It is amazing how the flesh constantly wars against the spirit. I have been going through a back and forth tug-of-war with my body yearning for what it cannot have and my spirit telling me to chill out because I know what’s right. The past month has been quite an intense experience dealing with this component of my life. Anyone who has tasted the forbidden fruit of sex and intimacy understands that it can become negatively addictive when it is experienced outside of God’s plan. Unfortunately, the majority of men and women fall into this category and are left joining themselves with various suitors because of the ‘feeling’ and not because of ‘purpose’. Because of my promiscuous sexual history, I am now left with the ‘thorn’ in my flesh of continuously trying to weather the ups and downs of sexual urges that sometimes feel like raging internal battles. When you begin to think about past experiences, feelings and visuals, it becomes that much harder to resist the flesh. Fortunately, God positions us in battles that can only be fought off by way of the spiritual foundation of His Word. Paul illustrates this continual tug of war best in Romans 7:14-20, referencing the ongoing battle between flesh and spirit. In addition, I’d like to offer a couple of verses that should be committed to the mind, heart and spirit of any unmarried individual seeking a life of celibacy.
1 Corinthians 6:18 (Pertaining to our bodies)
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
1 Corinthians 10:13 (Temptation)
13 No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
1 Corinthians 7:9 (If you cannot control your desires)
9 but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.
We will all mistakes throughout our spiritual journeys, but the goal is to continuously seek God’s guidance. It is also imperative to lean on His Word daily in order to fight off the many urges and situations that may be presented in our lives. We must also take accountability for our actions and behaviors, knowing that we should not make deliberate decisions that put us in the midst of compromising situations. Let me encourage you to take this celibacy journey one day at a time and celebrate the little victories along the way!
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2 comments:
I agree. It can be troublesome. There is so much temptation out there to be promiscuous, masturbate, or just be plain out perverse, but we must keep our mind on spiritual things.
It is quite a challenge. The change in my perception of my body has helped me in this celibacy journey. I used to think that my body was mine. I had a right to decide what I would do with it. I have since realized that my body is not mine. It's a loaner from God. Before I began this celibacy journey, I told God that I was returning control of HIS body to Him. I apologized for abusing his loaner and disrespecting it by engaging in activities that I knew He wouldn't approve of. Now, that I look at my body as His, I know I won't behave in ways that could harm it. The biggest struggle is the thoughts, but I guess that will take baby steps, some days are better than others, at least I'm pushing through. I'm better than I was when I used to act on my feelings.
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