THURSDAY
JUNE 14

READ:
Galatians 5:16-26

See that no one is sexually immoral. 

Hebrews 12:16

 

Boy Meets Girl
There you are on a college campus full of people your age--and somewhere around half of them are of the opposite sex.

If all goes according to plan (or maybe according to hope), you will date a small number of those students during your college experience. As you contemplate all the opportunities you'll have to hang out with those people, keep in mind some important boy-meets-girl stuff that will keep you from making some big sexual mistakes.

First, every person is someone's son or daughter. His or her parents have poured their hearts into raising this person, and you have no rights over that person's body. Your job is to show respect and restraint.

Second, sex is not recreation. Okay, we can play around with that word, but the point is this: According to Scripture, the only condoned place for sex is in a marriage, as described in Genesis 2:24-25 and referred to in Hebrews 13:4. Any other sexual activity is problematic in a multitude of ways.

Third, pornography distorts your perception of sex. Researchers Jennings Bryant and Dolph Zillman concluded that "mature adults as well as college students exposed to these materials came to view non-monogamous relationships as normal" (quoted in Pornography--Its Effects on the Family, Community, and Culture). Stay away from pornography--even the so-called "soft" kind.

God's will is clear on this matter. And God's will is clear about sex too. "It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality" (1 Thessalonians 4:3). Any questions?

What does all this mean to you? It means that it is essential for you to establish the right kind of relationship with people of the other sex. One way to do that is to follow the love guidelines in 1 Corinthians 13. When boy meets girl (or vice versa), let these words guide you: Love is patient (you can wait!), love is kind, love doesn't envy, boast, or act proud. It isn't rude or self-seeking. It always protects. 

You can have plenty of fun while keeping God's high standards. --DB

REFLECTION

  • What do I really think of God's guidelines about sex before marriage? 
  • What would be the best reason for considering the value of His standards? 
  • Do I need to talk to someone about what I've been doing--someone who can help me get back where I need to be? Whom? When? 
RESOURCE: For a copy of Designed for Desire, write RBC Ministries, Dept CJ, Grand Rapids, MI 49555. Mention the title and this code: CB932.

Follow God's lead and you won't be led into sin.



©2001 RBC Ministries—Grand Rapids, MI 49555