As we journeyed as a family to church this morning, I read this:
Psalm 119:9 “How can a young man keep his way pure, by keeping it according to your Word.”
When we hear purity talked about in middle and high school and even at college conferences, we mostly hear the same words about pre-marital sex and being modest in our clothing, and watching your dating relationships. Right? I want to broaden our understanding of the type of purity God calls us to. He calls us to a holistic purity, namely, holiness, and that reaches every part of our being: our minds included.
So, how can we as single women, or married women, keep our minds pure. These are just some of the ideas that the Spirit has worked in me – and keeps working in me on a daily basis.
1. Be in the Word every day. The Word is the only perfect book out there. It is a best-seller. But, even though most of us have multiple copies on our bookshelves, in our cars, on our desktop…how many of us read it as much as we should. I have to be honest, I usually have a greater desire to be in the Word than I have actual time spent in the Word. This is the primary way we keep our minds pure.
2. Friendships. As women most of our lives revolve around relationships. Whether these are with men or with women, we need to be careful whom we allow to speak into our lives. Do we hang out mostly with non-Christians, or do we want friends who greatly desire to be more like Christ pouring into our minds and spirits? These friendships are crucial to our thriving as women and especially as those who want to be women after God’s own heart.
3. Media. Oh, ladies, here lies a great danger. My husband and I were just talking yesterday about this in the media of music. But, this applies to everything. I think one of the best things I heard as a single woman is be careful of most chick flicks, because most of it is emotional pornography. Let me explain. When we see movies that have the dashing characters such as Mr. Darcy, or a well-dressed suitor such as the fiance in Sweet Home Alabama or if we think every man should treat us as any award-winning Nicholas Sparks leading actor – then we are setting ourselves up for failure. We aren’t letting our minds focus on what is right and pure and true. I’m not saying these movies or wrong in and of themselves. But, if we desire those things and aren’t content with what God has given us – or especially when God does grant us the desires of our hearts but we find our suitor lacking because he isn’t Mr. Darcy, then we have been listening to the lies of the enemy. Guard your mind, keep it pure, even in what you watch on the big screen or on your television set at home.
4. Preach to yourself. I learned this concept from years of reading Lloyd-Jones (Spiritual Depression), Jerry Bridges, and CJ Mahaney. One of the best ways we can keep our minds pure and focused on Christ is by preaching the gospel to ourselves. I’m speaking here of the times we want to dwell on the negative or how life isn’t treating us as we think we ought to be treated. I’m speaking here of us living in our sin and jumping right back into the pit that the psalmist says our God has rescued us from. Our tendency for most of us is to be hard on ourselves, live in despair, and not focus on the cross-centered life as we ought. This is one of the BEST ways to direct our steps to living a pure life in our minds.
Just as with all of these disciplines that we have been studying here on OSP the first part of 2013, this purity of the mind concept is a discipline as well. Pray the Spirit would make you into a woman who wants to guard her mind for God’s great glory. Let Him work mightily and free you from bondage in this area. He is ready and willing.
Kimberly Campbell
