Thursday, January 26, 2006
Excepts from "I kissed dating goodbye", By Joshua Harris."Above all else, guard your heart" Proverbs 4:23
Picture your heart as if it were a criminal tied in a chair who would like to break free and knock yourself over the head. In other words, protect yourself from your heart's sinfulness. Keep a wary eye on your heart, knowing it can do damage if it is not carefully watched.
And I always thought the concept of guarding my heart is to prevent hurt and pain. What a selfish concept I had!
The human heart doesn't like taking orders from the mind. The time will come for all of us when we won't
feel like doing the godly, responsible thing we're resolved to do. The question is, how will we respond when our hearts lead a full-scale rebellion?
"As I grew into womanhood," writes Elizabeth Elliot in
Passion and Purity, "and began to to learnt what was in my heart, I saw very clearly that of all things difficult to rule, none was more than my will and affections." The sooner we get acquainted with the contents of our hearts, the better. Too many of us are blissfully unaware of how deceitful the core of our beings can truly be. If we really examine our hearts, we'd find lies, selfishness, lust, envy and pride.
"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires" Romans 8:5
InfatuationYou've probably experienced it - the constant thoughts about someone who has caught your eye, the heart palpitations whenever that person walks by, the hours spent on dreaming of a future with that special someone. It's infatuation - a sinful response to attraction, allowing God to be displaced as the focus of our attention. God is righteously jealous for our hearts; after all, He created us and redeemed us. He wants us to focus our thoughts, longings and desires on Him. He lovingly blesses us with human relationships, but He first calls us to find our heart's delight in Him.
In addition to diverting our attention from God, infatuation tends to build up that person in our imaginations as the perfect guy or girl. We've substituted fantasy for all the information we lack about the person. As soon as we get to know the person's true identity and discover that the "perfect" man or woman is just human like everyone else, our dreams fade and we move on to a new crush.
One of the best ways to maintain a pure life is to watch out for the purity of our others. What can you do to protect your brothers and sisters in the Lord from impurity? What can you say to encourage them to keep their hearts set in the direction of righteousness? The support and protection you can provide to same-sex friends is important, but the protection you can provide to opposite-sex friends is invaluable.
Are you ready to commit to marriage? For the joy intimacy is the reward of commitment. Not only physical but also emotional intimacy. We don't ask for a level of intimacy and emotional loyalty that goes beyond our true level of commitment. If you want to really "get to know someone", how can you can to know him more in an artificial environment of a date than in genuine group christian fellowship?
End of excerptsRadical? Yeah man. Difficult. Of course! But that's God's command. To not conform to the pattern of this world but to be radical, to be holy, for we are set apart for a royal priesthood. But He has not left us alone, but given us the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our pursue of righteousness. "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Excepts from "I kissed dating goodbye", By Joshua Harris."Above all else, guard your heart" Proverbs 4:23
Picture your heart as if it were a criminal tied in a chair who would like to break free and knock yourself over the head. In other words, protect yourself from your heart's sinfulness. Keep a wary eye on your heart, knowing it can do damage if it is not carefully watched.
And I always thought the concept of guarding my heart is to prevent hurt and pain. What a selfish concept I had!
The human heart doesn't like taking orders from the mind. The time will come for all of us when we won't
feel like doing the godly, responsible thing we're resolved to do. The question is, how will we respond when our hearts lead a full-scale rebellion?
"As I grew into womanhood," writes Elizabeth Elliot in
Passion and Purity, "and began to to learnt what was in my heart, I saw very clearly that of all things difficult to rule, none was more than my will and affections." The sooner we get acquainted with the contents of our hearts, the better. Too many of us are blissfully unaware of how deceitful the core of our beings can truly be. If we really examine our hearts, we'd find lies, selfishness, lust, envy and pride.
"Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires" Romans 8:5
InfatuationYou've probably experienced it - the constant thoughts about someone who has caught your eye, the heart palpitations whenever that person walks by, the hours spent on dreaming of a future with that special someone. It's infatuation - a sinful response to attraction, allowing God to be displaced as the focus of our attention. God is righteously jealous for our hearts; after all, He created us and redeemed us. He wants us to focus our thoughts, longings and desires on Him. He lovingly blesses us with human relationships, but He first calls us to find our heart's delight in Him.
In addition to diverting our attention from God, infatuation tends to build up that person in our imaginations as the perfect guy or girl. We've substituted fantasy for all the information we lack about the person. As soon as we get to know the person's true identity and discover that the "perfect" man or woman is just human like everyone else, our dreams fade and we move on to a new crush.
One of the best ways to maintain a pure life is to watch out for the purity of our others. What can you do to protect your brothers and sisters in the Lord from impurity? What can you say to encourage them to keep their hearts set in the direction of righteousness? The support and protection you can provide to same-sex friends is important, but the protection you can provide to opposite-sex friends is invaluable.
Are you ready to commit to marriage? For the joy intimacy is the reward of commitment. Not only physical but also emotional intimacy. We don't ask for a level of intimacy and emotional loyalty that goes beyond our true level of commitment. If you want to really "get to know someone", how can you can to know him more in an artificial environment of a date than in genuine group christian fellowship?
End of excerptsRadical? Yeah man. Difficult. Of course! But that's God's command. To not conform to the pattern of this world but to be radical, to be holy, for we are set apart for a royal priesthood. But He has not left us alone, but given us the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our pursue of righteousness. "And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will."
