So ~ how do we go about becoming God's Mrs. Right?
God loves us ~ so much that He sent His son to die for us.
It takes US falling in love with HIM!
How do we do that? This chapter goes through six levels of our relationship with God ~ the ultimate being the bride/groom relationship. As we go along in our relationship with God and draw closer to Him, He draws closer to us. That's what He has wanted all along!
Matthew 6:33 tells us to seek first God's kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you.
Psalm 37:4 tells us to delight ourselves in the Lord and He will give us the desires of our hearts.
Just as a girlfriend may sit by the phone waiting for that boyfriend to call, God is waiting on us to call out to Him ~ to fall in love with Him ~ to be consumed with Him .... He wants to be your first love.
Here comes the tough part ~
* have you really invested time in getting to know God on a deeper level?
* do you read the Bible and dig in to find out what it's really saying?
* have you given God a chance to show you His love or are you focusing on young men ... fantasies & dreams ... chat rooms?
* have you chosen to focus on God when you feel lonely ... praying, listening to worship music or reading His Word?
* are there things done in private when you hope God isn't watching or you choose to ignore His presence?
* do you believe that God can satisfy all your needs?
Are you willing to set aside everything, everyone and yourself and become totally dependant on God?
We can't let guilt from past relationships or past mistakes keep us from God. He is waiting there to forgive and help us learn His paths. Remember God created you. He knows your inmost parts ~ your inmost thoughts and desires. Who better to help you?
Matthew 7: 7 - 8 tells us to ask God and seek God ~ to knock and He will open the door to us. The door of a greater love relationship with Him!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
CH 24: Becoming Mrs. Right
No matter where you are in your teenage or young adult years, this chapter is worthwhile reading! Becoming Mrs. Right may not be a job you are applying for next week, but these characteristics can also relate to becoming a Godly young woman ... one that God can use!
Having a personal relationship with Christ should be our first priority. This makes us beautiful on the inside! This requires digging in to God's Word, spending time with Him and getting to know Him better.
Taking care of yourself on the outside is also important. As a Christian, our body is God's temple. Keeping ourselves clean and neatly dressed goes a long way in our testimony. This isn't about drawing attention to our bodies .... remember guys are stimulated by what they see ~ and our goal shouldn't be to cause them to be tempted.
Nobody likes to be around someone who grumbles and complains all the time .... thinking "if I just found Mr. Right, all my problems would go away and I'd be happy" is NOT true! If our focus is on Christ and what He desires to do in our lives, we can be content right where He has us. One of the Fruits of the Spirit is Joy!
Another part of becoming Mrs. Right is being able to exercise self-control. We demonstrate this first by being fully devoted to Christ. If we can't do this, we are going to really struggle with being devoted to a husband some day. Are you exercising self-control around guy friends now? Your future husband may be watching!
The next point talks about being wise with money and planning wisely. Financial stress is one of the BIGGEST causes of tension within a marriage. You can go a long way towards becoming Mrs. Right by learning now how to handle money wisely. Proverbs 14:1 says "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands." While you may not be physically hammering nails and wood together to build your house, you can tear it down by foolish spending.
How is your relationship with your parents? your siblings? God put us in families to teach us how to work with others. Each person in a family has a different personality. How do you handle those day to day differences? Practicing getting along, admitting when you are wrong, forgiving and serving are all important characteristics of Mrs. Right.
Will you make a good mother? One of God's first commands to Adam and Eve was to be fruitful and multiply. Children are a natural product of marriage. How can you prepare now to become a good mother?
What do you feel God's plan for your life is? When Mr. Right comes along, your life plans need to mesh together. He needs your full support to become the man God intends for him to be. If he is truly the Mr. Right that God has for you, you will be able to whole heartedly be his biggest cheerleader! This doesn't necessarily mean that you have no other purpose in life ~ however ~ your purpose and his will complement each other. What kind of training or learning can you get now that may help your future?
First and foremost right now, you need to work on becoming God's Mrs. Right. The Bible refers to Christians many times as the bride of Christ. God wants to use you ~ He has a plan for your life. Partnering with God will be your greatest reward and the only way you will feel truly fulfilled in life.
Having a personal relationship with Christ should be our first priority. This makes us beautiful on the inside! This requires digging in to God's Word, spending time with Him and getting to know Him better.
