grow tired of. I don’t want to have my heart endlessly strung along by flirtatious guys. My friend B.C. used to wear a white t-shirt on which was printed in big black letters “Worth Waiting For.” I thought it was great that he was so committed to waiting that he’d wear a t-shirt proclaiming it. In some mysterious way, my same belief that I am worth waiting for is conveyed in the way I dress, act, and carry myself, so that guys like Josh and Mike both can see “Untouchable” written on me, even though I don’t wear a t-shirt proclaiming it. Do you have untouchable written all over you? Sometimes it’s not fun to be the only one the guys don’t constantly flirt with. But it’s a lot easier to be untouchable than to be touched! Touch between a guy and girl is a powerful thing. When a guy touches you in more than just a friendly way, it sets off fireworks inside you like you cannot imagine. And the memory of that touch will linger long, only making you want more and more. The problem is, if you’re thirteen or fourteen, it’s going to be a long time before you can get married and enjoy the touch of your husband every day! Have you ever taken one teeny tiny bite of a chocolate candy and tried to stop there? It rarely works. In the same way, a little bit of touch makes you want more. And more touch leads to your purity being compromised. Not only is touch addictive, but if it comes into a relationship too soon (and believe me, any time in your teens is probably going to be too soon!), it takes away part of the relationship that you can never get back. Think about a kiss. Is it possible to talk when you’re kissing? In the same way, other touch gets in the way of the communication aspect of the relationship. When you want touch more than you want to communicate, that’s a problem, because a relationship cannot be built upon touch alone. You shouldn’t have to go through your teen years being touched by different guys and then cast aside. You don’t want to taste a bit of that chocolate, because then you’ll want too much too soon. Even though it’s not always fun or easy, cultivate the untouchable look! Once you get the hang of it, being untouchable is fun. Guys will respect you a lot more. They will treat you like a lady instead of a plaything. You will become like a delicately beautiful pink rose… Its petals are soft and velvety. And the fragrance that rises from it is breathtaking. All who see this rose long to pick it. The fragrance floats from it and permeates the air around it. But the rose has a special power—its prickly thorns can scare away those who would pick it before its time.
How do you go about being as a beautiful yet untouchable rose?
Follow Elisabeth Elliot’s mother’s advice:
“Keep guys at arm’s length.” If they get closer, scoot away!
Don’t dress to entice!
Act like a lady.
When all else fails, you can say with Sally in the Peanuts comic: “Try to hold my hand and I’ll slug you!”
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And if you should tell me this isn’t true, I will tell you it is, because I have experienced it myself. At the campground we go to in the summer is where it has happened. What are the boys doing to all the girls (except me and my sister)? Touching, tickling, hugging, etc. every girl they come in contact with (no pun intended). People might say, well I guess they like us and not you. No, you know what the truth is? They don’t respect you, cause you are showing off your body for everyone to see, so they don’t think you care very much if they touch you. But since me (and my sister) are dressing modestly (and respecting our brothers in the Lord), they are respecting us by not touching us like they do with every other girl. Another question to ask yourself when dressing, is what kind of man are you trying to attract? Because when you dress immodestly, you may attract men, but for what purpose? Just to use and then throw them aside, or you know, what is your purpose? What is your interior motive? And this is where the heart issue comes in. You know, I so desire to draw attention from a man, and not even draw attention, but to have him love me for my heart. You know, if I was crippled, if I was blinded, I would want him to love me for my heart. Love, true love, isn’t based on the physical. It’s based on the mutual bonding of two hearts, as they yearn to please and love our Saviour together. I love the beauty in the Bible how it talks about the two shall become one flesh, and you have an opportunity to serve God side by side, with someone who’s on fire and passionate for His Kingdom. If that’s the kind of man you want to attract, then dressing immodestly is not going to bring young men like that. These are a couple of verses that are really good that I will share with you here. Romans 12:1-2 says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Then, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. What does the world tell you? That it’s okay to be immodest, and in fact portrays that you will be more beautiful the more of yourself that you show. This is simply not true! This is not of Christ, and not what our Saviour desires for us as women. What does God say? Be not conformed to this world… Do not cause another person to stumble… Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Timothy 4:12, Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. If unsaved people look at us, are they going to be able to tell that we are different? That we are looking to serve and honor Jesus Christ and give Him the glory with all we do and say? If they look at us and see us dressing the same way as the world, acting the same way, talking the same way, watching the same kind of movies, listening to the same kind of music… Do you think that is a good testimony to them? No, I don’t think so. Do you get my point? I hope I’m making some sense, because I really don’t feel like I am. