Purity.

For the past few months, I have had the priviledge to meet with some pretty cool 7th and 8th grade girls from our church in a discipleship group that gets together on Sunday nights. We call ourselves “The Hill House Girls”. Most recently, I’ve helped lead them through a study on living a life of purity – the “True Love Project” series.  I co-lead with three amazing women, each of whom I am inspired by and in awe of in regards to their relationship with Christ.   When I found out what type of study we’d be entering into with our group of young ladies, the one on purity, I freaked out.

C A P I T A L   F –  freaked out.

“What do I have to offer these girls on purity?”

“I have three sons, not daughters – how can I possibly know how to relate to these precious young daughters of Christ?”

“I didn’t lead a life of purity when I was their age. I didn’t understand there was such a thing! What kind of example can I be for them?”

“This is a topic I’m really not comfortable talking about. With anyone. I should back out.”

I thought all of those things and more. I complained to my husband that I was not good enough to be a leader for these impressionable teenagers. I complained to a leader in the high school girl’s group that I was uncomfortable with this subject matter. I even told my middle son, who is in the high school boy’s discipleship group, that he didn’t have to continue going to his Sunday night group if he was uncomfortable with this purity subject.

C A P I T A L    W  –  what?

You can say it!  Say it out loud:

 “WHAT?”

I totally get that.  It’s what I say now, reflecting back on how I felt at the time.  Could I have been any more off-mark?

After a few days of consideration, and much debate and argument with God, I accepted the challenge and committed to continuing to help lead this group.  The way I figured, I could either

a) decline to teach, and not accept what I saw as a huge challenge (which would be very uncharacteristic of my person)

or

b) accept the opportunity for God to use me outside of where I’m comfortable.

Decline or accept.

Hide or be seen.

Turn away or face.

Ignore or obey.

IGNORE or OBEY.

IGNORE OR OBEY!

See, when I stopped wallowing in my own thoughts, which were very limited, and started seeking what God wanted, the decision became clear.  Crystal clear.

C A P I T A L   C –  clear.

I don’t want to miss an opportunity to be obedient.  And it was no accident I was invited to be a part of this weekly discipleship group.

Thank you, Jesus, for your patience with me while I struggled through my selfish insecurities. 

I might be a co-leader for this group, but above this, I am sitting right there with all the other Hill House Girls every week – His daughter – seeking, searching and being soothed by all I’m learning about His love.

In reflecting over my teenage years and young adulthood,   it’s clear to me how desperately I needed to feel wanted and pursued.  It was a need that I tried to satisfy on my own.   There was this emptiness I carried.  A void.  I filled it temporarily with people who seemed to satisfy this need – those who wanted me, those who pursued me – but the satisfaction never lasted.  Eventually, that “to be wanted and pursued” need would resurface,  unfullfilled.

It wasn’t until I met Jesus – yeilding to His love and studying His word – that I realized I AM wanted and pursued.

JESUS is my Pursuer.

Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.

JESUS loves me and JESUS wants me.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

JESUS is jealous for me.

Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.  It is only JESUS who satisfies!

I have made some poor choices in my life, and I have not always sought HIM or known that I was being sought by HIM.  But PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME, “I was lost but now am found.”  Through Jesus, it is never too late to live a life of purity, regardless of any past mistakes.  I can walk in His love, hand in hand, without feeling broken, like used goods, or unworthy……for His love is vast, with depth that is unimaginable, and is endless, limitless.  Jesus sees me as pure and clean and whole.

WANTED and PURSUED.

Sons and daughters – YOU are wanted and pursued.  You are!

My precious, precious 7th and 8th grade Hill House Girls and co-leaders – YOU are wanted and pursued.  You are!

It is never too late to walk in purity with Christ.

Accept His love, profess Him as ruler over your life.

Abide in Him.

Receive all of the blessings He’s waiting to shower you with.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.   Romans 12:1-2