Guys - Our Brains & Protecting Our Holiness
I clearly remember receiving a book from my Youth Pastor
Kevin, that asked and answered many questions about God, sin, and living
right. For reasons I will not expound on, I went straight to the
questions on sexuality and the human body. (Where else would a 15 year old boy
look?!) I remember how the answer to the question about masturbation began to
challenge my thoughts about God and legalism and where God really focuses.
As I read how lusting in our hearts after a woman equaled the
same as physically committing adultery (Matthew 5:28), it slowly started to
register that all the talk of God as someone who sits around only watching and
tallying what we actually do does not even come close to the image of a Creator
who desperately cares for our holiness and purity in thought as well as
deed.
God gives humanity a wonderland of genuine pleasures to
enjoy. What God means for the good of a relationship between a man and a woman,
humanity certainly corrupts through masturbation and pornography. Young men,
these acts change how we treat young women. The brain begins to focus on the act
and not the person and God meant for sexual intercourse to be a personal
connection between two people who have committed to become one…for life…until
death do you part. The nature of how we become aroused, a perfectly natural
response to attraction, begins to become warped. Research shows that chronic
pre-marital masturbation and pornography use can affect a man’s sexual abilities
with his wife…not to mention you rob your marriage of a level of intimacy.
Essentially, the God given desires of attraction become corrupted through
incorrect application.
How does this break God’s heart for the health of our
spirits? God cares about our thoughts and desires. Our character does not
consist of the results of our physical deeds alone. What we think and dwell on
shapes who we are and who we become. The Apostle Paul encouraged the church at
Philippi to consider whatever was true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, and
commendable…anything worthy of praise and to dwell on those things (Phil.
4:8).
Our spiritual health matters to God…we call this holiness. So
when we think about sin, especially when it comes to sexual purity, let us
remember that our Father in heaven does not count our mistakes to beat us down
with them. Instead, He watches over us hoping we choose the good in life that He
meant us to enjoy.
Today’s Posting Contributed by Pastor Shawn Hornsby, First
UMC –West Monroe shawn@fumcwm.org
No comments:
Post a Comment