Guard Your Affections

The cliff hanger of my last blog was "sex." Before you write this topic off and say that you are married, female, older, whatever... I want you to know that the principals of this topic apply to anyone.Since I am writing mainly to my college group(that I love dearly), I wanted to choose a topic that 18-25 year old students may battle with.
In July, I read and meditate on the book of Proverbs. Remember that June is Psalms month. August and September are the books of the prophets. Then...October I finally reach the New Testament! It is my reward for staying the course all year.
Anyway, the book of Proverbs is the most readable book for Christians and non-Christians alike. No one I have ever met comes even close to the wise counsel found in the book of Proverbs. In the Proverbs 4:20-22, it says, "Listen, son of mine, to what I say. Listen carefully. Keep these thoughts ever in your mind; let them penetrate deep within your heart, for they mean real life for you, and radiant health." I don't know about you but I want real life. I want the most exciting life I can have. I don't want to miss a thing. If you are interested, keep reading.
Verse 23 goes on to say, "Above all else guard your affections. For they influence everything else in your life!" I want to elaborate on that topic at a later blog, but for today I will apply this wisdom only to our affections regarding the opposite sex.
I heard a great message a few weeks ago at Ben and Lynn's church, FBC Houston. Greg Mott stated that when he works with college students, he assumes a problem with pornography. This is where I will lose some of you but hang in there. The ongoing obsession with pornography in our world today is not new. It is as old as the Proverbs. Solomon wants his son to "guard his affections." Solomon saw first hand the devastating consequences of not guarding one's affections. His father, King David, committed adultery with Bathsheba, his brother Prince Amnon raped his half-sister Tamar, and his brother Absalom slept on the rooftop with every one of his father's wives to shame his father. He had first hand knowledge of the result of not guarding your affections!
Solomon knew that to live a "real life" filled to the brim with God's blessings, to impact countless lives, to walk in freedom from guilt, to possess power to change the world around you...you must guard your affections like you would guard a truck from Fort Knox filled with gold bars. The strength of a man is the ability to control his passions. A weak man is one who does not deny himself anything his body craves. That is not the mark of a free man. That is Satan's lie.Satan will tempt you to give in and when you do, he will be your biggest accuser! How wrong is that? He lures you and then condemns you.
This message applies to girls as well. Being a female, I know that our heart craves attention and we want attention no matter what it costs us. When we dress in a seductive manner, we aren't fooling anyone but ourselves. When we post pictures of ourselves on Facebook,our motives are clear. We want attention, even inappropriate attention. Girls, do not think you are not kidding anyone. You dress yourself. No one chooses what you were. You intentionally plan what message you want to send by what you wear and what pictures you post. Proverbs is warning you that your choices influence everything else in your life. Your choices influence the marriage you will have.
Always remember that your knight in shining armour is the Lord. He rescues you, redeems you, tells you your worth, adores you, thinks you are beautiful..you don't need to impress him with your outward appearance. He is more interested in your heart. Delight yourself in him and he will give you the desires of your heart.
After being married for 30 years to a guy, I still haven't a clue about guys. I am not pretending to understand a guy's heart. However, the Bible says that the "heart is deceitful above all else." To blindly follow your affections and allow yourself to indulge in whatever behavior you feel called to participate is deceitful. You are deceived by the great deceiver and he will not rescue you when you fall. He only condemns.
This blog is not meant to add to your guilt. It is to shed light on schemes of the enemy. Greg Mott also said in his message, "Be afraid of the dark!" Be very afraid of staying in the dark with your computer, staying in the dark about what your intentions are about your way of dressing, girls! Get it out in the light. Expose it to the "Sonlight." Get some accountability. However, refuse, absolutely refuse to lay down in guilt when Satan condemns you. He wants you to believe that there is not a cure for your sickness. "In Christ there is no condemnation." He only comes "to give life and give it abundantly. " Wow, thank goodness that real life is not about my power but His power.