Going One-on-One with Sexual Curiosity

Here is a Devotion from the www.josh.org 's daily devotional. It may be more for some of the older folks, but it's definitely something for the younger folks to keep in mind as you get older. So here you go.

Bible Reading: James 1:12-16

Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. James 1:14

CURIOSITY doesn't just kill cats. Sometimes it also clobbers young people.

Sexual temptation is a battle you can win, but you have to know how to prevail. If you survive with a healthy sort of sexual curiosity, it will be a fantastic gift when you someday marry the man or woman you want to love for a lifetime.

There's nothing wrong with sexual curiosity—wondering what's under the wrap­ping of someone you love. It's natural. Healthy. Normal. The problem comes in how you satisfy that curiosity. You might be committed to saving sex for marriage, but curiosity can still catch you off guard and clobber you big-time.

So here are some tips on managing sexual curiosity as the pressure on you in­creases to be sexually active:

First, deal with your curiosity immediately—before it has a chance to dig in.Of­ten when your guard is down, the thought will dart through your mind that "just one look" or "just one touch" won't hurt. If that lie has a familiar ring to it, think back to the deceit of the old serpent in the Garden of Eden. God made sexual desire so that one thing leads to another. Once you light a sexual fire, stopping it is almost impos­sible. So your best defense is to stop it before it gets started.

Second, find a few friends who share your values. Talk seriously with them about sexual pressure. When you have friends who share your beliefs and with whom you can talk honestly, you gain amazing moral strength. You can support each other when you're feeling weak and your resistance is down. And low resis­tance happens to everyone.

You get amazing moral weakness, by the way, when you have friends who don't support your values. The Bible makes a lot of sense here when it says, "Bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Corinthians 15:33, NASB).

Third, the most important sex organ God created is your mind—not your body. It's control of your mind that shows your maturity. Being able to manage and control your sexual desires proves a whole lot more about your readiness than anything you could "prove" by letting those desires run wild. It takes guts to guard sex like a valu­able diamond.

The sexual pressure you face will be great. The battle to stay pure will likely be furious. But the rewards of toughing it out are beyond description.

REFLECT: What are you doing to effectively resist sexual temptation? What are you doing to deal with your curiosity?

PRAY: Thank God for giving you a marvelous body worth keeping for the one you marry.