I wish that was all I had to say. Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Especially living in America. Isn't it ironic that freedom of religion comes at the price of being exposed to everything else?
Abortion, contraceptives, sex, separation of church and state and the list goes on and on. It's like we are so caught up in what everyone else is doing we fail to see the plan set out before us.
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure is a scary thing. Human beings are naturally social people. We want to fit in and adjust according to others. Have you ever stood up at the wrong time in Mass and tried to pretend that you didn't? The same thing happens with the idea of sex before marriage.
"Sex sells" "it feels good" "well I love him" "my friends don't judge me for it"
For guys you got your "bros" and girls you got your "girlfriends". Then there is the media and advertisements posted across billboards and on TV screens.
Think back to the parable of the mustard seed. A seed grown on good ground bears good fruit. A seed grown among thorns is strangled. Do you not understand? They are the waves all around you, beating you down. You are struggling to stand up but you are sinking deeper. Then you look up; and there is Jesus holding out His hand. "Is your faith so little?" And here he is holding out his hand for you. It doesn't matter what your friends say. Take his hand. We are the crown of thorns upon His head. We are the cross he bore upon his back to the very end. Yet he is still helping us stand up.
Remember, the wisdom of the wisest men is nothing compared to God's foolishness. Why are you so inclined to please your friends but fail to answer God?
Marriage
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" -Jeremiah 29:11
God has a plan for everyone. And just as He created Eve from the same flesh as Adam, He also has created a person for you to share one flesh with.
Marriage is one of my favorite things to talk about because it is the closest we will get to heaven in this life.
I am not talking about the business contract "marriage" the United States recognizes; I am talking about the holy matrimony of two people recognized by the church. Marriage is more than just a contract. It is more than the love between two people; it is the love Jesus had for His church. It is His love made tangible.
This love is so valued it is a sacrament! It goes way beyond sex. It is more than two bodies rubbing against each other to make a baby. When I say two people becoming one flesh I am not talking in a literal sense. In essence, it is two spirits joining together! It is like the union we will have with God in heaven. An unbreakable union that God had created with not only His intentions, but yours too.
Temptation
No one is perfect. For guys, there is the issue of pornography. With girls well, I have no idea what you think about. What I am trying to say here is that there will be times where you think about sex or even have sex.
It is also tricky because normally when you commit a sin it is an act. But Jesus says if we think about having sex with someone it is like committing adultery in the heart.
He doesn't expect us to never ever think about sex until marriage. It is not like a Catholic man doesn't want to be sexually pure. I think what he wants us to do is learn to stray away from it. I have had instances of leering at a girl in really tight jeans or watching a Victoria's Secret commercial. If you think of it as something to be avoided you will find your eyes moving away from it. Now, every time I see an attractive girl I attempt not to stare and ultimately, end up looking away.
If you find yourself thinking about sex than okay. Sex is not a bad thing. God created sex to be enjoyed, but enjoyed with a lifelong partner. Just try to realize His intentions with sex, not everyone else's. Know the difference between lust and love. One is longing for the body, and the other for the spirit. Take His hand and let not your will be done, but His.
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