Guard Your Heart
Growing up, I’ve always heard that sexual purity is important. But lately, I’ve been hearing how it’s just as important to save your emotional purity as well.
Emotional purity? What on earth is that? I assumed it was much like sexual purity, but in this case, keeping my emotions pure for the man I’ll marry. But how do I do that?
So I asked my friend, who has a lot more experience than I do with the ups and downs of relationships what she thought emotional purity meant.
“When I start any kind of relationship with a guy,” she told me, “whether it’s dating or “just friends”, it’s my goal stay emotionally pure. This means I’ll only let him have a little corner of my heart and I’ll still have the rest of it. That way, if this guy ends up leaving me, the part he took with him can still grow back.”
I nodded at the visual. “That makes sense…” I said slowly, “but especially if I’m dating a guy, I’d want him to know I like him, too. It just sounds like I can’t show him any emotion.”
“There’s a fine line between showing emotion and becoming emotionally involved,” she explained. “Emotional involvement starts when I’m changing who I am for him. Basically what I do is stay true to myself and take small, cautious steps forward, still guarding my heart, the more serious we get. That way, I’m not giving so many huge pieces away to other guys that I hardly have anything left to give the guy I’ll marry on our wedding day.”
I trust my friend. She’s a strong Christian and what she told me sounded legit. But I always test things against the Word of God, because the world is wild as a jungle and Satan is a prowling lion. I came upon this verse, Proverbs 4:23, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
If I don’t guard my heart, I will never know what God has in store for me. Losing my heart to a guy will re-direct my life’s course, because I will have planned my whole life around him. I need to let God keep my heart, and not let anyone have it until He allows me to give a large piece of it to the man I will have a God-centered marriage with.
In what ways are you guarding your heart?
Already compromised your purity? Talk to God about it; only He can make your heart whole again.
Emotional purity? What on earth is that? I assumed it was much like sexual purity, but in this case, keeping my emotions pure for the man I’ll marry. But how do I do that?
So I asked my friend, who has a lot more experience than I do with the ups and downs of relationships what she thought emotional purity meant.
“When I start any kind of relationship with a guy,” she told me, “whether it’s dating or “just friends”, it’s my goal stay emotionally pure. This means I’ll only let him have a little corner of my heart and I’ll still have the rest of it. That way, if this guy ends up leaving me, the part he took with him can still grow back.”
I nodded at the visual. “That makes sense…” I said slowly, “but especially if I’m dating a guy, I’d want him to know I like him, too. It just sounds like I can’t show him any emotion.”
“There’s a fine line between showing emotion and becoming emotionally involved,” she explained. “Emotional involvement starts when I’m changing who I am for him. Basically what I do is stay true to myself and take small, cautious steps forward, still guarding my heart, the more serious we get. That way, I’m not giving so many huge pieces away to other guys that I hardly have anything left to give the guy I’ll marry on our wedding day.”
I trust my friend. She’s a strong Christian and what she told me sounded legit. But I always test things against the Word of God, because the world is wild as a jungle and Satan is a prowling lion. I came upon this verse, Proverbs 4:23, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.”
If I don’t guard my heart, I will never know what God has in store for me. Losing my heart to a guy will re-direct my life’s course, because I will have planned my whole life around him. I need to let God keep my heart, and not let anyone have it until He allows me to give a large piece of it to the man I will have a God-centered marriage with.
In what ways are you guarding your heart?
Already compromised your purity? Talk to God about it; only He can make your heart whole again.
Thanks for sharing, loved this blog!!!
ReplyDeleteExcellent article Sarah. I'm three times you age and have made bad decisions that have left me with "heart damage". However, I am also proof that He in all His lovingkindness does heal and make the heart whole again -PTL! Keep up the good work sharing your heart and faith.
ReplyDeleteGreat reminder to all of us. Unfortunately I had to learn the hard way about gaurding my heart. It took me a long time to comprehend that it IS possible to be pure once again. Praise the Lord for His forgiveness!
ReplyDeleteLove your blog- looking forward to keeping up with you. xoxo