Out of the Wildernessಮಾದರಿ

THE PURE IN HEART WILL SEE GOD

Jesus promised that those who main­tain purity in their intentions and actions will have the ability to perceive God’s presence more deeply (Matthew 5:8). This purity is a spiritual and moral quality that aligns one with God.

In 1 Corinthians 6, the apostle Paul emphasizes the importance of sexual pu­rity for Christians. He asks the resonant question, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?” (verse 19). By avoiding sexual immorality, believ­ers honor God, acknowledging the profound significance of Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and his divine presence within them.

We women can sometimes have a special problem in receiving this truth.

Women are taught at a young age that sex sells. We wrap our identities in being beautiful, sexy, flirty, and fun, hoping that men find us attractive. Deep down, we are trying to fill the God-sized void in our hearts.

I (Angela) didn’t grow up in a cul­ture where pursuing and maintaining purity was even a thought. I did not know that being provocative and immoral was contributing to evil, or that the amount of skin I was showing and my immod­esty was causing my brothers to stumble.

But God began to reveal that this area of my life was my greatest weakness. He led me to understand that the impure relationship I was in was killing me spiritually. He began to de­construct my whole concept of purity and modesty.

Then one day, God gave me a vision. I saw myself as a little girl in my childhood home. This small version of me was so incredibly innocent and free. She had yet to be tainted by the world or take on identities that were never meant to be hers.

In this vision, I heard God gently tell me, “You can have this innocence back.”

I fell to my knees and cried out to him in surrender.

God is in the business of restoration. Anything that has been taken from you, he can restore.

Lord, help me to abstain from any impure behavior or thoughts that do not align with your will. I consecrate myself to you—mind, body, and spirit. Amen.