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ALL things are become NEW! When someone comes to know Christ, and gets saved, the things that they did when they were unsaved, the old things, are all passed away, he is a new creature in Christ. Anyways, one last thing I want to share with you. This kind of has to do with purity/modesty together. Proverbs 31:12 says, She will do [her husband] good and not evil all the days of her life. Read that again. She will do [her husband] good and not evil ALL the days of her life. When we interact with the opposite sex, we should treat them with all purity (1 Timothy 5:1-2, Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.)… Thinking of them as someone else’s future spouse. We should treat them as our brother. We should save all of our body’s for our future spouse. What if your future spouse was to see you now as interact with the opposite sex? Would they feel honored that you are saving your whole self for them, and staying pure, or would they feel hurt and sad because you are flaunting your body at anyone who will give you the attention you want?
I think we have always been fairly “strict” in the area of movies (maybe not as much as we should have been). We never had TV (Cable, etc), when we were young (we still don’t at our house, but since we aren’t living at our house right now, we do live in a house with Cable). Now, while cable TV can be nice at times (i.e. the Duggars, the Red Sox), there is some very bad…horrible…nasty stuff on there. Not living at my house has been a real challenge for me in a lot of ways (going through some family issues, etc), but especially the TV… It’s a temptation, and it is so hard to resist sometimes! Now, I could go without it, but when it is there and on, you are tempted to watch it. I have watched things that I shouldn’t have… Seen things I shouldn’t have and heard things I shouldn’t have… I will admit that, cause it’s true. I’m disappointed in myself for doing it, but I must try to move on, and from now on, not do it anymore. To basically sum it up, and tell you my standards of movies/TV, (besides the obvious bad stuff) I do not want to watch anything with immodesty or bad language in it. In Philippians chapter 4 it says this (a verse you are all familiar with I’m sure) verse 8: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Think on these things. I don’t know how when we are watching movies with language and immodesty that we are going to be able to think pure thoughts. The verses that I shared above also kind of go with this, (Romans 12:1-2 and also 1 John 2:15-17, which says, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.). Be not conformed to this world… Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If we are trying to imitate our Saviour in all we say and do (which we should be striving to be like Christ in everything we do), dressing modestly, not saying bad language, why would we watch movies that promote these exact things? I know some people will say, well maybe guys shouldn’t watch it, but it’s okay for girls. Well, I disagree because like I said, if we are trying to dress modestly, watching movies that are promoting and have immodesty in them, is not going to help us at all. If we are trying to pursue Christ (which we should be doing), I don’t think you can pursue Christ when you watch movies with that in them. You’re not cultivating that heart of modesty, or that heart of femininity, that’s pursuing Him. We should be imitating our Saviour, we are called to imitate our Saviour. The Lord calls us to high standards, of imitating Him, of letting Him take over every aspect of our life. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we jointly promoted purity and loveliness in all areas of life, including our entertainment choices? Evaluate what you are watching by Christ’s standards. If He is living in us, if He’s looking through our eyes, is He glorified in the things we are looking upon? Would it be something that He would of made, a movie He would have made? This is so important, and there are good movies out there. I’m not saying there are no good movies. Facing the Giants, Fireproof, etc. I don’t know what other people think, but when I see something wrong or hear bad things, I feel really unclean, and gross. I know it sounds weird, but I honestly do. It may be the Lord convicting me, and I’m glad that He has shown me these things.
(*Note: Some of the things I said in the modesty and movie section, I "borrowed" from someone else… I am not very good at explaining what I am trying to say, and I thought some of things she said, really explained well what I wanted to say.) =)
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I think that purity has always been somewhat important to me, but it became even more important when I heard Eric and Leslie Ludy speak at the home-school convention in April 2010. They were definitely one of- if not the best- speakers I have ever heard. My brother, sister and I walked away encouraged and greatly challenged by all that they said. We have continued to be encouraged by their blogs, books, emails, etc. People in this generation I believe, have a warped view on purity, and all that it is meant to be. They get a purity ring or just say they are “keeping themselves pure,” when in reality what they are really doing is asking themselves “How far is too far? How far can I go and still keep myself ‘pure’?” They draw a line and tell themselves “As long as I don’t cross the line, I’m okay.” What they should be asking themselves is “What can I do to honor and glorify God and keep myself pure for my future spouse?” (**Note: I am taking some of these sayings from Leslie Ludy, you may have heard them before.). I have a purity ring, and it is much more than just “I‘m saving my first kiss ‘til my wedding day“ (like some people say). I read this article by Leslie Ludy once (found in one of her online magazines at www.setapartgirl.com) and found it to be very inspiring and how I felt. I am going to share it with you here. (for more inspiring stories go to http://www.setapartgirl.com/)
Protecting purity: Keeping sacred things sacred
A young engaged couple that I know recently confessed to allowing sexual compromise into their relationship. They didn’t technically have sex, but they did almost everything up to that point, the whole while assuming that they were still protecting their purity. “I just didn’t think it was really that big of a deal to God,” the young woman told us. “I mean, we’re planning to get married anyway. We’ve committed our lives to each other. What’s wrong with expressing our love physically prior to saying wedding vows?” That young woman articulated a very common attitude among modern Christians. We might believe that having casual sex with random people isn’t God’s best, but most of us don’t see the significance of vigilantly guarding pre-marriage purity once you have pledged your life and heart to someone. So how big a deal is purity to God, anyway? If you love someone and know you are going to get married, why is it so important to hold back?
The reason we don’t understand the importance of purity is because we don’t understand the significance of marriage covenant. A wedding isn’t merely a ceremony in which you verbally commit to love each for the rest of your lives. A wedding is a sacred exchange – a holy covenant in which two lives become one. Until you have entered into that covenant, you are still individuals – no matter how committed you might be to the relationship. Once you enter that sacred covenant, you are no longer two individuals, but “one flesh.” Then and only then are you free to enjoy each other’s bodies in an intimate way – entering the “holy of holies” without shame. (Note: for more detail about this principle, read Set Apart Femininity.) If you engage in sensual touch prior to entering that sacred covenant, you dishonor God’s perfect design and leave yourselves wide open for the enemy to ravage the beauty and nobility of your relationship. God’s Word says:
Marriage is to be held in honor
among all, and the marriage bed
is to be undefiled; for fornicators
and adulterers will judge.
Heb 13:4 NASB
When we choose to engage in sexual intimacy prior to a covenant exchange, we dishonor the sanctity and holiness of marriage. The word “fornication” in Scripture might seem vague at first glance, but there is nothing vague about it. According to God’s pattern, any sexual expression outside of marriage covenant is considered fornication. To keep sex sacred, we must keep ALL expressions of sexual intimacy sacred. Sexual touch of any kind is an intimate “knowing” of another person – and such intimate acts, in God’s pattern, are only meant as an outflow of a holy marriage covenant. When we read the Song of Solomon, we discover that it is not just the act of sex – but all other forms of intimate touch and expression – that are reserved for the “holy of holies” alone. This may sound strange, but Eric and I decided not to even kiss until our wedding day. We wanted to go out of our way to keep every form of intimacy sacred. My dad had once told us, “Anything physically that you save for marriage will only be more beautiful and fulfilling as time goes on. Anything that you experience beforehand will eventually loose its luster.” When we put this wisdom into practice, we found it to be true. Even to this very day, whenever we share a kiss it is just as beautiful, thrilling, and satisfying as it was on our wedding day. Instead of asking the question “how far is too far?” God challenged us to start asking a new question – “how far can we possibly go, to honor Him in this area of our lives?” And as we made it our goal to live without even a hint of impurity in our physical relationship, we discovered that God’s ways are truly beautiful and perfect. I used to feel the need to qualify or downplay the fact that Eric and I didn’t kiss until our wedding day. It seemed so extreme and unnecessary to people, and I didn’t want them to think that I was “judging” them if they chose to kiss before marriage. So I went out of my way to say, apologetically, “Eric and I chose not to kiss until our wedding day – but that doesn’t mean that you need to do that – it’s really not a big deal either way.” But in recent years, my attitude has changed. While I certainly don’t believe it’s a sin to kiss prior to marriage, I’ve seen too many purity-esteeming couples compromise along the way because they “didn’t want to be too extreme” about their standards. And every time, they end up with a human-led, mediocre romance rather than the stunningly beautiful Heaven-on-earth fairy tale version of love God intends. But when couples vigilantly protect the physical purity of their relationship at all costs, even going to seeming “extremes” to save everything for the sacred covenant exchange of marriage, God honors and blesses the relationship with more beauty and Heavenly romance than they could have ever hoped for or dreamed of. Even something as innocent as kissing before marriage can subtly erode the “sheen” of purity in a love story – especially certain kinds of kissing! It’s not that God can’t still bless a marriage when physical things have been allowed into a relationship prior to marriage. But it could have been even better. It could have been an unclouded picture of Heaven on earth – a vision of the most stunning, spectacular, brilliant purity this world has ever seen. The more physical expression you allow into a relationship prior to marriage, the more you allow emotions and selfish desires to lead the way, rather than the Spirit of God. Physical touch is a powerful and dangerous thing – that’s why it’s meant to be saved for the “holy of holies” alone. If you want a relationship that is truly directed by God rather than your own selfish whims and agenda, then go to all lengths to vigilantly guard the physical purity of your relationship. Most modern Christians are so concerned about being “extreme” that they justify treating purity lightly. But I believe we should be far more concerned about violating God’s standard for righteousness than about coming across as “extreme” in our standards. Once a violation of purity has been allowed into a relationship (even if you haven’t technically had sex) your ability to hear God’s voice becomes clouded. You think you are hearing the Spirit of God, when in reality you are only hearing the voice of your own selfish desires. Purity is not something to mess with or take lightly. Jesus Christ cannot remain at the center of a romance in which your own agenda is leading the way. Scripture is very clear on how seriously we are to take the protection of purity in our lives:
“Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God…Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body…Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?...Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.”
I Corinthians 6:9-20
When God talks about fleeing sexual immorality, He doesn’t mean to be cavalier about all physical expression up until the point of technically having sex. He means to run away from anything that would compromise the purity of the sacred marriage covenant He designed between a man and a woman.
“But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints.”
Ephesians 5:3
The phrase “not even be named among you” literally means that there is not to be even a hint of uncleanness or sexual impurity in our lives. When God prescribes that young men and women treat each other as “brothers and sisters, with all purity” – He means it. (ref) Even if you are in a serious relationship with someone, that doesn’t give you a justifiable reason to engage in sensual touch prior to your wedding day. Until you enter into a sacred marriage covenant, you are to treat him as a brother, with all purity. Think about what that means. Would you kiss your younger brother on the mouth? Would you wrap your arms around him sensually? Would you rest your hand on his thigh, or allow him to rest his hand on yours? Would you sidle up to him on the coach and whisper “sweet nothings” into his ear? (If you would – then it’s probably time to address some serious issues in your sibling relationships!) It may sound extreme to treat your serious boyfriend or fiancé the same way you would your brother, but that is God’s prescription. In fact, He goes as far as to say that if there is any temptation toward compromise in a pre-marriage relationship, the couple should go ahead and get married in order to avoid sexual sin:
“...but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”
I Corinthians 7:9
Giving sway to impurity seems so right in the heat of the moment. Sexual temptation is very much like the above-mentioned harlot in Proverbs– it entices us with sweet-sounding reasons about how harmless and beautiful it is to express our love physically. But with each step down the path of impurity, we venture further away from the perfect design and sacred intent of our King. And soon we end up with only a shell of a God-written love story – a relationship that proclaims to honor Christ but in reality only honors self. That’s a shaky and dangerous foundation upon which to build a marriage.
