Guest Post by Miss Rachel

 Rachel is the type of girl who doesn't have to tell you that she loves Christ- it shows. I hope you enjoy reading this girl's post as much as I did. Her life shows that she is not just a Christian by word only, but by deed and truth. She is a young women ever striving to glorify her Saviour and King.

Here is what she wrote:

Why I Believe Emotional Purity Is Important

I think emotional purity is something a lot of girls may shrug off. Physical purity is probably a given for many of us ~ it's like of course we're saving ourselves for marriage! Not even something we have to think about, right? But what about the other side of purity, the emotional side of it? Unfortunately I think this aspect of purity gets ignored just a bit because no one can see it. Physical purity is visible to the eye; others can see if you're practicing it or not. If you're being immodest or flirting with a guy, others can see that. But thoughts? Dreams? Ideas? Our thoughts are something that only God can see....so we may be more likely to ignore how pure they are, or at least put the issue on the back burner. "It's not like I'm actually doing / saying that, right?" Mmmm, true, but remember what Proverbs 23:7 says? "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." Although we may excuse our slightly impure thought life with "I would never actually do / say that"......the simple fact is that the way we think is who we are. Our thoughts reflect our attitudes, our priorities. And eventually, what we think is what will come out of our mouths. (Luke 6:45)

Do you plan on being faithful to your husband once you marry him? I do! But what many of us fail to realize is that faithfulness starts now. Once you're married isn't the time to start practicing this. It's now. I can't stress how important this is. What we are doing right now, as single young ladies, is laying the foundation for our futures. This goes for all areas of life, really ~ what we're currently doing with our time, how we're treating our family, the choices we make, the education we pursue, all of that is laying a foundation for the rest of our lives. And so it is with our thoughts. If you're planning on being a faithful wife, intent on respecting your husband and sticking by his side, that habit starts now. So, even though we may not be married right now, we need to realize that if God wills us to marry, our future husbands are out there right now! They exist! And hopefully they are waiting faithfully for us, as well. It's our duty, as future wives, to honor our future husbands even before we meet them. And yes, this totally applies to our thought life. Instead of dwelling on things that we know are inappropriate, or "trying out" different guys in our minds, we must keep our focus on staying faithful. On being pure - inside and out.

Practical Ways to Keep From Awakening Love Before It's Time

I think it's easy to say all this stuff ~ but the application is always so much more difficult. Especially when it comes to our thoughts. Sometimes it's nearly impossible to just stop thinking about something. My grandpa used to say that 99% of our problems are from the neck up. :-) I have found this to be very true. Our minds are a powerful thing, and for Christians, it's a battlefield. We need to keep in mind that we are in a war; invisible though it may be. We do have an enemy, and he is totally against purity. That's why all the "good" things are so difficult to cultivate; it's because we're meeting resistance from Satan himself. Thankfully, Jesus has already won the victory for us so we know we are fighting an already-defeated-enemy! I once heard it said that we shouldn't fight for victory, but from victory.

I think one totally practical way to keep our minds focused on pure things is prayer. The instant an impure or un-godly thought enters our minds, instead of dwelling on it, first turn it over to God. Then, began actively praying for your future husband. Pray that he would be pure, that God would prepare him to be a mature and godly husband for you, that he would be passionate about God's Word, etc. I've found this to be pretty effective! If Satan knows that an impure thought will start you praying for your future husband, I guarantee you those thoughts will begin to decrease!

Another way to stay emotionally pure is to make sure you're setting your mind on "things above, not earthly things". (Colossians 3:2) What you feed your mind is what it will automatically think about. You know how, if you're thinking about something really hard, you dream about it? It's just like that - if you are reading or watching things that arrouse impure thoughts, that is what is going to be sitting in your mind. Read things that inspire you to become the woman God wants you to be.

Make sure you're actively investing in your relationship with Jesus Christ. I think we have a warped view of the way God sees us. I used to think that if I wanted something really bad, God would be crossing His arms with a frown and saying, "You think you want that? Hah! Well, you're going to learn to be content instead!" That is just so wrong! In the area of romance, we need to remember that God is the Author of romance; He's the One who created it in the first place and put the desire for marriage in your heart. And if it's His will, He's the One who will fulfill that desire - in His time. Meanwhile, as we wait, we need to be focusing on our relationship with God. I really think that the best way to stay emotionally pure is to keep looking towards Jesus. Stay so completely focused on Him that you really don't have time to be dwelling on a certain guy, real or imagined. And you know what? As I've delved into God's Word and learned more and more about how much He loves me, I've been more than satisfied! That doesn't mean I don't want to get married. (FAR from true!) However, my craving and desire for affirmation, love, security, and protection is fulfilled in my relationship with Jesus. I am happy! I am content! I am in love with my Saviour! Until we learn to love Jesus with all we are, I don't think we are truly ready for romance.

And I'm preaching that to myself.

"May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Strength, and my Redeemer." (Psalm 19:14)

Emotional purity isn't easy - and it won't happen overnight. But it's vitally important and I think it is greatly pleasing to God. He knows our heart's desires; and He has an incredible plan for your life. Give Him control - total control - and you will find Him to be more than enough!

If You Had One Piece Of Advice For Young Ladies, What Would It Be?

I really only have one thing of true importance to say to young ladies ~ pursue Jesus. Fall in love with Him. Follow hard after God; He is truly the only One Who matters in life! I've been a "Christian" since I was two or three....but my relationship with Christ really began to blossom a few years ago. Even in the last year I've discovered more of God that I didn't before realize. I've learned to trust Him because He is good and so compassionate. Because He has my best interest at heart.

There is a huge difference between just saying you're a Christian, verses really being one. An authentic relationship with God is so much more than just rote Bible reading and memorized prayers. In fact, that is what it is not! I've come to understand that Jesus is not a frowning God with arms crossed and toes tapping. He's not a God with a mile long list of rules and regulations. Jesus Christ is the incredible and powerful God Who died for you ~ who took all the punishment on Himself that should have been for you. He's merciful and kind ~ He is for you and not against you. He loves you more than you will ever be able to understand....it just blows me away when I try to comprehend all He's done for me. He's incredible!

It's because of Jesus that I am who I am. It's because of Him that I have a purpose in life!

I would implore you, if you're a Christian but have never really experienced a deep and abiding relationship with God, start now. The advice I would give is to really get into God's Word, perhaps like never before, and start discovering how much God cares about you! Passionately pursue Him and seek Him. "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you...." (James 4:8a) Follow Him and love Him, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. It's the adventure of a lifetime!

You'll never regret it.