[Proverbs 2] Fighting the Voices Against Sexual Purity

      The other night I went to go see "Mamma Mia 2" with a friend and needless to say I was pumped. "Mamma Mia" had always been a favorite of mine. I loved the actors, the plot, and of course all the ABBA songs. So we snuggled into leather chairs with our snacks and leaned back to enjoy.

    Being a natural born hopeless romantic, I instantly was drawn into the love story between Donna and her three guys. Each one who wanted her, woo'ed her, loved her... and each ended in her giving herself to them in desire. I mean each guy did a musical number with her, how cute is that?

     I left the movie suddenly with that desire I had thought I had moved on from burning bright. I mean I had been single almost my entire life, never even kissed a guy and I was so desperately filled with longing for passion and love. I mean even though Donna had given into sleeping with the three guys they were so handsome, and wooe'd her, and wanted her... and I suddenly was wanting to have someone feel that way about me.

   The problem for girls in today's society is there is such a stigma on singleness. Singleness in movies, tv shows, music... is seen as something bad. It means something must be wrong with you that no guy wants you, you must not be pretty enough, sexy enough, outgoing enough... and they tell . girls that they only can find true happiness when they give themselves over to a guy. So many girls are lied to in this way and they end up following through only to come out of the situation with hurt, pain, regret, and disappointment (which isn't the part they show in the movies).

  After reading Proverbs 2 today, I realized something about sexual purity. Whether for guys or girls we are battling two voices in our head when it comes to fighting for purity: one of wisdom & strength that comes from God,  and one of foolishness & immorality.

 The Proverbs starts out by telling the reader how important and crucial it is to be in God's word to fight against the voices of this world. They write to:

    "Tune your ears to wisdom" (v.2)
    " Concentrate on understanding" (v.2)
    " Cry out for insight "(v. 3)
    " Ask for understanding daily " (v.3)
    " Search [God's word] as you would for silver " (v.3)
    " Seek [God's word] like hidden treasures " (v.3)


    The author explains how to be able to have wisdom and strength in fighting agains the "immoral women" (v.16) that is inside us we have to not just check our daily Bible reading off a To-Do list or simply pray for help in battle against it, but we have to use every part of us to dwell in God's word.
Reading His word is suppose to use every part of us: our minds, heart, soul, strength. All those verses above call for not just a monotonous reading of His word for wisdom but a diving into and meditating His words, allowing them to penetrate every part of our being. Our fight for sexual purity doesn't just stop overnight it's a daily battle of building your soul with God's truths so you can fight against it.

  This consistent dwelling in the Scripture, it says, " THEN you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God." (Proverbs 3:5) This type of searching for God's truths brings you into an intimacy and understanding of God and who He is. He then "will grant you wisdom, because from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding... He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to Him." (v. 6, 8)

    If we learn to surround ourselves with God's voice He helps us to have strength to block out the flesh driven voices against sexual purity. It's a hard battle to fight, It's been hard for me and for every other girl out there. It doesn't matter if you are a girl who had a past with giving into sexual purity or you've never even kissed someone God still calls us all to redeem our sexual purity in Him. As the world calls us to give in to our desires and our lust and our insecurities, God's voice is calling out to us saying we are already loved more than we can know, already desired by Him, already pursued and chased after by Him.

  I've also been reading Hosea this summer with friends, and honestly the book has helped my hopeless romantic heart to see who God really is. I've realized that I am a mirror of Gomer in the story and so many times I chase and run after loves of this world hoping that they will finally fulfill me. When in the end, just like Gomer does, I end up even more unsatisfied, broken, and hurt then before. While God, on the other hand, is like Hosea. The faithful, devoted husband who even as we consistently run away from Him, He chases us. He's a  husband who adores, loves, and finds beauty in a broken girl like you and me. He redeems that our sexual purity in Him, just like Hosea bought back Gomer even when she sold herself into sexual slavery. [Hosea14:19-20]

  So be invested in God's word. It's hard, I know it is to be consistent in dwelling God's word. Pray that God gives you new eyes, a fresh perspective on seeing His word. Stop being so hard on yourself about not being a cookie-cutter Christian cause thats not who God calls us to be, He calls us to be broken, unfit people who constantly need Him to be able to face the world. The more though, we lean on Him the more He will grant you wisdom and the understanding to fight against the voices on this world calling us to become the "immoral women" we sometimes feel we have to be or want to be, but instead He will call you to become a "women after His own heart" who knows her life is not defined by her sexual desires or whether she is single or married but by what love she running towards, God's or this worlds.


   - Rachel