August 11
Nehemiah 1:1-3:14; 1 Corinthians 7:1-24; Psalm 31:19-24; Proverbs 21:4
Sexual freedom is highly valued in our culture. Anything that intrudes upon someone's ability to act out their sexual desires (as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else-- with no clear grounding of what hurt means) is considered harm. This cultural value begins with the individual and their ability to do whatever they want. In 1 Corinthians 7 today, the starting point is a very different place. For Christians, all our values, ethics, and actions should start with God. Therefore, as a Christian, my highest value shouldn't be about sexual freedom or individual autonomy but rather glorifying God. This desire to glorify God impacts every aspect of life including sexual expression.
Paul touches on several areas of sexual expression and how glorifying God impacts those areas. He tells us that singleness and thus sexual abstinence is a way to glorify God and specifically the path that Paul (not to mention Jesus) chose. Then within marriage, sex is not about self-gratification but about service. It is not a tool to manipulate a spouse but to serve them. Finally, Christians should remain in difficult marriages (though this doesn’t address issues of abuse) out of a desire to glorify God. As Christians, our lives, and our sex lives, should be just one more area where we seek to glorify God and put him and his desires first. We are to be like Nehemiah who sought God and his will, we should be like Paul who served God with his life, and like David who praised God through every circumstance he found himself in.
Father God, thank you that the most abundant life is one that honors and obeys you. