Ladies...Slay the Dragon Lust!

'Oh wow' I thought when I saw that I was assigned to this command...this will be really good for me! How many of you think of this command and allow your mind to tell you "This command was for the guys. I don't have to worry about it!"? I think all of us can say that at some point, we have been guilty of writing this off as something that only our male friends and brothers struggle with. I have found that despite the fact that it is usually referred to as something men struggle with, us girls can have quite the difficult time with this command! The original command went like this:

"Thou shalt not commit adultery." Exodus 20:14

The first time I glanced over this command, I thought, 'Well, that won't be a problem. I'm not married, and I've certainly not committed adultery!' Then...I read Jesus' convicting words in Matthew 5:27-28!

"Ye have heart that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: but I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman (or man) to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her ALREADY IN HIS (her) HEART!"

I began to think about all the times I looked at some guy in the grocery store check-out line, or walking through the mall and had the words "he's so cute" run through my head. What would my future husband think of that? Worse, what about the times I had dwelt on such thoughts for long periods of time and allowed myself to be carried away with thoughts of "Does he like me..." or "is he watching me...?"! Many of us, myself included, even wake up on certain days and dress differently because we are going to see someone we "like." Girls, I think one of our biggest downfalls in this command is fantasizing. Being the emotional creatures that we are, we allow ourselves to throw caution (and reason) to the wind and we set out on an imaginary adventure, seeking a life that will never come to pass, but that we would just love to think about. This is the greatest reason that I refrain from reading romance novels. They wake up a desire in a girl that is not godly, and that will never be reality. As dear Janny shared with us on the Journey..."never imagine what cannot be." I think it was her Grandmother who said, "No relationship with a guy is ever 'ordinary.'" This is SO incredibly true.

Girls, someday our knight will come. He will slay the dragon and stand before us having given everything. Will we have EVERYTHING to give back? Thousands of girls will not. Are you one of them? We cannot allow ourselves to go into marriage with a thousand expectations that sprouted from one tiny deadly seed called lust. This tiny seed can poison thousands of people with the most potent poison, and yet, it remains disguised until the damage is already done. Over 50% of all marriages will end in divorce simply because couples are not able to get along. Do you ever wonder why? I do. Part of that huge percentage lies in the fact that girls waste their teen years pursuing trashy love stories, romantic movies, and detailed articles that set fire to every girl's heart. they then marry "Prince Charming" who promises what she demands before marriage, but what he is not able to fulfill after marriage. Despite the old wives tale that men slayed dragons for princesses in locked castles, we ourselves have a dragon to slay. That dragon is one that must be slain before our prince ever starts fighting his way through the briers to awaken sleeping beauty.

I have to say that many of the old Disney movies are probably not the best tool to use to "save your heart." However, I was thinking...will you still be "Sleeping Beauty..." or will you be awake to the world and have used every last petal on your rose except for one? I don't know about you, but I want to hand a whole rose to my prince...not just one wilted petal! Keep yourself oblivious to the obvious. Allow God to fill the gap that every girl wants to fill on her own strength before it is time. Believe me...it IS worth it. Love is SO worth the wait.

Now...boys, drama, and romance are not all that us girls lust after right? We look around and see things that other girls our age have that we want...and that ugly monster called "lust" rears it's awful head again! Something that has really struck me lately is that so few young ladies desire God over all else. We are called to be different. I don't know if any of you have read Brett and Alex Harris' blog, but they are two incredible young men who have written a book called "Do Hard Things." They are calling our generation to rebel against low expectations and to take a stand and be different (www.therebelution.com). We are not about the ordinary ladies. We are about the extraordinary. Now is the time to be different and to show the world that we can make a difference. Every other girl might be wrapped up in lust and want, but we don't have to be. Every other girl might have boyfriends, an Italian sports car, and a touch-screen ipod, be we don't have to. The whole world might live on facebook, writing nothing edifying, but we don't have to. Are all of these things inherently wrong? Of course not, but our calling is to glorify God, and to be content with what he has chosen to give us. What a testimony we could be if we did as Jesus did in Philippians 2:5-8!

Something that I often struggle with is lusting after the privileges that other girls have that I don't have. I see them as privileges at least...but I think in the long run, I will come to see them as detrimental to my welfare. There are times when I simply cannot understand why my parents are asking me not to do something. I know that all of you can think of one. It is often difficult to cheerfully accept these things without questioning God. It is even more difficult not to talk to others that are not part of the problem. That is called murmuring! I would encourage you to check out the following verses and to seek to diligently apply them to your life. It will be so worth it in the long run!

"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away and lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever." I John 2:16-17

"Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

May God bless you and encourage you in the coming weeks! I miss you all!
~Hannah