AT THE WELL...Purity is Power!

I am meeting my friends over AT THE WELL today where we discuss some great topics each Monday. This week, TRACY is our discussion leader and she is leading us in the topic of purity.

" How do we teach the next generation (both our daughters and other young Christian women) how to live a life of purity?"

WEBSTER defines Purity as...

...1. The quality or condition of being pure.

...2. Freedom from sin or guilt; innocence; chastity.

...3. The absence in speech or writing of foreign words, slang or other elements deemed inappropriate to good style.

So how do we apply Websters definition to our Christian values as a young woman in todays culture?

First and foremost...being pure is exactly what God would want our young ladies to be! Just as Webster says...it is a quality or a condition (or A CHOSE) that we all have the ability to make. Society screams something different at our daughters, but God makes it clear that He desires us to be pure in our thoughts and in our actions.

Secondly... Remaining pure will save our daughters from a life of regret, a life of sin and definitely a life of guilt. Advertisement is selling our daughters this..."Everyone is doing it!" But that is not true...NOT everyone IS doing it! So don't listen to that lie! And if you have already fallen for it, if the enemy has already entrapped you...Webster got it right when it said there is freedom from sin...God washes our sin whiter than snow. You can't erase what happened yesterday, but from the day of repentance you can go forward with a different tomorrow.

Thirdly...Webster says to be pure - you should be absent of inappropriate speech and actions. Purity begins in your mind and in your heart. The old saying is true..."what goes in must come out!"

What are you allowing to penetrate into your mind?

• with the music you listen to?
• the movies you watch?
• the friends you hang around?

Usually whatever you fill your mind with will eventually come out thru your speech and your actions. I have heard young ladies say that they are not affected by those type of things. The nudity in movies, and magazines. The foul language their friends use. But yet, what starts out as a thought (in our minds) will eventually penetrate to our hearts and what is in our hearts will come out in our actions and our speech. What goes in must come out!

HOW CAN WE HELP OUR YOUNG LADIES BE PURE IN THEIR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS?

1. PRAY. We must pray for our daughters and young women in our lives that God would protect them from these things. The enemy will not give up easily until he has our young ladies.

2. LEAD BY EXAMPLE. We must teach our young girls what God has to say about the issues that they are bombarded with. Sex before marriage. Same sex marriage. Being unequally yoked together. Being set apart from the World. We cannot just tell our daughters that these things are right or wrong - we must show them in God's Word and explain it. "Because I said so" just does not wash with this generation of young people. It may have been enough for you in your generation, but this generation needs to know WHY! Tell them!

3. GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES. Once a year our church hosts a "Purity is Power" retreat for 5Th and 6Th grade girls. Why this age? We target this age group because they need to know about purity guidelines PRIOR to Jr high. In Jr. high we have girls having babies! I think waiting until then might be too late. This retreat gives an opportunity not only for godly women to mentor these young ladies into godly purity character but it also gives the girls an opportunity to ask questions that they may have like ....

• my boyfriend says if I love him, I will give in, what should I do?
• at what age is it OK to date a boy?
• my Mom won't let me shave - how old do you have to be to start this?
• I have a friend that is a different color, is that OK?

"Purity is Power" is NOT a sex education weekend...however, it is a time to let girls express themselves and ask questions that they may not otherwise ask. It offers an opportunity to guide these girls towards Gods plan for remaining pure. At the end of the retreat, our Assistant Pastors wife, who leads this each year, has each of the girls to sign a "commitment to purity" contract, stating that they will strive to lead a pure lifestyle with God's help.

With guidance and help from godly role models, and the leading and prompting of the Holy Spirit I believe that THIS is the generation that is going to break that mold "If it feels good ... do it!" It is time to SNATCH our girls back from the clutch of the enemy!

1 TIMOTHY 4:12 "Let no one despise our youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

P U R I T Y .......IS..........P O W E R ! !

To get in on more discussion on this subject of PURITY, please join us over at THIRSTY FOR HIM. Find the chatter HERE!