Taking care of yourself on the outside is also important. As a Christian, our body is God's temple. Keeping ourselves clean and neatly dressed goes a long way in our testimony. This isn't about drawing attention to our bodies .... remember guys are stimulated by what they see ~ and our goal shouldn't be to cause them to be tempted.
Nobody likes to be around someone who grumbles and complains all the time .... thinking "if I just found Mr. Right, all my problems would go away and I'd be happy" is NOT true! If our focus is on Christ and what He desires to do in our lives, we can be content right where He has us. One of the Fruits of the Spirit is Joy!
Another part of becoming Mrs. Right is being able to exercise self-control. We demonstrate this first by being fully devoted to Christ. If we can't do this, we are going to really struggle with being devoted to a husband some day. Are you exercising self-control around guy friends now? Your future husband may be watching!
The next point talks about being wise with money and planning wisely. Financial stress is one of the BIGGEST causes of tension within a marriage. You can go a long way towards becoming Mrs. Right by learning now how to handle money wisely. Proverbs 14:1 says "The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands." While you may not be physically hammering nails and wood together to build your house, you can tear it down by foolish spending.
How is your relationship with your parents? your siblings? God put us in families to teach us how to work with others. Each person in a family has a different personality. How do you handle those day to day differences? Practicing getting along, admitting when you are wrong, forgiving and serving are all important characteristics of Mrs. Right.
Will you make a good mother? One of God's first commands to Adam and Eve was to be fruitful and multiply. Children are a natural product of marriage. How can you prepare now to become a good mother?
What do you feel God's plan for your life is? When Mr. Right comes along, your life plans need to mesh together. He needs your full support to become the man God intends for him to be. If he is truly the Mr. Right that God has for you, you will be able to whole heartedly be his biggest cheerleader! This doesn't necessarily mean that you have no other purpose in life ~ however ~ your purpose and his will complement each other. What kind of training or learning can you get now that may help your future?
First and foremost right now, you need to work on becoming God's Mrs. Right. The Bible refers to Christians many times as the bride of Christ. God wants to use you ~ He has a plan for your life. Partnering with God will be your greatest reward and the only way you will feel truly fulfilled in life.
CH 23: When the Time is Right for Mr. Right
This chapter makes many important points .... however, for where most of you are at in your lives, Chapter 24 & Chapter 25 hold more vital information.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
CH 22: "but we're in love!"
We talked a few chapters back about integrity and being women of sexual integrity. We are called by God to maintain that sexual integrity all through life, whether single or married, young or old. So, that said, does being "in love" change that you are called by God to demonstrate sexual integrity? No.
When we start talking about boyfriend / girlfriend relationships, my wholehearted first advice is take a step back and seek wise counsel. If you've never read "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris, I'd highly recommend it. Dating and boyfriend / girlfriend relationships in America today are encouraging "throw away" relationships .... think of someone who test drives a car off a car lot ~ you know "try before you buy" ~ relationships have become the same way. Many times dating relationships are looked at as a try before you buy (marry) situation. Each time we try out someone in a more serious relationship, we are giving them a part of ourselves {emotionally and sometimes physically}. I mentioned this in an earlier post in the example of getting to the marriage altar and a whole line of girls are on your future husband's other side.
Something else to consider in a dating or boyfriend / girlfriend relationship is what is the purpose in considering yourselves dating? Is it for social status ~ so you can tell all your friends you have a boyfriend? Is it for your self esteem ~ so you feel desirable to someone?
Well ~ we'll get into this more in coming chapters. But for now, you need to consider why getting into a more serious relationship is necessary.
The number line on page 193 makes an excellent point ~ take a minute and look at the timeline and get the big picture. I hope you'll see that it is worth the wait to enter your marriage pure .... without the baggage of past relationships and compromise.
When we start talking about boyfriend / girlfriend relationships, my wholehearted first advice is take a step back and seek wise counsel. If you've never read "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris, I'd highly recommend it. Dating and boyfriend / girlfriend relationships in America today are encouraging "throw away" relationships .... think of someone who test drives a car off a car lot ~ you know "try before you buy" ~ relationships have become the same way. Many times dating relationships are looked at as a try before you buy (marry) situation. Each time we try out someone in a more serious relationship, we are giving them a part of ourselves {emotionally and sometimes physically}. I mentioned this in an earlier post in the example of getting to the marriage altar and a whole line of girls are on your future husband's other side.
