Sex: Design. Distortion. Redemption.預覽

Prayer: 

Before starting today, take a second wherever you are and thank God for this time with Him. Pray that you see where you fight so hard to appear perfect. Surrender those times to Him. Surrender your illusion of perfection, and thank Him that you can always surrender to Him.

"The Transformation"

In high school, I was given a leadership role in the extra-curricular activity I was involved with. Once I was given this responsibility, I put so much pressure on myself to be this person that I wasn’t. I thought that since I was given this leadership role, it meant I was supposed to have all the answers and be the best at what I did, just as it had appeared to me that those who had this position before me had been. 

This is very similar to how I feel sometimes as a believer. Something I often struggle with is this pressure to be perfect. As a believer, I know what the Truth is and therefore feel like I should no longer mess up—that I need to put on this front that I have it all figured out (that I no longer struggle with any sins, that I am perfect at spending time in the Word, etc). What’s so ironic about this is that in my head, I know I can’t be perfect. I know that no matter how hard I try, I will always fall short—that is why God had to send His Son Jesus to die on the cross for us. Even though my mind knows it to be true, my actions show otherwise. My actions often prevent me from being truly honest with those around me. I build emotional walls and put on the image of the “perfect Christian,” because I believe the lie that I should be able to be the “perfect Christian.” I also believe the lie that those around me are “perfect Christians” too.

This is a big reason why community can be so hard. Even though we all know that we constantly fall short and can’t be perfect, we still feel this pressure, as believers, to never mess up—especially in areas that seem “taboo” to discuss, like sexual sins and temptations. What an easy way for the enemy to come in and tell us the lies that we don’t measure up, that no one understands what we are going through, and so much more. 

We see in 1 Corinthians 6 that we all fall short, but that as believers we have been washed, justified, and are being sanctified in Jesus Christ. God knows that we all fall short. He doesn’t want us to try to live in denial of that, or hide that fact. He desires us to come to Him with our shortcomings—to confess to Him and to confess to others in the areas we still struggle—whether they are temptations with our significant other, or struggling with lust, porn, or any other sexual temptation. He also desires that we celebrate the ways that He has worked and moved in our lives with Him and others. Celebrate that He has redeemed us and washed us clean. 

Questions to Ask Yourself:

1. How have you seen the redemption of Christ in your sexual life (temptation, lust, porn, etc.)?
2. Do you take time regularly to confess to the Lord? Do you take time regularly to confess to others?

What’s Next:

1. Take time this week to share your story/testimony with a trusted friend in your community. Be vulnerable about where you are at currently and the things you still struggle with, but also take time to celebrate and recognize the ways that the Lord has worked in your life to restore the broken.