Life Out There (Sex)
by Nadia Lawand (Jan. ’02)
“Let’s talk about sex baby; let’s talk about you and me; let’s talk about all the good things and the bad things that may be. Let’s talk about sex.” Do these song lyrics sound familiar? Well, it makes it a little easier to dive into a very difficult topic to discuss. The subject of sex, for many of us, is a hard one to talk about, but is frequently thought about.
Love, sex, and dating are all related and relevant to teens. In the eyes of the Church, love was meant to come first. God created us out of love, and asks that we love one another, and love in order to create children. Sex is the reuniting of a male and female into one flesh. Sex is for marriage and is sacred. It is also meant for the creation of children.
Dating can be a good thing, depending on how we look at it. Dating could be viewed as something society constructed to allow people to become involved romantically without the commitment of marriage. However, when there is a clear direction and purpose, it can work. It’s when there is no direction we usually lead people on, play with their hearts, and cause sexual temptation. If we aren’t ready to have a set purpose and commitment, what is the point in getting into a romantic relationship? At a young age, it is usually to satisfy sinful desires, which is hurtful and self-centered.
Premarital sex is not allowed according to the Ten Commandments. Sex is a physical union between two people who have vowed themselves to one another before God and are willing to give up themselves for the other person. On the other hand, premarital sex is a sin because a full commitment has not been made in Church before God. The difference is that the union of premarital sex is only physical and temporary while the union of marriage is physical, spiritual, and most of all, eternal.
In the generation we live in, it is difficult to dismiss the influence of sexual ideas around us. We see how the media glorify sex, and send messages of selfindulgence and self-gratification with sex. A good example of this prominent influence is the pop icon Britney Spears. She has a huge influence and dominance over worldwide media, which directly give her the power to influence people. We can see with her recent releases that she sells sex. Our bodies are the temple of God, and the way we treat our bodies should reflect the way we treat the temple of God.
We all struggle with temptation and try to stay pure but sometimes we do make mistakes. The important thing to realize is that it isn’t too late. You can ask for forgiveness and go from there. Change the way you think: place God first before anything and He will guide and give you the strength to stay pure. Our purity is a gift that we must open only when it is time.
I can understand the struggles of dating, sex, and love from experience. It’s difficult to get away from them, but the one thing that keeps me on track is trusting God. As private as this may be, I also decided to give up dating. One of the reasons for this: I didn’t know where I was going with relationships at this point in my life. The second was two books that I’m sure many of you have read. They are called I Kissed Dating Goodbye, and Boy Meets Girl, both by Joshua Harris. These books came at the right time in my life and helped me on my journey to purity. Just as Joshua Harris says; “The Right thing at the wrong time is the Wrong thing.”