I remember at the tender age of thirteen, I decided that I was going to remain a virgin until the day that I got married. It wasn’t because I admired God’s command to remain chaste, or wanted to be holy as he was holy. My idol at the time was a popular singer who had waited to have sex until her wedding day and I wanted to be just like her. (This speaks so much further in to the influence that public figures and social media have on today’s youth, but I digress. That’s for a whole different blog post.)
Thankfully I’ve grown and matured, understanding the reason for why I am waiting. It’s about more than idolizing a physical state of the body or flaunting a purity ring to tell others about what a good girl I am. It may have helped me in the past, but being KEPT by the Holy Spirit and standing on the truth of God’s word is now what sustains me in my decision to wait. The funny thing is that I had friends who made the same vow, who decided to take the same route in waiting, yet many of them changed their minds or decided that it wasn’t as big of a deal as we’d made it out to be.
It prompts me further in thinking, what lies are we entertaining that have the potential to change the trajectory of our lives?
In Genesis 3:1-6 Eve is convinced that what God has told her about the tree in the middle of the Garden of Eden is not true. The serpent initially asks her what God has said about all of the fruit trees in the garden, and she tells him that they can eat freely of any tree, with the exception of the one in the middle. If she and her husband Adam ate from or touched it, they would die. The serpent convinces her that she won’t die, but in fact become more like God! She would be wise and know the differences between good and evil.
We all know how this ends, Adam and Eve find out that they’re naked, they’re ashamed and God sends them out of the garden among many other things as punishment for what they have done.
What blows my mind is that Eve knew exactly what God had said and believed him…until someone convinced her otherwise. How many times have we known what God has said, or reminded us of in his word, only to be convinced otherwise? I believe that my friends and I may have had the same convictions concerning our virginity but when we were tested and tried, some buckled under the pressure, presentation and pleasure of a lie.
Some of us have given up our bodies, in spite of God’s desire for us to wait on him to bring forth our husbands or wives. Some of us have thrown away God given dreams and aspirations because we’ve been convinced that it won’t happen or pan out the way God has planned. Some of us simply never believed in what God had for us, and it took no convincing at all, we were already living with the voice of a lie.
The good news is that there is forgiveness provided for all of us who are willing to admit that we are wrong and to turn away from our wrong doing. It’s as simple as saying, “God I know that I haven’t done right by you concerning ________. Please forgive me for believing in ________ more than believing in you. Abba, as I confess this sin to you, please help me to turn away from it completely, focusing on you and living out the truth that you’ve designed for my life.”
Adam and Eve may have been driven from the Garden of Eden because of their decision, but God never left them and continued to give them encouragement and guidance throughout their lives. And he will never leave or forsake us either! Be encouraged and steadfast in what you know to be true!
Love you!
Amber
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