Something else to consider in a dating or boyfriend / girlfriend relationship is what is the purpose in considering yourselves dating? Is it for social status ~ so you can tell all your friends you have a boyfriend? Is it for your self esteem ~ so you feel desirable to someone?
Well ~ we'll get into this more in coming chapters. But for now, you need to consider why getting into a more serious relationship is necessary.
The number line on page 193 makes an excellent point ~ take a minute and look at the timeline and get the big picture. I hope you'll see that it is worth the wait to enter your marriage pure .... without the baggage of past relationships and compromise.
CH 21: Sex Without Strings
So, after all you've read so far in the book, do you really think there is such a thing as sex without strings?
I'd say a definate NO. God didn't intend it that way. He intended it to be a very intimate time with your spouse and involving your emotions as well as your body.
When you have sex outside of marriage, you are involving your emotions and body ~ while trying NOT to involve your emotions. We weren't created that way.
Romans 1:24-27 talks a little about how God feels about casual sexual relationships. Yes, God could have stopped them .... but remember He wants us to make good choices because we want to ~ they in turn had to live with the consequences of their choices.
Take a look at 1 Thessalonians 4: 3 - 8 ... it talks about how we are to control our bodies in a way that is holy and honorable ~ and when we reject this instruction, we reject God. Those are some pretty strong words!
So, how do we handle being friends with guys?? Is it possible?? It is with some clear boundaries. Page 186-187 talk about this further ..... "Friends care about protecting each other's mind, heart, body and soul and will make sacrifices to avoid causing each other to stumble and fall into compromising situations." How are you looking at him? How are you touching him? How are you acting in front of him to get his attention? How are you dressing to get his attention?
Spend some time considering 1 Corinthians 6: 18 - 20 ~ especially the end .... You are not your own; you were bought at a price {Jesus blood}. Therefore honor God with your body.
I'd say a definate NO. God didn't intend it that way. He intended it to be a very intimate time with your spouse and involving your emotions as well as your body.
When you have sex outside of marriage, you are involving your emotions and body ~ while trying NOT to involve your emotions. We weren't created that way.
Romans 1:24-27 talks a little about how God feels about casual sexual relationships. Yes, God could have stopped them .... but remember He wants us to make good choices because we want to ~ they in turn had to live with the consequences of their choices.
Take a look at 1 Thessalonians 4: 3 - 8 ... it talks about how we are to control our bodies in a way that is holy and honorable ~ and when we reject this instruction, we reject God. Those are some pretty strong words!
So, how do we handle being friends with guys?? Is it possible?? It is with some clear boundaries. Page 186-187 talk about this further ..... "Friends care about protecting each other's mind, heart, body and soul and will make sacrifices to avoid causing each other to stumble and fall into compromising situations." How are you looking at him? How are you touching him? How are you acting in front of him to get his attention? How are you dressing to get his attention?
Spend some time considering 1 Corinthians 6: 18 - 20 ~ especially the end .... You are not your own; you were bought at a price {Jesus blood}. Therefore honor God with your body.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
CH 20: "Technical" virginity
So what do you think virginity means?
Does it only mean actually having sexual intercourse? What about masturbation or oral sex?
Abstinence is the act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite or desire, especially for alcoholic drink or sexual intercourse. OH ~ another thing that has to do with our self-control .... a choice!
Sex starts in our minds long before our bodies are involved. We can be lusting after someone and thinking inappropriate thoughts without ever touching them or taking our clothes off. If we are going to take the approach that it's only "sexual" if we are having sex, that would make our impure thoughts okay. God says that's not His way ~ we are told to keep our minds pure .... we covered that way back in the beginning of the book when we talked about our sexual integrity.
Many times when we are using the word "technical" we are trying to justify ourselves ~ to make something okay that really isn't .... or to make something not seem so bad. that wasn't "technically" a lie .... or I didn't "technically" cheat ....
So ~ is we apply that to our virginity, how do we determine if we are "technically" still a virgin?
As Christians, we should always be looking for God's best. What was His plan for our sexuality? His plan was that our sexuality be used in marriage. The book defines a sexually abstinent lifestyle as refraining from any type of genital contact or any other activity which serves to arouse you (or him) sexually. This can range from your thoughts to the way you act, dress or talk to touching yourself or someone else physically.
