"Drink water from your own cistern, running water from your own well. Should your springs overflow in the streets, your streams of water in public squares? Let them be yours alone, never to be shared with strangers." (5:15-17)
Well this is a fun one seeing as the devotional describes the importance of abstinence and marital sex. This is a strange topic to discuss and think about. While there certainly will continue to be more and more opportunities(?) as life goes on, the conflict that someone who grows up in the church will go through is similar to all those other things that cause shame and uncomfortable situations. Like when everyone's New Year's testimony was about swearing or other stuff that seem hard to reconcile with Christianity, especially something that's so repressed in our lives.
The idea behind abstinence makes sense for the most part. Only engage in something so intimate to someone who you value and who will equally value you. Someone you're devoted to. However, I've personally always resented the stigma and behavior that Christians hold towards abstinence. For some reason, Judeo-Christian society pushes to crucify (no pun intended) those who aren't abstinent. That abstinence means that we should eliminate education about birth control and safe sex. The amount of people who've preached on this topic yet ended up violating it doesn't sit well with me. Of course, that's not the same as detailing the value of abstinence but the guilt trips and ostracization of people who are not abstinent is just so convoluted and conflicted that they leave a sort of bad taste in my mouth and honestly lead me to question how important this could possibly be. To be honest, the reactions I've seen in regards to this sort of lifestyle on both sides, whether it's condemnation or ridicule, they both put me in a bit of a weird place. I think, in regards to sex, it's important to maintain moral integrity and just be a fundamentally good person whatever that personally means. The core value to uphold is still the same whether in or outside of marriage. Find someone who you value, who will value you; who you are devoted to, who is devoted to you; someone who you respect and who respects you, and ultimately, simply be responsible and accountable. I have no clue what's right or what's wrong and I definitely know how to reconcile the discussion either way, but it is definitely important to consider how God is present in your relationships (in whatever form) and ultimately go to him in prayer with whatever feelings you have and do right by him in all that you do.
Well this is a fun one seeing as the devotional describes the importance of abstinence and marital sex. This is a strange topic to discuss and think about. While there certainly will continue to be more and more opportunities(?) as life goes on, the conflict that someone who grows up in the church will go through is similar to all those other things that cause shame and uncomfortable situations. Like when everyone's New Year's testimony was about swearing or other stuff that seem hard to reconcile with Christianity, especially something that's so repressed in our lives.
The idea behind abstinence makes sense for the most part. Only engage in something so intimate to someone who you value and who will equally value you. Someone you're devoted to. However, I've personally always resented the stigma and behavior that Christians hold towards abstinence. For some reason, Judeo-Christian society pushes to crucify (no pun intended) those who aren't abstinent. That abstinence means that we should eliminate education about birth control and safe sex. The amount of people who've preached on this topic yet ended up violating it doesn't sit well with me. Of course, that's not the same as detailing the value of abstinence but the guilt trips and ostracization of people who are not abstinent is just so convoluted and conflicted that they leave a sort of bad taste in my mouth and honestly lead me to question how important this could possibly be. To be honest, the reactions I've seen in regards to this sort of lifestyle on both sides, whether it's condemnation or ridicule, they both put me in a bit of a weird place. I think, in regards to sex, it's important to maintain moral integrity and just be a fundamentally good person whatever that personally means. The core value to uphold is still the same whether in or outside of marriage. Find someone who you value, who will value you; who you are devoted to, who is devoted to you; someone who you respect and who respects you, and ultimately, simply be responsible and accountable. I have no clue what's right or what's wrong and I definitely know how to reconcile the discussion either way, but it is definitely important to consider how God is present in your relationships (in whatever form) and ultimately go to him in prayer with whatever feelings you have and do right by him in all that you do.
Comments
Post a Comment