Vision Gives Pain A Purpose

I'm reading a book called "Purity: The New Moral Revolution" by Kris Vallotton, and am learning a whole lot from it.....actually, more like getting a fresh perspective from it.
Purity nowadays is kind of a relative term, especially to teenagers. What does it really mean? If I say that I'm committed to purity, does that just mean I'm not having sex before marriage? That I don't look at pornography or read steamy dime romance novels from the half-priced bookstore? That unfortunately I have to suppress my sexuality and ignore the desires that I have? Faking that I don't struggle?
I don't think that's what being pure is all about.
The book I mentioned opened up a whole new outlook on what being pure, and striving for purity, means.
Purity is a lot more involved than barely keeping your V card until you jump the broom.
Kris calls it a battlefield. Fighting for your purity(mental, emotional, and physical), is honestly a battle. But your pain isn't for nothing. What I love about what he talks about is how your purity is actually a prize! Its like a trophy. Sometimes I wonder why God gave us sex drives before we turn 25, because I bet it would make it a whole lot easier on us young people to stay pure! Well, the thing is, when you have to fight for something, the value and worth of it skyrockets. When I get married, I want to know that my husband has fought and kept his purity and saved those thoughts and actions for me, because that's how much I meant to him, even before he met me. I would feel so honored that he did that for me. I want to do the same thing! I want to be careful to value my mental and physical purity, so one day I have something valuable to give to my husband. I think, and I would hope, that even right now, whether I know him or don't know him, that we are fighting for our purity to save for each other.

I also want the purity and pure actions to not have to just be grueling choices, but choices that come out of my heart. I was buried with Christ and resurrected into His life. Because of that, I am literally dead to sin. I am no longer a slave to sin. The Bible says anyone who is not of Christ is held captive by the devil to do his will, so I have the choice now. I have been enabled to make righteous choices!
Kris says in his book: "Free people are not the slaves of their physical desires; rather, they train their bodies to behave in order to fulfill the higher desires created by their own virtues."
He later says "You can't just wait until the car windows are steamed up to decided who you are going to be."
He talks about planning for the future, writing out who you want to be, and what virtues you want to live by.
We need to decided beforehand what is okay and what isn't. Run from temptation, the bible says!

Purity isn't a list of "Yes" and "No"s. Purity is a fighting lifestyle, and a desire of your heart.
I titled this, "Visions Gives Pain A Purpose" because I know what I want to achieve. I've already kind of talked about the hopes I have for my future marriage, but there is so much more than that. I think that the spirit of God can more easily flow through me to touch people when I am being faithful to Him.

1 Timothy 4:12 says, "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."

By striving for purity, I can set an example for people younger and older than me. I can be an encouragement and a statement. I have the power to be able to show people that you don't have to give in to the lusts of the world, and filling your fleshly desires. It is possible. Is it possible to be perfect? I can assure you, it's most definitely NOT possible. I have messed up, and I can't promise I won't mess up in the future. But I pray every day that God would create in me a clean, pure heart and renew a right spirit within me. Oh man, being pure can be a struggle and a fight sometimes. Most of the times it's a fight in my own mind, and almost always a fight against myself. But God is sooooo much bigger. He alone can actually fulfill me. Nothing else can. The more time I spend in His presence I realize this.And He's fighting with me.

You know how when you are dieting and exercising, it helps to keep a vision of the reason why? Whether that be a healthier lifestyle, or a nice body? Usually when I am tempted to eat that donut or have seconds during dinner, the picture of what I am working to look like will pop into my head. Even though resisting is painful at the moment, the vision of the outcome keeps me going. It's usually what motivates me the most.

That's kind of the way I am starting to look at my purity. I have a vision of a beautiful, passionate marriage that is a prize for me and my husband. A marriage we have both fought for and finally we get to experience the many amazing things God created for one man and one woman to experience together. On my wedding night I will be able to have the joy of knowing we fought the battle for each other, and both of us have saved ourselves so we would have something worth more than all the gold in the world to give to the other.

I have a vision of setting an example of purity for my friends, and younger girls. Even people who are older than me. I want them to be able to see Christ when they think of me, and be strengthened by knowing they are not alone in their fight, and that it is quite possible to have victory in our everyday battles.

If I didn't have those visions, the pain that comes with resisting flesh and temptation might not be worth staying pure. But the prizes far outweigh the immediate gratifications. And a lot of times there is a painful price for not staying pure.

Jesus, I ask for a revolution in my generation, that young people would keep rising up and claiming purity and fire for living for you. Please strengthen us and help us to strengthen each other. Divided we fall, together we stand. Give us those powerful visions that will help enable us to have the determination to fight for our purity and for each others purity. Amen.

The Call To Life

Once upon a night,

I heard my Savior call..

Desire, darkness, doom, and death,

I heard Him through it all.

I didn't hear His whisper,

I knew not what He said.

He nudged me just a little

to try and get inside my head.

He spoke a tad bit louder;

the voice becoming clear.

Though sense Him I did not,

to me Himself drew near.

I admit, so lost was I

in this world of sick decay..

But even in the darkness,

the Son revealed the way.

"I love you! Follow me!

Have you heard my cries and pleas?"

He said as tears fell from my eyes

and I dropped, filthy, to my knees.

"I know not why you want me!

If you are just, and fair...

I'm not fit for your loving arms,

about me you shouldn't care!"

I felt crippled and disgusting;

all he gave me was true love.

That's what makes life worth it all,

the kind from up above.

He said, "I came to die for all,

but there's something you should know...

I would've done it just for you

because I love you so."

All my sin and shame is gone

because to Him I gave it all.

Jesus died my soul to save...

Can you hear His call?

{I wrote this in 2010, and just found it as I was going through old folders and notebooks. Thought I would share:) }