Purity

This summer has been a time of great growth and learning in my life. But it has also been a struggle. A good struggle, but still a struggle. My heart longs to seek after the face of God and the things of God, but my flesh is still so weak. It's been a battle all summer, not necessarily to make good choices, but a battle in my mind to set boundaries right now for the rest of my life. This week has been a week of laziness for me spiritually.

I haven't been getting up early enough for face time with God in the morning and I haven't been pursuing Him with ALL my heart, soul, mind, and strength. And it shows. It's been a hard week. I've barely been making it though and I have lacked joy and just that overflowing love that comes from Christ in me. Because we have a day camp this week we are "off" for the day at 3:00 each afternoon, but after a rest time and dinner we have had some kind of worship service or ministry time each evening. Last night we had guy/girl night and all of us girls got to spend an evening in one of the villas with Alphie Thomas. We dove into the Word to see what it has to say about purity and I was encouraged, challenged, and so refreshed by our sweet time together! When I think of Alphie one of the first words that comes to my mind is purity. She is a woman of God and someone I look up to and want to model my life after in so many ways.

She gave us a few print outs with practical ways to practice purity and some verses to stir our hearts toward purity and encourage us. A big thing that I really got last night that I also feel like God was already stirring in my heart is a purity of my heart. It's not just about how far you go physically and being modest, but it all begins with my heart. If I have pure motives the rest will follow much more naturally. My heart has to desire purity and long for the things of God. She talked to us about keeping ourselves free from emotional entanglements and guarding our hearts. A big part of that is not indulging in mental fantasies. I know my own heart and I know that after a day of sappy romance movies I go into "I need to find the love of my life!" mode. It's not that I purposely think, "I am going to watch this movie and take my heart to that place.", but it just goes there. Not to say that I'm done watching love movies, but I know that my heart has to be guarded when I do and I need to limit myself.

"Finally, sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever us PURE, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

**Philippians 4:8**

Another thing we talked about that has really been stirring in my heart is not to be bold and flirtatious. As a 20 year old who has never been on a date, I panic sometimes and think, "Who lives 20 years and never goes on a single date?! How am I ever going to get married if I don't date around and find 'that guy'?!". So naturally, I feel the need to flirt with any guy that I "might have a connection with" or "could like". But that is playing with his heart and putting mine in a place of vulnerability all because I'm worried I'll never find the right guy? God doesn't need me to flirt and be bold and forward to find my husband. God already knows who he is and is preparing his heart for me and my heart for him. My job right now is to be faithfully serving and seeking after Him. The kind of woman I am is the kind of guy I will attract. I don't want someone who is going to settle for the girl who is easiest to get attention from or the guy who settles for the first girl who throws herself at him. I want someone who is seeking after God and praying for guidance and wisdom. I want someone who will serve alongside me and who has to be seeking God in order to find me because both of our hearts are so lost in God.

"Therefore, I urge you, sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

**Romans 12:1-2**

When I first heard that we were talking about purity I kinda pulled back a little bit. It's always a subject that I have hated a little bit because I feel like so often it just puts so many rules on my life about what I can and can't wear, what I can and can't say, and how I can and can't act. But one of the girls said last night that if you look at this list of things with a heart that desires to follow after God it changes from a list of restrictions to a list of freedom. When I thought about it that really is so true! It's not about what's good and bad. It's a about what's better and BEST! I want God's BEST for me! I want to be the BEST friend, sister in Christ, and someday wife. And being the BEST comes from a heart of purity.

"Flee the evil desires of youth and PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a PURE HEART."

**2 Timothy 2:22**