Remember how much God loves us? He created us just the way we are and has a plan for our lives. So, without a doubt, He also cares about our sexual lives. WHY?
1. to keep us in good physical health ~ including the ability to have children
2. to keep us in good mental health ~ thinking clearly and using good judgment
3. to keep us in good emotional health ~ not guilty from past bad choices
4. to keep us in good spiritual health ~ free to enter His presence and draw close to Him
5. to keep us in good relational health ~ when you have a sexual relationship with someone, it is meant to be intimate and very personal ..... if it's not treated special but given away freely to anyone and everyone {which goes against God's way} then bonding with your husband someday may be very difficult
Does it only mean actually having sexual intercourse? What about masturbation or oral sex?
Abstinence is the act or practice of refraining from indulging an appetite or desire, especially for alcoholic drink or sexual intercourse. OH ~ another thing that has to do with our self-control .... a choice!
Sex starts in our minds long before our bodies are involved. We can be lusting after someone and thinking inappropriate thoughts without ever touching them or taking our clothes off. If we are going to take the approach that it's only "sexual" if we are having sex, that would make our impure thoughts okay. God says that's not His way ~ we are told to keep our minds pure .... we covered that way back in the beginning of the book when we talked about our sexual integrity.
Many times when we are using the word "technical" we are trying to justify ourselves ~ to make something okay that really isn't .... or to make something not seem so bad. that wasn't "technically" a lie .... or I didn't "technically" cheat ....
So ~ is we apply that to our virginity, how do we determine if we are "technically" still a virgin?
As Christians, we should always be looking for God's best. What was His plan for our sexuality? His plan was that our sexuality be used in marriage. The book defines a sexually abstinent lifestyle as refraining from any type of genital contact or any other activity which serves to arouse you (or him) sexually. This can range from your thoughts to the way you act, dress or talk to touching yourself or someone else physically.
Remember how much God loves us? He created us just the way we are and has a plan for our lives. So, without a doubt, He also cares about our sexual lives. WHY?
1. to keep us in good physical health ~ including the ability to have children
2. to keep us in good mental health ~ thinking clearly and using good judgment
3. to keep us in good emotional health ~ not guilty from past bad choices
4. to keep us in good spiritual health ~ free to enter His presence and draw close to Him
5. to keep us in good relational health ~ when you have a sexual relationship with someone, it is meant to be intimate and very personal ..... if it's not treated special but given away freely to anyone and everyone {which goes against God's way} then bonding with your husband someday may be very difficult
There is no greater joy than to live our lives God's way!
CH 19: Winning the Physical Battle
This chapter starts with Romans 6: 12-13 ..... let's take those verses apart a bit!
Verse 12 says:
Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
Reign means to rule over like a king reigns over his kingdom.
Mortal body is talking about your flesh and bones ~ what makes up your human body.
Verse 13 says:
And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead and your members as instruments of rightousness to God.
Present (not present like a Christmas present, but present like you present a speech) is talking about a decision you make ~ a choice to do one thing or another.
Members is refering to your physical body parts.
Does that help? It's saying make a choice to keep your body under control and present it to God as an instrument of righteousness.
So ~ what's the big deal? Does God really care if you keep yourself pure? Yes, He does. Remember He created us male and female and He created marriage and He created sex. He created it all ~ but He also gave us guidelines on how they should work. Page 164 and 165 list just a few of the verses explaining how God feels about these things.
Page 165 and 166 give a pretty detailed rundown of how God created our bodies and how it all works together, including a picture on page 167. {If any of this doesn't make sense, talk to your Mom or me!} It's important to understand how we are created because it goes along with the rest of the chapter.
A good part of the rest of the chapter spends time talking about just a few of the different sexually transmitted diseases. Now ~ you can read all that and say oh that will never happen to me. REALLY? How can you be so sure? I bet that's what everyone who already has an STD used to think too! You also have to consider if it's worth the risk. Page 169 compares the risk to playing Russian roulette ....
Just as the last chapters have talked about keeping yourself pure for the good of your future spouse, this chapter talks about waiting for the good of your future children. Is it worth risking them as well?
Verse 12 says:
Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.
Reign means to rule over like a king reigns over his kingdom.
Mortal body is talking about your flesh and bones ~ what makes up your human body.
Verse 13 says:
And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead and your members as instruments of rightousness to God.
Present (not present like a Christmas present, but present like you present a speech) is talking about a decision you make ~ a choice to do one thing or another.
