Committing to Purity
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(This ring says: Love Waits)My son was nervous on this Sunday morning. He does not like to be in front of people, but this was an important commitment he wanted to make and it was a promise he wanted to make in front of the church. For his fourteenth birthday, he asked for a purity ring for one of his gifts. The pastor prepared a special ceremony for the occasion and the end of the service found both men and women wiping tears away! It reminded me of a wedding service, except the ring on his finger was a commitment between him and the Lord. The ring will be a constant reminder of his commitment to Christ and staying faithful to Him through his teen years.
Stories from my son helped me recognize how hard it is to be a teen these days and what a huge step he was making to stand apart from the masses and dare to be different. What he committed to was to remain pure for Christ. He committed to keep his body pure when dating, and to abstain from things like drugs and alcohol.
When he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, he was justified (declared innocent; acquited) by what Jesus did for him on the cross. Jesus consecrated him (set him apart) for His purposes. The purity ring on his finger is just an outward symbol of that consecration (and I believe it's also an awesome conversation starter for sharing his beliefs!). The ring will always be a reminder that God is working in his life and the promise that Jesus will never leave him. Yes, he still sins and is not perfect, but this lifetime journey he is taking with Christ at his side is exciting to me because he made a commitment of purity so young in his life.
Even when satan tempts us into sinning, or when we think up our own sinful ideas, we can NEVER be separated from God! I John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (NIV) However, remember this isn't a license to keep sinning as satan sometimes tries to deceive people into thinking.
Are you up to the challenge to get out of your comfort zone and swim upstream? Forget your past. Don't focus on your weaknesses or shortcomings! Focus on the fact God loves you. God forgives you and God's waiting to work THROUGH you, or as I always like to think that God uses me sometimes despite myself! A lifetime of purity for God is a process, sometimes hard, and maybe sometimes stumbling, but never falling because God is right beside you and won't let you fall.
Psalm 86:11 "Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you."
I Timothy 4:12 "Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity."
May God bless these words as I strive to edify and encourage others in their walk with Christ. Married 20 years, I have a teenage son, and two wonderful golden retriever/collie dogs. I am also a contributing staff writer to www.HeartFriendz.com - an awesome website just for women! Nancy Quinn