When Eric and I were first married, a Christian leader took notice of the fact that we had “wisdom beyond our years” about spiritual things. He felt that the reason we had been blessed with unusual spiritual insight was because we’d protected the purity of our relationship prior to marriage. We’d listened to God’s Spirit above our own fleshly desires, and as a result we had cultivated the ability to hear His voice without the cloudiness and confusion that compromise so often brings. Honoring and protecting purity did so much more than merely enhance the romance in our marriage relationship. It strengthened our relationship with Jesus Christ and laid the foundation for our marriage to be built upon His amazing strength.
So I no longer apologize for the fact that Eric and I didn’t kiss until our wedding day. I no longer act sheepish when I talk about the Jane Austen dignity that marked our love story. Esteeming purity in all its glory – and going to every “extreme” necessary in order to guard it – is what made our God-written love story a taste of Heaven on earth. And I hope with all of my heart that you will experience the depths of Christ-centered romance the way that we did.
Being made new
When I describe the level of purity and innocence that marked my relationship with Eric, it may seem hard to believe that we both came from very impure backgrounds. Eric and I grew up in Christian homes and went to youth group, but like most Christian young people today we approached purity from a selfish vantage point. We constantly asked, “how far is too far?” rather than “how far can I possibly go to please God and honor my future spouse?” And as a result, our lives were full of sin, selfishness and compromise. Both of us gave our heart, mind, emotions and bodies carelessly away in temporary flings, even though we “technically” kept our virginity. For most of our young adult lives, saving a kiss until our wedding day would have been the last thing either of us would have considered doing.
By the time I caught a vision for the amazing purity and breathtaking beauty that marked a Christ-centered love story, I honestly felt like it was too late for me to ever experience it. Sure, I’d technically kept my abstinence commitment, but my purity had been forsaken long ago. I’d allowed the treasure of my heart, emotions, and body to be trampled time and time again. I knew I was unworthy of a God-written love story. But then, in His gentle, tender, patient way, my King began to show me that I could be completely washed clean, restored, and made new. If I was willing to repent and receive His forgiveness, I could be set free from all the baggage of the past, cleansed from all the impurity I’d allowed into my life. And I could experience the fullness of a brilliantly pure, God-scripted love story, through the power of His redemption. It seemed almost too good to be true, but it was exactly what He promised. God-scripted love stories are not just for those who have never compromised. In fact, the very reason that Christ sacrificed everything for us was to offer us the chance to be restored, washed clean, and given a hope and future. Just look at this amazing picture of Christ’s heart toward those of us who have sinned: And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.” If you feel that you’ve “gone too far” to experience a truly pure and beautiful God-scripted love story, let me assure you that it’s never too late to be restored and made new by His amazing cleansing blood. Repentance means turning and walking the other direction. Once you awaken to the fact that you are heading over a cliff, simply stop, turn, ask God’s forgiveness, and then, by His grace, head in the other direction. There is no reason to look back or second-guess your position as His child. You should not expect a second-rate version of romance. Once you have been restored by Him, you are clothed in His righteousness. You are entitled to all the benefits of His amazing Kingdom. Your forgiveness is complete. Your sin is removed as far from you as the east is from the west. It is finished. We only need to read God’s word to know for certain that He did pay the price for our sin, once and for all. We should never cheapen His amazing sacrifice by wondering whether His work on the cross was truly sufficient. And we shouldn’t try to improve ourselves before coming to Him in repentance. We shouldn’t focus on our unworthiness – but on His conquering, redeeming, transforming power; His precious blood shed on our behalf. Once you’ve been forgiven and set-free, you are ready and able to experience His very best for you in the area of romance.