Members is refering to your physical body parts.
Does that help? It's saying make a choice to keep your body under control and present it to God as an instrument of righteousness.
Much of this book has been about making choices!
So ~ what's the big deal? Does God really care if you keep yourself pure? Yes, He does. Remember He created us male and female and He created marriage and He created sex. He created it all ~ but He also gave us guidelines on how they should work. Page 164 and 165 list just a few of the verses explaining how God feels about these things.
Page 165 and 166 give a pretty detailed rundown of how God created our bodies and how it all works together, including a picture on page 167. {If any of this doesn't make sense, talk to your Mom or me!} It's important to understand how we are created because it goes along with the rest of the chapter.
A good part of the rest of the chapter spends time talking about just a few of the different sexually transmitted diseases. Now ~ you can read all that and say oh that will never happen to me. REALLY? How can you be so sure? I bet that's what everyone who already has an STD used to think too! You also have to consider if it's worth the risk. Page 169 compares the risk to playing Russian roulette ....
Just as the last chapters have talked about keeping yourself pure for the good of your future spouse, this chapter talks about waiting for the good of your future children. Is it worth risking them as well?
Children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior, so are teh children of one's youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them. Psalm 127:3-5
Sunday, January 2, 2011
CH 18: Knowing Where To Stop!
The best plan is always God's plan. God's plan is His word, which instructs us to love Him with our whole heart, soul and mind. If we are following God's plan, we aren't going to be getting into this red light area of addictions and affairs. Page 156 gives some good questions to ask yourself about your relationships.
God can meet all your needs ~ do you believe that? He created you. He alone knows exactly what you need!
God can meet all your needs ~ do you believe that? He created you. He alone knows exactly what you need!
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Mathew 5 : 8
CH 17: Proceeding With Caution
“Anna’s Story” taken from I Kissed Dating Goodbye
by Joshua Harris
It was finally here- Anna’s wedding day, the day she had dreamed about and planned for months. The small, picturesque church was crowded with friends and family. Sunlight poured through the stained-glass windows, and the gentle music of a stringed quartet filled the air. Anna walked down the aisle toward David. Joy surged within her. This was the moment for which she had waited so long. He gently took her hand, and they turned toward the altar.
But as the minister began to lead Anna and David through their vows, the unthinkable happened. A girl stood up in the middle of the congregation, walked quietly to the altar, and took David’s other hand. Another girl approached and stood next to the first, followed by another. Soon, a chain of six girls stood by him as he repeated his vows to Anna.
Anna felt her lip beginning to quiver as tears welled up in her eyes. “Is this some kind of joke?” she whispered to David. “I’m…I’m sorry, Anna,” he said, staring at the floor.
“Who are these girls, David? What is going on?” she gasped.
“They’re girls from my past,” he answered sadly. “Anna, they don’t mean anything to me now…but I’ve given part of my heart to each of them.”
“I thought your heart was mine,” she said.
“It is, it is,” he pleaded. “Everything that’s left is yours.”
Ladies, are you going to be satisfied with what's left? Do you want your future husband to have to settle for what's left? Everytime your emotions get involved and there is an emotional attachment to a guy, that's a part of you taken away from your future husband.
CH 16: Good To Go!
This chapter starts talking about the traffic light pictured on page 139 and the stages of emotional connection. They say the first stage of emotional connection is attention, which then moves on to attraction.
I'd like to start this chapters blog post with a word of caution. As I read through this chapter several times, I couldn't help feeling that the most important part is at the end of the chapter! Step back to Chapter 12 with me for a moment .....
I'd like to start this chapters blog post with a word of caution. As I read through this chapter several times, I couldn't help feeling that the most important part is at the end of the chapter! Step back to Chapter 12 with me for a moment .....
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. Matthew 22: 37 - 38
So ~ according to that verse, our first emotional connection of attention should be directed at who? God. Our second stage of emotional connection of attraction should be directed at who? God.
Did God create us with emotions? Sure He did. We have to make a choice what we are going to do with them. It would be easy at this point to say ~ well, God created me with these emotions so I can just go with them wherever they take me. The beginning of this chapter would have me believe that I can notice a cute guy {no matter who he is ~ even someone else's husband} and it's okay ~ no different than admiring a fine art painting at the art museum. Hmmmmm ..... personally I don't think so. That's a slippery slope because if I'm admiring him enough to know he's cute, what else am I doing .... how far is my mind going to be allowed to go in that admiration ~~ remember ladies, we are supposed to be bouncing our thoughts. The longer I allow myself to entertain those thoughts, the harder it is to stop.
