Joy Farrington shares with powerful honesty



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Your decision to choose purity may not cause you to be tempted by a night in Nana Plaza but it may be that you struggle with fantasy or pornography. Maybe you enjoy the attention from the opposite sex not because you intend to pursue a relationship with them, but because you find worth and affirmation in those moments.

The journey of choosing purity is a continuous one that is strengthened in community and accountability and overflowing in promises.

I've experienced first-hand the trauma that is caused from being with someone who has a sexual addiction and is addicted to pornography. I've watched the destructiveness of lust as it has no regard for human hearts and I've wept over my own mistakes when I've chosen a moment's pleasure over the integrity that I desire.

Sexual purity isn't just a conversation to be had when we're 14 and discovering what sex and relationships is; it's a conversation to be continually had. We need to keep asking ourselves the hard questions and letting others in to ask them too. To let God lead us into the wilderness from time to time and speak tenderly to us; that He can restore what has been broken or lost, giving us doors of hope in exchange for our valleys of trouble and pain.

There is so much joy to be discovered, so much victory to be won. Every time we choose purity in our relationships it sends Satan packing a little bit further away! Every day we have opportunities to go deeper into intimacy with God, to know Him more, through the relationships around us. Sex and relationships are doorways into greater intimacy with God. We need to value our relationships, to honour them and honour ourselves in the process.

And this isn't meant to be intense and serious but it's fun. It's a solemn decision but a joyful adventure!

So I want to invite you all to choose purity afresh, not because you're 14 and you want to be a good Christian who chooses abstinence, but because you desire purity that hurts the eyes. Because we were created to know God, just as Adam and Eve did back in the early days of the garden. Because purity speaks louder than words and can be felt in the darkest of places. Because purity always wins. CR

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.