Incase anyone needs a pick-me-up today…

“Faith is all it takes.”

Jen

Darling, stop and ask yourself these three things (Wait for Me 3 of 7)

Do you remember my post, “The wrong question, the right question…and soup?” If you don’t, I hope you’ll check it out — and if you do, well, I hope you’re as excited as I am that Rebecca addresses exactly what’s wrong with the question, “How far is too far?” in Chapter Three of Wait for Me.

So welcome to Part 3 of my Wait for Me series (click here for Part 1, and here for Part 2). I’m so excited for those of you who are sticking around to explore this tough topic with me. I really believe God has placed a passion for this subject in my heart, and I’m trusting that this series will really touch the hearts of others.

There is so much good stuff in Chapter Three that I won’t even be able to mention half of it. I hope you’ll purchase Rebecca’s book and read it for yourself, but I want to highlight the first half of the chapter, where she mentions some important questions to ask ourselves regarding purity.

“The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret.”

1. What would God think?

We’ve all heard the question, “How far is too far?” And you may not even realize it, but the issue isn’t the answer to the question. Rebecca says the issue is the question itself!

“How many times have you and I heard the age-old question, how far is too far?” Rebecca asks. “I don’t even have to tell you that I’m talking about sexual intimacy; you’ve heard the question enough to know. You may have even asked it yourself. I believe the answer is extremely simple and its core idea comes directly from the Bible: ‘Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.’ (1 Cor. 10:31 NIV); ‘Whatever you do…do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus’ (Col. 3:17 NIV).”

Rebecca is basically saying that because we are followers of Christ, the first question we need to ask ourselves when we relate to the opposite sex is simply this: What would God think? Some similar questions Rebecca adds are as follows: Am I doing this in His name or my own? Would God even want to associate himself with what I’m doing? Ultimately, is God glorified through this?

Basically, Rebecca is saying that a Christian should be more occupied with how close he or she can get to God, NOT how close they can get to the opposite sex, outside of marriage, without technically crossing the line. She also shares the full verses mentioned above, so please check them out if you have time: 1 Corinthians 10:31 & Colossians 3:17.

2. What would my future spouse think?

Check out this story Rebecca shares regarding this second question:

“I spoke to a young girl in her early twenties who said she cringed every time she thought about having to tell her future spouse about what she’d done with another guy,” she writes. “She said she hadn’t wanted to fall sexually, but she did. She also said that the reason she was no longer a virgin was because she went past her boundaries and broke her standards. She thought that the little things weren’t that big of a deal.”

Rebecca goes on to explain that Satan will tell us things like, “There’s nothing wrong with a little compromise here, and there…” and before we know it, if we listen to him, we’ll be doing things we never wanted to do in the first place, things we never imagined ourselves doing, things that are sinful.

She also adds: “At the last supper, Jesus told his disciple Peter, ‘Satan has asked to sift you as wheat’ (Luke 22:31). He wants to sift you as well, causing you to allow first one compromise, then another to become permissible to you. If you have not clearly defined your boundaries, or if you choose not to say within your boundaries, then one thing can lead to another.”

3. What would my future children think?

The last question Rebecca encourages us to ask ourselves when it comes to purity is, “What would my future children think?” Here, she asks us to consider whether we would rather sit down our children and say something like, “Okay, little one, don’t do what I did,” or, “Here’s how I sought God’s help to remain pure before marriage.”

“Dr. James Dobson has said, ‘The best thing a father can do for his kids is to love his mother.’ In the same way, one of the gifts I can already be preparing for my future kids is my purity–showing them that I loved and respected their father by being faithful to him before I’d even met him,” Rebecca shares.

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did, and that you are encouraged. The next time you’re tempted to think, “How far is too far? This isn’t that bad. It’s not sex!” Please remember these three simple but life-saving questions! Although often quoted in the context of fitness, I once heard someone say, “The pain of discipline is far less than the pain of regret.” Keep it in mind as you live life.

As always, thanks for reading!

Jen

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Meet Bear

While skimming through my past blog posts, I realized that I don’t share too much about my personal life: my friends, my family, my job, etc. Perhaps that’s because I don’t want this blog to be about Jen. I want it to be about what GOD is doing in my life, and I want to encourage others along the way.

But what this post will accomplish is two-fold: you’ll get to know me a little better AND I hope you will be encouraged as a result.

So, without further ado…

Meet Bear

If you noticed the masculine name AND the pink on the collar, do not be alarmed. This is indeed a female dog. With the wild personality of a Bear.

Bear is a 50 percent maltese and 50 percent pomeranian. She is loud. She is slightly undisciplined. She’s an ankle-biter. She’s spoiled. She has allergies. She’s slightly overweight. She loves to go for a walk, but if you tell her you’re taking her for one beforehand, she’ll run and hide. She hates her harness. She despises all of the cute, pink, adorable clothing and Halloween costumes I’ve purchased for her. Her least favorite clothing item is her red Christmas pajamas. She barks at the television whenever a dog or horse appears and makes noise. Sigh. She’s a rebel.

But do you want to know what else she is?

She’s a lover. If I’d let her, she’d lick all of my tears dry. She loves to cuddle. She constantly pants/smiles. She brings me her toys and bones to greet me. She “lets” me rub her tummy several times per day. She knows how to comfort me. She makes me LAUGH.

She is a blessing.

Yes, I know, she’s only a dog. She’s not eternal. She won’t live forever. But she came into my life at a perfect time. I’m so glad that we made her a part of our family in 2009. She has been around for three years of serious growth in my life and a time of being thrust into adulthood. A time when I would need my puppy.

She is a beautiful example of faithfulness that mirrors (even just a little) God’s faithfulness. No, I don’t mean to liken the Lord to a dog, but she never leaves my side. And she loves me, even when I mess up.

She is a gift from God that he brought into my life to bring me joy, however silly that may seem to any of you who aren’t pet owners.

She isn’t my only comfort, but she sure can turn a bad day into a good one. I thank God for her every day. I also thank God for HIS faithfulness every day.

Can anyone else relate?

Jen

No rhymes. No instruments. Just my Psalm.

Lord, you are good. You are a God of mercy and of peace.

Peace that passes understanding was once foreign to me,
but through my pain and now in my healing,
your Holy Spirit floods me with that very thing.
You are peace.

I did not–no, I do not–understand the enormity of your merciful goodness,
yet I have tasted and seen that you are indeed good. And merciful.
You are mercy.

You rescued me. You placed me on a new path.
You saved me from destruction and gave me new life.
You are faithful.

So here I stand, full of new life, knowing that you are faithful.
With each passing day I yearn to become more like your Son.
Lord, help me that I might have the patience to let perseverance have its perfect work in me.

And now with open eyes, I see my friends, my neighbors, my acquaintances–
I see them hurting just as I was.
I see they are hopeless, just as I once was.

But you call me to your comfort,
and then to share that comfort.
You call me to serve, just like Jesus.
To bring you glory, just like Jesus.
To use my talents to glorify your name.

Where you lead me, Lord, I will follow.
Thank you for your goodness.
Thank you for your mercy.
Thank you for your faithfulness.
Thank you that you are a constant, even when my world falls apart.

Thank you, Father, for allowing me to be called your daughter.

Amen.