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I see so many young people now-a-days who seem to care less about purity. They may claim they do, but their actions certainly don’t show it. They go around tickling, hugging, touching every girl/boy they meet. It makes me sad, but I know that I must be an example, so that other people will see a difference in me and want to be like that. That they will realize that saving every part of yourself for your future spouse is so important, and something to take to heart.
Modesty:
This is also something that has always been important to me. I think with this “subject” as well, people in this generation have a warped view of what it really is. Some people claim that they are modest, or say they care about it, but again -like with purity- their actions certainly don’t show it. I am really sick of the modesty all around me, and really wish it would just stop, but I know that won’t happen, unless more people take a stand for what is right. So, I need to be an example so that others may see me and realize a difference in me, notice that I am striving to be like Christ in the way I dress, speak, act, etc. and am trying to showcase the love of Christ in everything I do. 1 Timothy 2:9-10 says, In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array: but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. When we as young women dress certain ways, we are to be pointing our brothers in Christ to our Saviour. When they walk up to us, we should not have things on us, that are tempting them to look at us, instead of looking up at our Saviour. Romans 14:13 says, Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. We have a responsibility as young women, to step up, and point them to Christ, to not put stumbling blocks in front of them. And I can tell you this, if you dress immodestly, you are causing them to stumble. We have an opportunity, not necessarily a duty, but an opportunity, a God-given calling, to serve guys in this area, and help protect them, and their hearts, that they may more fully and undistractedly serve our Saviour. The modesty survey on the rebelution, is a great place to go, if you want to see what is modest/immodest, especially it being from a guy’s viewpoint. Please check it out when you get the time. =) I know some Christians who claim they are “modest” when really, they are definitely not (I am not trying to judge, just stating my opinion). 1 Timothy 5:1-2 says, Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity. You will do your brothers in the Christ a favor by being modest-you will respect them, and they will in turn respect you. And you will also be being a good example to other people around you. I read this story once on YLCF and wanted to share it with you.
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“Untouchable”
It took me less than twenty-four hours to discover that my assigned seat for the conference was between two of the worst flirts there. They flirted with, touched, and gazed at all the girls sitting around us. But they kept me at arm’s length. I would smile and laugh at the appropriate times, share a Bible with them, or let them copy my notes, but they treated me much differently than they did all the other girls. Josh even took to calling me “The Little Amish Girl.” (Despite the fact that I was wearing neither dress nor head covering!) Halfway through the conference, I was discussing flirting with some other guys. I finally asked, “Do some girls have ‘Untouchable’ written on them in invisible letters?" “You do,” Mike stated matter-of-factly. “Oh, good!” I replied. It wasn’t just the two guys who sat beside me, either. Guys everywhere treat me differently; they are more standoffish with me than with other girls. I used to think that I was somehow less attractive. But over the years I have realized that it is because I refuse to dress and act like a simple boy’s plaything. I don’t want to be someone they play with and grow tired of. I don’t want to have my heart endlessly strung along by flirtatious guys. My friend B.C. used to wear a white t-shirt on which was printed in big black letters “Worth Waiting For.” I thought it was great that he was so committed to waiting that he’d wear a t-shirt proclaiming it. In some mysterious way, my same belief that I am worth waiting for is conveyed in the way I dress, act, and carry myself, so that guys like Josh and Mike both can see “Untouchable” written on me, even though I don’t wear a t-shirt proclaiming it. Do you have untouchable written all over you? Sometimes it’s not fun to be the only one the guys don’t constantly flirt with. But it’s a lot easier to be untouchable than to be touched! Touch between a guy and girl is a powerful thing. When a guy touches you in more than just a friendly way, it sets off fireworks inside you like you cannot imagine. And the memory of that touch will linger long, only making you want more and more. The problem is, if you’re thirteen or fourteen, it’s going to be a long time before you can get married and enjoy the touch of your husband every day! Have you ever taken one teeny tiny bite of a chocolate candy and tried to stop there? It rarely works. In the same way, a little bit of touch makes you want more. And more touch leads to your purity being compromised. Not only is touch addictive, but if it comes into a relationship too soon (and believe me, any time in your teens is probably going to be too soon!), it takes away part of the relationship that you can never get back. Think about a kiss. Is it possible to talk when you’re kissing? In the same way, other touch gets in the way of the communication aspect of the relationship. When you want touch more than you want to communicate, that’s a problem, because a relationship cannot be built upon touch alone. You shouldn’t have to go through your teen years being touched by different guys and then cast aside. You don’t want to taste a bit of that chocolate, because then you’ll want too much too soon. Even though it’s not always fun or easy, cultivate the untouchable look! Once you get the hang of it, being untouchable is fun. Guys will respect you a lot more. They will treat you like a lady instead of a plaything. You will become like a delicately beautiful pink rose… Its petals are soft and velvety. And the fragrance that rises from it is breathtaking. All who see this rose long to pick it. The fragrance floats from it and permeates the air around it. But the rose has a special power—its prickly thorns can scare away those who would pick it before its time.
