True Love Awaits Those Who Wait

I recently had a conversation with fellow blogger Ashley (http://strivingforacrown.blogspot.com/) about our most viewed posts. My most popular post is True Love Awaits. I noticed a theme in my Top Five Most Viewed Posts: three are about dating. And upon further research, I've noticed that my posts about dating or purity far exceed my other posts in comments and views. I really don't know what makes those posts so popular.

But I noticed a weird irony. If one looked at all my posts about dating and purity, it'd be all too easy to assume that since I'm so passionate about it, I don't struggle with a desire to date or lust. And people often look at the fact that I've never kissed a girl and I'm still a complete virgin and just assume that I must not really struggle with it if I'm still physically pure. Nothing is further from the truth. I do struggle with that stuff. I really struggle with it. Just read my last post A Hopeless, Foolish Romantic and you'll see. I struggle with being impatient for marriage. I struggle with keeping my eyes and thoughts pure. I struggle with not trusting God to provide for me and wanting to take things into my own hands. It's really hard to stay pure in today's world. It's really hard to not have someone at my side when romance and sexuality is everywhere in the American culture. It's hard to trust God.

Why am I telling you this? I want to be open and honest with my readers. I don't want to mislead anyone. That said, I'm not saying I embrace a sexually charged lifestyle or find it "too hard" to trust God, or anything like that! I am a teenage guy and I am not immune. My pastor told me one time, "As a teenager, lust is going to happen. You just have to keep it down as much as possible."

I mentioned earlier my post True Love Awaits. When I saw that True Love Awaits was my most viewed and most commented on post, it reminded me of something I said in that post. I was talking about how "True Love Waits" is the common engravement on purity rings. I said, "Why can't the cliche be True Love Awaits? In my opinion, true love awaits both husband and wife if both have saved themselves for marriage. It isn't that you can't love your spouse if you've lost your virginity, but saving your sexuality for marriage means you've cared about sexual purity your whole life. I'd say that's a very bold statement! So while there is complete redemption and forgiveness for those who have squandered their purity away, true love awaits those who purposefully save their bodies until marriage." I believe that sexual purity is important enough to save until marriage. If you truly love your future spouse, you'll wait. If you truly want to be faithful to God, then wait. If you plan on not kissing others when you're married, don't be kissing others before you're married. If you plan on not sleeping around when you have a spouse, don't be sleeping around before marriage. I can testify that sexual immorality offers only death.

Read Proverbs 6:20-7 and Romans 8:5-8 if you don't believe me. There is nothing but death in that lifestyle. There is life and peace if you stay the course (Rom. 8:6). 1 Corinthians 6:15-17 says, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.” But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit." This all comes back to what I said earlier: if you plan on being faithful in marriage, be faithful before marriage. Otherwise, you're playing the prostitute and fooling yourself. It's also true (at least in Tennessee) that it's illegal for two minors (18 and under) to have sex. If the girls' parents press charges, the boy can face jail time for rape, if found guilty in a court of law. Scary thought, right? Is it worth it? Is sex worth being locked up for months, even a few years, of your life? And even if you think you could get away with it, do you really think your conscience would be gracious? Imagine a life trying to hide your sin. You'd be constantly looking over your shoulder, always thinking you're about to be caught. And not to mention the dirty, guilty, ashamed feeling you would always have. Or worse, you may do it so many times that your conscience shuts down and sexual impurity would become normal, even good, to you. Now you see why the Bible calls it death. So when you think about it, is it worth it to steal a few kisses, do everything except intercourse, or even have sex? Is it really worth it? Look at the consequences you face.

It's hard to choose between purity and impurity; both are hard on the body and mind and both have their costs and benefits. Count the costs and consider which path is best. If you need help deciding, remember that Jesus is life and sin is death. Jesus is also God, and God is love, and you don't find true love in the arms of a prostitute. Purity is life. Choose life.

Earlier this summer, my parents bought me a purity ring. It has "True Love Awaits" engraved on it. I now daily and boldly wear my unique ring, and it's a great conversation starter. People always take double-glances at the unexpected "a" before "waits." I love explaining my theory of "true love awaits." If you love him/her, wait. But even if that isn't motivation enough, just look at what Scripture has to say about the consequences sexual impurity; it isn't pretty. My friends, purity is simply the best way to go. So the next time you get tempted or impatient or afraid for your future, remember that true love awaits those who wait.