…because purity matters.
“Close your eyes and cover your ears…” it’s what you’re always told as a child, when something inappropriate would pop up on TV…but do you know that’s something we should be doing, even as adults? Especially if we are actively trying to guard our marriage…
I think sometimes, as believers, when we are in the “pre-marital” phase, we tend to focus so much on remaining pure UNTIL marriage and forget the importance of remaining pure FOR marriage. Purity doesn’t end, once we step into covenant with our husband or wife. Once we enter into marriage, Biblically, the sex that we were abstaining from, now becomes an act of worship before God (with your husband or wife, of course)…but the battle for purity still rages. I would venture to say, even more so than before, the enemy will bombard you now more than ever, because he HATES marriage. He hates what it symbolizes, he hates the unity that it brings, he hates the covenant that it is before God…he just hates everything about it. He will do anything that he can to bring division and destroy it.
We need to be vigilant…we need to pray that God sharpen our discernment as to what movies we watch, what music we listen too, what we “scroll through” on our phone. Any open door is a foothold for the enemy. Don’t give that to him.
Did you know that when people find out that my husband doesn’t have social media, they literally can not believe it? Everyone always asks “why?”…here’s how that decision went for him…(besides the fact that he’s just not a social media guy, and prefers in-person interaction with people versus through a screen)…he did have Facebook and Instagram for a bit back in college. But when we got married, there was a lot of growth and convicting that God did for both of us, in our first year of marriage. For him, he felt as though social media could be used as a foothold to the enemy, in our marriage. So he told me he did not want it at all…and he has not had a personal Facebook or Instagram since then. Because…purity matters.
Did you know that when the kids are asleep and we’re scrolling through movies to watch on Netflix, we don’t even consider watching it if it says “R?”…honestly, sometimes even if it’s PG-13. It doesn’t matter if we are adults, and the world deems it “ok” for us to watch. If there’s even slight nudity and vulgar language written in the description, we keep it moving…it’s our covenant over compromise, and what the Word of God says, that we default to.
Because…purity matters.
Did you know that when the super bowl half time show plays, or even when an inappropriate ad shows on tv, my hubby will either switch the channel completely (if we’re in our home) or (if we are out) look away from the tv?
Because, purity matters.
And this goes both ways, for men and women…don’t get me started on women of God who “follow” people on social media who are “public figures” who have no shame in wearing practically nothing…I’ll leave that one for another day.
Anyway, I’m not here to sound “better than”, because truthfully, but for the grace of God, go I. I need His forgiveness, everyday. I need His mercy, everyday. I need His wisdom, everyday. I need the Holy Spirits guidance, literally every single day. I am no better than you, and my marriage is no better than yours. It is God’s grace that holds us together everyday.
I just wanted to give you real life examples of how we practice purity in our marriage, FOR our marriage…and as my husband leads us in this, I feel so loved and honored by him,as a result. When we seek to honor God with our choices, as a result we will honor each other. Whatever you are “feeding” yourself via movies, music, books, entertainment…it’s either feeding your flesh or the Holy Spirit in you.
So close your eyes and cover your ears…guard your marriage! At all costs, flee from any sexual immorality…and if your spouse struggles with this, seek God on behalf of him or her…seek God until there is breakthrough. You are ONE, God will hear your prayers and honor them on behalf of your husband or wife. Don’t ever give up on the battle for purity in your marriage. Hide your marriage in the cleft of the rock and ask God to sharpen your discernment as to any footholds that may be there.
Because…purity matters.
Hebrews 13:4
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous
1 Corinthians 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God
Galatians 5:19-21
Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God