If you don’t go to the gym…don’t make a healthy meal…don’t read to your child…don’t put money in savings…don’t encourage your spouse…don’t write a page of your book…don’t work on your business plan…don’t spend time with God…
Then it will be easier not to do it tomorrow…
It will be easier to hit the snooze button…go through the drive-through…surf the internet…spend too much…criticize…get lost in busy work…watch TV…stare at your phone…
And it will make sense to put it off until next week or next month…
When the weather is better…when you feel better…when you’ve had time to rest…when the extra money comes in…when it’s a special occasion…when you’re not traveling…when you don’t have so many commitments…when you’re not so stressed…
When you’ll try to get caught up…
By working out twice as long…eating half as much…spending a weekend focused on your kids…selling something to build your savings…going on a trip with your spouse…writing a book in a weekend…networking at a conference…attending a church retreat…
But months later, you won’t have anything to show for it…
You won’t remember what you did when you weren’t at the gym…what you ate in exchange for a healthy body…how you spent your evenings when you weren’t playing with your child…what you spent your money on…what was more important than your marriage…what you created when you weren’t writing your book…where you spent your time when you weren’t achieving your dream…who you were talking to when you weren’t getting to know God…
So do what’s most important today…
Get a short workout in…eat some fresh vegetables…read a funny book to your children…take the money you would have spent at the drive-through and save it…surprise your spouse with a loving gesture…set a timer and write for 15 minutes…take one small step toward your goal…pray and read a chapter of the Bible…
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Ephesians 5:15-16
Getting Fit NOW or Never on Facebook posted this photo explaining that this young woman had allowed her boyfriend to tattoo his name on her face as a sign of her love. By the way, his name is Rus, not Bus.
The comments summarized what I initially thought of this decision: dumb! Definitely one of those dumb ways to live I have discussed earlier. But I couldn’t get this picture out of my head.
Why I Couldn’t Stop Thinking About This Picture
You don’t have to be a psychologist to know that this poor girl is going to regret her decision. The guy will cheat on her or dump her. Beginning a new relationship will be very difficult. Who wants to bring home the girl with another guy’s name on her face? But maybe I’m too pessimistic. She could beat the odds and stay with her boyfriend for life–maybe even get married. But her life is still ruined. People will always assume she is a reckless rebel, even if she matures. She could get the tattoo removed, but will be scarred for life.
Why Every Parent Needs to Save This Picture
Not one of the thousands of commenters on Facebook applauded what this girl did. They all thought it was stupid! But there is something our children may choose to do that will scar them for life that WOULD be applauded by the majority of people on Facebook and even the majority of people in your church: have sex outside of marriage.
Pam Stenzel warns young women that while a guy they sleep with may be able to walk away from premarital sex without a devastating sexually-transmitted disease, they aren’t likely to have the same fate. One in four young people today has an STD and many of these diseases aren’t curable. Among those that are, many have no symptoms and aren’t treated. The consequences include potential infertility, cancer, and even death.
I share with 8th graders at my church that while it IS possible they can have premarital or extra-marital sex and not be scarred physically, they cannot avoid the spiritual scarring. Andy Stanley teaches that every person we have sex with takes a little bit of our soul. Why? The Bible teaches that sex creates one person out of two (Gen. 2:24). To demonstrate this, I have sealed an envelope. Then I attempt to unseal what I have made into one, representing a break-up or divorce. There are pieces left behind. In other words, try to separate from someone you’ve been made one with and you’re scarred for life.
I urge you to share this picture with your older child and talk about the scarring we experience when we have a physical relationship with someone we’re not married to and walk away. For girls, it’s like having a guy’s name tattooed on your face and then being rejected. (Please pray for this poor young woman.) For guys, it’s like tattooing your name on a girl’s face and leaving her scarred physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
What Other Resources Do You Recommend for Teaching Your Kids Purity?
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I’m a Christian psychologist turned homeschooling mother of six. My life can be a little crazy, so I look for sanity-saving ideas to use and share. I hope you’ll read my About page to learn more.
If you don’t do what’s most important today…