Yes, the desire for love, attention, affection and relational connection is part of the human condition (pg 142), but that desire needs to be directed to God first.
Now, I can hear some of you saying .... Ms. Becky ~ if I don't pay ANY attention to the guys around me, how will I EVER find a husband?? Trust me on this one ~ if God has a husband for you, you won't be able to NOT find him. If your focus is on God first, you're going to be in tune with His path for your life which puts you and that husband He has for you on an unstoppable collision course. THAT is a collision you don't want to miss!
“The Buried Box” taken from Boy Meets Girl
by Joshua Harris
This spot will do, Rich thought sadly. He peered over his shoulder into the darkness to make sure no one was watching, then raised his shovel and drove it into the earth.
Clang! The sound of steel hitting rock rang out in the stillness of the night. He dropped to the ground. He was worried his ex-girlfriend's father might hear him. What kind of explanation could he give for digging a hole in their front yard at 3 a.m.? After 2 hours, he wiped a tear from his eye and walked away.
Four years before digging this hole, Rich had met Christy at church. They were fourteen and immature .... well, Rich was. It wasn't until their senior year in high school that Christy would fall in love with Rich. Their relationship grew as they daily wrote lettesr to each other, pouring out their hearts. Over time, their pure love began to turn into a romantic relationship not focused on God. They came to a point when they realized that their relationship was not headed in the right direction and they needed to return to being friends again.
This seemed to work at first, but whenever Christy would open her box of letters she had saved from Rich, she found herself jumping back into a relationship with Rich that she knew wasn't right. Looking out for Christy, Rich took her box of letters. he told her that he wanted to make sure they could focus on being friends again.
It was that box that Rich secretively buried in her front yard. He hoped that one day the box would be opened again, but he trusted that wherever God lead them would be best. What he knew for sure was that God wanted them to take time and begin over as friends.
Well, Rich and Christy went away to different colleges. From time to time they would talk, but their busy schedules kept them apart. Eventually, they would begin to talk again. This time, they were friends. Although they had a deep love for each other, they weren't jumping into a physical, romantic relationship.
After a year of friendship, they felt they were ready to seriously date again. They spent Christmas of their senior year at Christy's house. The final gift was an unusual one from Rich to Christy. As she opened the gift she saw it was a baby tree. "Why don't you plant it in the front yard?", her father said. Rich and Christy's family went out into the front yard and Christy began to dig a small hole for her tree.
Clank! Christy hit something while digging. As she dug further, she noticed the box that once held all her love letters. With excitement, knowing what was in the box, she opened it quickly. As she opened the first letter, she realized it wasn't a letter she had ever read before.
You see, Rich knew that if those letters were ever dug up again, it would be because they had done their relationship the right way - a way pleasing to God. Knowing that, before he buried the box, he placed a new letter on the top .... one that read, "Will You Marry Me?"
Saturday, January 1, 2011
CH 15: Winning the Emotional Battle
This chapter starts out making an excellent point! The stereotype is that those of the male gender are the only ones who have trouble with purity .... unfortunately there isn't any truth in that statement. Both males & females are in this battle. As the book has so well pointed out, the battle is just different.
God made us to be emotionally stimulated ~ which means we must closely guard our heart. Failing to guard our hearts puts our body at much greater risk of falling to temptation.
Wellspring just means source .... the heart is the source of life. God created us so that our heart is central to all that we are physically, spiritually and emotionally.
It's easy to say "oh I'd NEVER do ________ physically" .... but how about emotionally becoming attached? Our hearts & emotions are funny things ~ they can get away from us quickly if we aren't on guard.
Spend some time studying the traffic light graphic on page 139 and the different stages of emotional connection!
God made us to be emotionally stimulated ~ which means we must closely guard our heart. Failing to guard our hearts puts our body at much greater risk of falling to temptation.
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23
It's easy to say "oh I'd NEVER do ________ physically" .... but how about emotionally becoming attached? Our hearts & emotions are funny things ~ they can get away from us quickly if we aren't on guard.
Spend some time studying the traffic light graphic on page 139 and the different stages of emotional connection!
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