How do you go about being as a beautiful yet untouchable rose?
Follow Elisabeth Elliot’s mother’s advice:
“Keep guys at arm’s length.” If they get closer, scoot away!
Don’t dress to entice!
Act like a lady.
When all else fails, you can say with Sally in the Peanuts comic: “Try to hold my hand and I’ll slug you!”
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And if you should tell me this isn’t true, I will tell you it is, because I have experienced it myself. At the campground we go to in the summer is where it has happened. What are the boys doing to all the girls (except me and my sister)? Touching, tickling, hugging, etc. every girl they come in contact with (no pun intended). People might say, well I guess they like us and not you. No, you know what the truth is? They don’t respect you, cause you are showing off your body for everyone to see, so they don’t think you care very much if they touch you. But since me (and my sister) are dressing modestly (and respecting our brothers in the Lord), they are respecting us by not touching us like they do with every other girl. Another question to ask yourself when dressing, is what kind of man are you trying to attract? Because when you dress immodestly, you may attract men, but for what purpose? Just to use and then throw them aside, or you know, what is your purpose? What is your interior motive? And this is where the heart issue comes in. You know, I so desire to draw attention from a man, and not even draw attention, but to have him love me for my heart. You know, if I was crippled, if I was blinded, I would want him to love me for my heart. Love, true love, isn’t based on the physical. It’s based on the mutual bonding of two hearts, as they yearn to please and love our Saviour together. I love the beauty in the Bible how it talks about the two shall become one flesh, and you have an opportunity to serve God side by side, with someone who’s on fire and passionate for His Kingdom. If that’s the kind of man you want to attract, then dressing immodestly is not going to bring young men like that. These are a couple of verses that are really good that I will share with you here. Romans 12:1-2 says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Then, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. What does the world tell you? That it’s okay to be immodest, and in fact portrays that you will be more beautiful the more of yourself that you show. This is simply not true! This is not of Christ, and not what our Saviour desires for us as women. What does God say? Be not conformed to this world… Do not cause another person to stumble… Glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. 1 Timothy 4:12, Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. If unsaved people look at us, are they going to be able to tell that we are different? That we are looking to serve and honor Jesus Christ and give Him the glory with all we do and say? If they look at us and see us dressing the same way as the world, acting the same way, talking the same way, watching the same kind of movies, listening to the same kind of music… Do you think that is a good testimony to them? No, I don’t think so. Do you get my point? I hope I’m making some sense, because I really don’t feel like I am. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ALL things are become NEW! When someone comes to know Christ, and gets saved, the things that they did when they were unsaved, the old things, are all passed away, he is a new creature in Christ. Anyways, one last thing I want to share with you. This kind of has to do with purity/modesty together. Proverbs 31:12 says, She will do [her husband] good and not evil all the days of her life. Read that again. She will do [her husband] good and not evil ALL the days of her life. When we interact with the opposite sex, we should treat them with all purity (1 Timothy 5:1-2, Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.)… Thinking of them as someone else’s future spouse. We should treat them as our brother. We should save all of our body’s for our future spouse. What if your future spouse was to see you now as interact with the opposite sex? Would they feel honored that you are saving your whole self for them, and staying pure, or would they feel hurt and sad because you are flaunting your body at anyone who will give you the attention you want?
