Category: Fighting lust

3 things to do this Valentine’s Day

Posted on by fabsharford

I love Valentine’s Day.  Thanks to my dad and to sweet friends growing up I always associated V-Day with expressing love to those you love, (and not just romantically). Screen Shot 2014-02-14 at 2.42.17 PM

But everyone has a different Valentine’s Day experience.  With that in mind, here are three things I’m trying to do as I navigate today:

(1) Give grace.

Give grace to people who hate V-day.  Give grace to people who love it.  No one is trying to personally diminish your singleness by going on a date tonight.  No one is trying to devalue marriage with their skepticism about February 14.

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In which a single woman talks about sex (eek)

Posted on by fabsharford

Guys, my pulse is racing as I type this.  I am literally afraid to write the word sex.

No one talks to single women about sex.  Maybe they’re scared that just saying the word ‘sex’ will cause singles everywhere to descend into a world of corruption? Or maybe it’s not just single women.  Maybe none of us are talking about sex.

It just feels like we’re not supposed to say that word.  Especially if we’re christian.  And single.  And women.  (so I’m like a triple threat).

I don’t know.  Here’s what I do know:

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Lewis & Lizards

Posted on by fabsharford

 

This story from C.S.Lewis’ The Great Divorce is one of my favorites:

A mighty angel approached the man and asked, “Would you like me to make the lizard quiet?”

“Of course I would,” said the Ghost.

“Then I will kill him,” said the Angel, taking a step forward.

“Oh—ah—look out! You’re burning me. Keep away,” said the Ghost, retreating.

“Don’t you want him killed?”

“You didn’t say anything about killing him at first. I hardly meant to bother you with anything so drastic as that.”

“It’s the only way,” said the Angel …. “Shall I kill it?”

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no condemnation

Posted on by fabsharford

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Love. That. Verse.

That’s the essence of Christianity. That’s the central, foundational message of God to the world. This is what we announce. This is what we plead. This is what we lay down our lives to communicate to the nations and the neighborhoods: No condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – John Piper

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Disobeying God: cause or effect?

Posted on by fabsharford

Listen to this list of things:

  • the lusts of our hearts to impurity
  • the dishonoring of our bodies
  • dishonorable passions
  • a debased mind
  • all manner of unrighteousness
  • all manner of evil

Those things sound like they might be the main problem between us and God.  But here’s what crazy Paul says in crazy Romans: these things are not the primary cause of our separation from God, they happen because we are separated from God.

Our broken faculties – these things we label as ‘sin’ – are the consequence of the real issue: our worship problem.

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