Fallen

God has placed on my heart a burden for the young ladies of our church.

As I have worked with many of these women in the past ten years it has been on my heart to share with them God's gift of purity. God blesses us so richly by giving us marriage, in his design. It is a covenant that is to be binding - unbroken and unblemished. God calls each of us to a life of purity. Not just sexual purity, but holy living in all aspects of our lives.

My heart aches tonight.

My heart aches because I have heard, again, of a young woman who was told deceptive lies and was lured into the bed of a young man because the desires of the flesh were controlling their hearts. Now, as a result of sin, something so precious was taken away that can never be fully recovered. Now, as a result of sin, there is shame, regret, suffering, heartache.

How is it that the young men and women in this sinful world can combat the messages of "Cosmo" and the like? It is a huge challenge to live in such a way that runs in the opposite direction of what the world says is natural, normal and completely OK. The Lord tells us not to awake these passions until the time is right. Doing this takes much self control and discipline. It requires us to daily put on his full armor so that we are equip to handle situations when they arise and we are clouded by our desires. But most importantly, it takes complete trust in the promises that God gives us. God so longs for our marriages not to be infused with shame, regret, suffering and heartache. He wants us to enter into the covenant of marriage pure so that we don't have to deal with the results of sin.

I am so thankful that our Lord offers forgiveness, grace and mercy. He tells us that if we confess our sin, HE is faithful and just and will forgive our sins. There is a chance for a new beginning; an opportunity to start fresh, to put off the things of this world and to set our minds and hearts on things above. This does not mean that we will not deal with the repercussions of the choices we make, but it does mean a fresh start.

In light of this, please do not take for granted the things that you can never get back. Hold tightly to them. Jeremy and I pray so hard for purity in the lives of Jack and this little baby growing inside of me. We are so thankful that the Lord protected our dating relationship and kept it pure.

As I move forward from this heartache, God has laid it on my heart to be bold in this fight for purity. Our dear sisters who are walking with the Lord and have pledged to remain pure will have our undivided accountability in their relationships. Jeremy and I have agreed to continue to pointedly ask these dear sisters about their purity. In addition, we will also ask the men in their lives if they are helping or hindering these young ladies in their decision. God's Word tells us that sin occurs in darkness. Deep conversation with our sisters regarding their spiritual development, in addition to their fight for purity, will hopefully provide light - so that this sin cannot gain a foothold in their lives.