purity

Last Wednesday at UNITE, our combined MS/HS mid-week event, I issued a challenge to the teens.
Based on the scripture we were studying, 1 Timothy 4:12, I encouraged them to view purity as a condition of the heart rather than the following of a rule.  

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.  --1 Timothy 4:12

The challenge was to go all week avoiding "garbage".  We defined garbage as anything we see, hear, say or do that, over time, would turn our hearts away from GOD.

I was really disappointed that many of the teens (and Youth Leaders) who watched the Superbowl (specifically, some of the commercials and half-time show) found themselves failing the challenge.

Even more disappointing was hearing of another church who also had a Superbowl party in which one man, disgusted by the half-time show, tried to change the channel but brothers in Christ refused to let him.

Christ warns us that "anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" and I don't know many men who can watch the likes of Beyonce dance as I've been told she was dancing (one friend described it as a pole dance minus the pole) without having lustful thoughts.  I know I can't which is why I avert my eyes as soon as I see a GoDaddy logo in an advertisement and why myself and several other men chose to congregate outside during the half-time intermission.

Remember: Sin occurs when a lack of Spiritual will power meets opportunity.

The trick is to Know Thyself.

Search yourself.  Better yet, ask the Holy Spirit to search you.  And while you're at it, ask God to reveal your weak spots to you.*  Armed with this foreknowledge, you can minimize 'opportunity ' in the equation giving yourself the best possible chance of success.

The good news is, you don't have to go it alone.  Find a same-gender accountability partner and share with them the weak spots that God has revealed to you.  Pray together for strength in these areas and give them permission to call you out when, not 'if', you do fail.  You will fail.  But that's okay.  We all do.

As the Apostle Paul describes it in Philippians 3:12, "Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me."

I pray that you too will choose to press on.  Fight the good fight.  Set the example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.



*WARNING:  This is a Spiritually "dangerous" prayer.  Don't pray it unless you are truly prepared for God to reveal it to you.  Because, believe me, He will.