Movies/TV:
I think we have always been fairly “strict” in the area of movies (maybe not as much as we should have been). We never had TV (Cable, etc), when we were young (we still don’t at our house, but since we aren’t living at our house right now, we do live in a house with Cable). Now, while cable TV can be nice at times (i.e. the Duggars, the Red Sox), there is some very bad…horrible…nasty stuff on there. Not living at my house has been a real challenge for me in a lot of ways (going through some family issues, etc), but especially the TV… It’s a temptation, and it is so hard to resist sometimes! Now, I could go without it, but when it is there and on, you are tempted to watch it. I have watched things that I shouldn’t have… Seen things I shouldn’t have and heard things I shouldn’t have… I will admit that, cause it’s true. I’m disappointed in myself for doing it, but I must try to move on, and from now on, not do it anymore. To basically sum it up, and tell you my standards of movies/TV, (besides the obvious bad stuff) I do not want to watch anything with immodesty or bad language in it. In Philippians chapter 4 it says this (a verse you are all familiar with I’m sure) verse 8: Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Think on these things. I don’t know how when we are watching movies with language and immodesty that we are going to be able to think pure thoughts. The verses that I shared above also kind of go with this, (Romans 12:1-2 and also 1 John 2:15-17, which says, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.). Be not conformed to this world… Love not the world neither the things that are in the world. If we are trying to imitate our Saviour in all we say and do (which we should be striving to be like Christ in everything we do), dressing modestly, not saying bad language, why would we watch movies that promote these exact things? I know some people will say, well maybe guys shouldn’t watch it, but it’s okay for girls. Well, I disagree because like I said, if we are trying to dress modestly, watching movies that are promoting and have immodesty in them, is not going to help us at all. If we are trying to pursue Christ (which we should be doing), I don’t think you can pursue Christ when you watch movies with that in them. You’re not cultivating that heart of modesty, or that heart of femininity, that’s pursuing Him. We should be imitating our Saviour, we are called to imitate our Saviour. The Lord calls us to high standards, of imitating Him, of letting Him take over every aspect of our life. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we jointly promoted purity and loveliness in all areas of life, including our entertainment choices? Evaluate what you are watching by Christ’s standards. If He is living in us, if He’s looking through our eyes, is He glorified in the things we are looking upon? Would it be something that He would of made, a movie He would have made? This is so important, and there are good movies out there. I’m not saying there are no good movies. Facing the Giants, Fireproof, etc. I don’t know what other people think, but when I see something wrong or hear bad things, I feel really unclean, and gross. I know it sounds weird, but I honestly do. It may be the Lord convicting me, and I’m glad that He has shown me these things.
(*Note: Some of the things I said in the modesty and movie section, I "borrowed" from someone else… I am not very good at explaining what I am trying to say, and I thought some of things she said, really explained well what I wanted to say.) =)
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Well, there is so much more I could write about on these subjects and/or other subjects, but that is all for right now. I hope that I have made some sense through all this at least, and that you were encouraged or inspired to live Set Apart for Christ. Like I said, please don’t feel that I am trying to make you feel bad in any way, or feel that I am preaching to you, or whatever, but just sharing some things with you that God has placed upon my heart, in my pursuit to live a life Set Apart for Christ. If you have any questions, thoughts, comments, or anything else that you want to share with me, (prayer request, story, etc.) please click on the contact me page on my blog, and write me an e-mail (or leave me a comment)! I always receive an email when someone comments, so I always get them. Thanks so much for your taking the time to read this, and welcome to Set Apart Girl 4 Christ! It is my prayer that you may be encouraged by what I write, and that Jesus Christ may be glorified and lifted high!
