The question of how to live a sexually pure and chaste life for Jesus is one that seems to be fading out in our days. It seems a near impossibility to stay sexually pure and keep oneself for marriage and there is a lot of smirks and rolling of eyes whenever we talk of living a sexually pure life.
It is quite understandable considering we now live in a sexually vibrant world. TV and other media always seem to have some sex appeal. Sexual content is found all around us on social media, online content and sometimes clandestinely concealed to lure and appeal to us.
Pornography, whether hard or soft core is a multibillion-dollar industry that has lured innocent victims into its lear. Also, Pornography is targeted and designed intelligently to ensure victims become permanent addicts
Related article: How to stop masturbation addiction
HOW TO PRACTICALLY BE CHASTE
Considering that we live in a sex-craze world, how can we keep ourselves chaste? It is by being practical in our approach: In as much as we pray and love the lord, living a sexually pure life takes a lot of personal responsibility and practicality. Let’s get right to it.
GET SPIRITUAL DAILY
New Living Translation
So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves... Gal 5:16.
The rule here is simple, keep yourself spiritually active by engaging in spiritual activities like prayer , word study and meditation. This scripture is so true. There is a grace and enablement that comes as you engage the spiritual realm.
If you struggle to be chaste, increase your spiritual activities. I find many people who struggle with one sin or another and cry almost helplessly for help from God. However, rather than wait to fall into sin and go crying for forgiveness from God, have a schedule for prayer and word study, This is a very important routine to inculcate daily
GET PHYSICAL DAILY
New International Version
Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character. 1 Corinthians 15:33.
The environment we surround ourselves with is critical to the quality of life we live. To live a sexually pure life is a pull and push strategy. You pull into you the things required for your purity and push out that which is not going to help you. This is what I mean, we recognize that prayer, fasting and meditating on the word of God draws us cloer to God and farther from sexual sin. The reverse is true, wrong company , movies , mindless surfing social media and online content can subtly draw you into sexual sin.
Deliberately avoid any sexually suggestive content
If you really are serious about living in sexual purity then you have got to very consciously do away with such content. Let’s not deceive ourselves, we are sexual beings, our bodies are designed for sex so do not trigger your hormones.
Outline every sexual content that triggers you and come up with a way to completely avoid them. This includes friends whose conversation and company is centred on sexually appealing stuff.
SEXUAL PURITY AND MEDIA :TRICKY CONTENTS TO WATCH OUT FOR
As you journey towards sexual purity, watch out for these tricky media content
TELEVISION: This is the most traditional of media content. We have the option to select channels and the content to watch. However do not make the watching of T.V. monotonous but rather deliberately select your channels rather than put your life on autopilot such that the moment you feel bored, you turn on the TV. There was a time in my life I completed blocked out T.V. content except for the NEWS. This was to help me brake a pattern of watching too much television.
INTERNET: Here lies the biggest and most subtle of influences. The pop-ups can allure you without you asking for it. If you have previous histories of watching porn or sexually explicit content online, delete them. Put up filters for your web browsers, searches youtube content etc.
The pop ups can allure to you without you asking for it. If you have previous histories of watching porn or sexually explicit content online, delete them.
SEXUAL PURITY AND RELATIONSHIP
New King James Version
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, Do not stir up nor awaken love Until it pleases… Sos 8:4
This is one tough one to meander. Let me start by saying that there is no need to enter into a relationship with the opposite sex if you are not ready for it to lead to marriage. Here in Ghana, because of our socio-economic situation most people marry after their mid-twenties.
Using this general analogy, enter into a relationship as close to the age at which you wish to marry as possible. What is the point in entering a relationship at the age of 18 when you are not ready for marriage yet and your plan is say to marry at 26 years. Are you gonna be in a relationship for 8 years? Yeah yeah, I know some relationships work out even after a decade but that is not the norm. So why use the exception as your reality?
If you value your sexual purity, stay off love relationships with the opposite sex till you are ready to take it to marriage. Do not awaken your emotions before the time is due.
CONCLUSION
As you seek to live a sexually pure life, it is my prayer that the practices above will help you greatly as you undertake this seemingly rare journey. The grace of our Lord be with you. Amen