True Impurity
I am reading through I Kissed Dating Goodbye and here are my outrageous thoughts/feelings/convictions: (Please beware these are true, honest feelings, read at your own risk in judgement)
It brings up many thoughts and ideas I feel I should have been smart enough to decide on my own. I should have been more wise with the bible to figure how I am suppose to act. After reading, I feel I definitely need to say Goodbye to dating and focus on spending my whole life with God. And spending time with His word and His Spirit. I want to say Goodbye so I can be able to serve Him and do more for Him rather than for myself. I want to say Goodbye so that I can be able to continue growing with Him. I want to say Goodbye so that I can continue to learn everything about Him and to learn of where His plan for me is. I want to say Goodbye to all of it, so that I can be pure in the Spirit. And pure in my body when it comes to loving God and one day to love my husband. I need to make sure I know the true value of marriage and intimacy.
Steps to take (for myself): Stop pursuing those I've pursued. Stop flirting with others. Stop wearing clothes that would cause others to stumble. I need to make sure my thoughts of lust disappears. BUT to be an encourager, to be a supporter, to be caring and helpful to others. To treat them as brothers rather than lovers. I do not want to be a distraction from my brothers' relationship, seeking, and serving God .
Dating (when I get there): When dating, I need to make sure the person I am courting knows how pure I want to be. I need to stop staying out late hours of the night with him. I need to make sure we do not do anything that would get us to an impure point (simple kisses, long hugs, alone time). I need to make sure I don't kiss him. I need to make sure I don't touch him in lustful ways. I need to keep the relationship pure for he is not mine.
I realize how impure I've been, and how unfair my life is now to my husband. I've been in too many impure situations with past boyfriends and even with boys that weren't my boyfriend. If it's trying to show off my body, or it's going far when intoxicated. I don't know why I lived a life like that. I'm only 22 years old and I have done too many sinful things with the opposite sex. And it hurts to know that God knows all those things. I can't even forgive myself, I don't know how Jesus forgave me. But because He has forgiven me, I'm committed to keeping myself as pure as I can, and I will keep myself pure because of the power of God. {Faith in Christ and trust in His death and resurrection.}
"Not one of us can stand completely pure before God. We are all sinners. But no matter how filthy the rags of our defilement may be, in a moment of repentance and faith the heart turned toward God loses its impurity. God clothes us in Christ's righteousness. He no longer sees sin. He transfers Jesus' purity to us. So see yourself as God sees you -- clothed in radiant white, pure, and justified."
"Maybe you have a particular memory that continues to hound you, a memory that makes you feel unworthy of God's love and forgiveness. Turn away from it. Don't replay that moment or any others like it. If you've rejected all those behaviors, God has promised to remember them no more (Hebrews 8:12). Move on. A life time of purity awaits you." -- I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Joshua Harris
Where to start?
Prayer: Lord, I pray that we can show genuine love for each other, practice this love for each other so that we can easily show our genuine love and care to others. Lord, I pray that we as a community can be pure together as brothers and sisters. Help lead each other far away from impurity and lead our eyes toward You. To help each other look towards You for strength, guidance, love, and overwhelming power to overcome all sins of this life.
It brings up many thoughts and ideas I feel I should have been smart enough to decide on my own. I should have been more wise with the bible to figure how I am suppose to act. After reading, I feel I definitely need to say Goodbye to dating and focus on spending my whole life with God. And spending time with His word and His Spirit. I want to say Goodbye so I can be able to serve Him and do more for Him rather than for myself. I want to say Goodbye so that I can be able to continue growing with Him. I want to say Goodbye so that I can continue to learn everything about Him and to learn of where His plan for me is. I want to say Goodbye to all of it, so that I can be pure in the Spirit. And pure in my body when it comes to loving God and one day to love my husband. I need to make sure I know the true value of marriage and intimacy.
Steps to take (for myself): Stop pursuing those I've pursued. Stop flirting with others. Stop wearing clothes that would cause others to stumble. I need to make sure my thoughts of lust disappears. BUT to be an encourager, to be a supporter, to be caring and helpful to others. To treat them as brothers rather than lovers. I do not want to be a distraction from my brothers' relationship, seeking, and serving God .
Dating (when I get there): When dating, I need to make sure the person I am courting knows how pure I want to be. I need to stop staying out late hours of the night with him. I need to make sure we do not do anything that would get us to an impure point (simple kisses, long hugs, alone time). I need to make sure I don't kiss him. I need to make sure I don't touch him in lustful ways. I need to keep the relationship pure for he is not mine.
I realize how impure I've been, and how unfair my life is now to my husband. I've been in too many impure situations with past boyfriends and even with boys that weren't my boyfriend. If it's trying to show off my body, or it's going far when intoxicated. I don't know why I lived a life like that. I'm only 22 years old and I have done too many sinful things with the opposite sex. And it hurts to know that God knows all those things. I can't even forgive myself, I don't know how Jesus forgave me. But because He has forgiven me, I'm committed to keeping myself as pure as I can, and I will keep myself pure because of the power of God. {Faith in Christ and trust in His death and resurrection.}
"Not one of us can stand completely pure before God. We are all sinners. But no matter how filthy the rags of our defilement may be, in a moment of repentance and faith the heart turned toward God loses its impurity. God clothes us in Christ's righteousness. He no longer sees sin. He transfers Jesus' purity to us. So see yourself as God sees you -- clothed in radiant white, pure, and justified."
"Maybe you have a particular memory that continues to hound you, a memory that makes you feel unworthy of God's love and forgiveness. Turn away from it. Don't replay that moment or any others like it. If you've rejected all those behaviors, God has promised to remember them no more (Hebrews 8:12). Move on. A life time of purity awaits you." -- I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Joshua Harris
Where to start?
- Start with a clean state [Break Ups and adjusting the focus of a relationship]
- Establish clear guidelines [Rules to follow and line to NOT cross]
- Check to see who's whispering in your ear [friends and other influences (music, movies)]
- Season your convictions with humility
Prayer: Lord, I pray that we can show genuine love for each other, practice this love for each other so that we can easily show our genuine love and care to others. Lord, I pray that we as a community can be pure together as brothers and sisters. Help lead each other far away from impurity and lead our eyes toward You. To help each other look towards You for strength, guidance, love, and overwhelming power to overcome all sins of this life.