Armed and Virtuous Abstinence Ministry “Why Wait? For the Best of Reasons.”

East Texas Teen Ministries

Abstinence Message from Armed and Virtuous

For Southeast Texas parents, communicating the importance of abstinence is often a tremendous challenge.

Southeast Texas abstinence ministry “Armed and Virtuous” offers great abstinence resources for Beaumont area families.

We hope you find today’s message inspirational:

Psalm 33:20-21 We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name (NIV).

So, let’s talk about waiting. Throughout life, we find ourselves waiting a lot, don’t we? We wait in line, we wait for our turn. Sometimes we have to wait until we’re old enough, or tall enough to do something. Other times we have to wait for the right opportunity. And still other times we are asked by God to wait. These times can be frustrating, especially when we see those around us “doing.” Ever felt that way?

Now let’s get specific. As Christian young people, God has asked you to wait on sex until marriage. He has also asked you to place strict limits on physical intimacy until marriage. But why? Every time you turn on the TV, you see people getting intimate with each other, implying directly or indirectly that they’re having sex. Sexual jokes are now a staple of every sitcom and almost every commercial. You’re faced with this topic at every turn, and almost overwhelmingly, the message that’s shared is, “Sex is fun! You should try it!”

I’m sure you know of people your age who aren’t waiting. They’re probably dating, maybe even dating steadily while you’re not. If they talk about it, they might tell you things like, “If you want to have a boyfriend, you have to give in to sex.” Others might say, “No one waits anymore, it’s just a myth.” Or, “It’s okay to wait in junior high, but you’ll change your mind in high school.”

It looks like so much fun, it seems like the key to success. Why would God ask us not to do something that can be so helpful to our popularity? Is He just trying to keep us from having fun? Absolutely not! The key to successfully waiting is to understand how to wait.

According to this verse, we wait in hope! We wait in expectation! God has something tremendous in store, and at the proper time, He will bring it before us. It’s like when you waited for Christmas morning as a child. You knew that there were special surprises, carefully chosen and wrapped specifically for you under that tree. As soon as the light of day came into the windows, it would be time to dive in!

But, what if it never comes? What if I do all this waiting for nothing? The world keeps telling me that happily ever after doesn’t exist! There’s a big difference between blind faith, and personal faith. As verse 20 continues, We wait in hope for the Lord! My hope in the Lord is secure because I personally know Him. I speak to Him, He speaks to me. He has made me promises and they have come true. I’m not believing just anyone, and I’m not believing in some untouchable, unseen authority. I have experience with my God, and therefore, if He asks me to wait, I trust that He is looking out for my best interest.

. . . He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name (v.20b-21). God protects and helps us. By waiting, we save ourselves tremendous heartache, prevent unplanned pregnancies, avoid all sorts of awful diseases, and remain free to pursue our dreams unscarred. Instead of sitting home, feeling sorry for yourself, dive into God’s word and develop your relationship with Him! In doing so, you’ll reach a point where your heart can rejoice in Him. This will make the waiting easier, and the reward all the better when it comes.

God didn’t ask us to “sit and wait,” so get out there, and get busy doing His work! As you keep busy exploring the gifts and talents God has given you, and pursuing the dreams He has laid upon your heart, the waiting will end, and God’s perfect plan will be revealed. Whether or not His plan includes marriage, you can trust that it will be worth all the waiting and exceed your wildest dreams! There’s no need to worry. The God who has numbered the hairs on your head knows what you desire, and His wish is to bless you.

So, my dear sisters, wait in hope!

My name is April M. Anderson, and I’m just a girl with a story. God laid a burden on my heart to pray for my husband when I was in the sixth grade. I prayed and waited for him for six years, dated him for three, and we’ve been married for 15 years. By God’s grace, both my husband and I were virgins on our wedding day and we’ve been living out our “happily ever after” from that day on!

Armed and Virtous Abstinence Ministry encourages young Southeast Texas women to save themselves for the husbands God is preparing for them.