Sex
Sex should not be hard to talk about, nor should it be a topic of discussion lightly. Often as Christians we shy away from the barest mention of sex because it is "unclean" and "improper". As teenagers, we are very prone to talk about sex like its a game. Sex and the weather can come up in the same conversation because there is no reverence or regard for it. Neither of these is right. Sex is a gift from God. It was meant to glorify God. To avoid discussion of it is to hide from the fact that God intended for a man to be joined to his wife in every way. But casual discussion of sex ignores the holiness and purity with which this gift was bestowed.
My pastor preached today on sexuality through the book of Proverbs. There was one point he made that particularly stood out. Our society is obsessed with outward appearances. We all know that. But the impact this has on our view of sex is huge. Proverbs 30:20 says "this is the way of an adulteress: she eats and wipes her mouth and says 'I have done no wrong'". Sex becomes an appetite; a commodity. But it is a commodity of the flesh. A person is more than a body. The heart is one with the body and one with the soul. Sex outside of marriage is trying to take the body without the rest of the person. If you are not willing to take the entire person in commitment and complete unification, you cannot have the body. But our marketing, our culture, our way of life treats sex like any other product you can buy. In this way, we place the emphasis on outward appearances until it's become an unbreakable obsession. The goal of outward attractiveness is simply a method to cover up the undesirable within our hearts. We want to either be beautiful or be with someone else beautiful, hoping that beauty will be enough to cover our shame. But that's not how Jesus sees it. Jesus did not die for you because you were beautiful. He died for you to make you beautiful. And His beauty can cover your shame.
Jesus can set us free from many things, including our misdirected attitudes toward sex. When we start viewing sex as the gift it is, it is no longer a taboo or a dirty joke. When we escape this blind obsession with outward looks, we can stop sexualising ourselves and focus on what really matters. Because really, this wasn't that hard to write.
Many thanks to God and my pastor for inspiring this one (pretty much my sermon notes turned into complete sentences). Leave a comment and share what you've been hearing about in church, or what you think! I'd love to hear from you. And, as always, God bless!
~Sheridan
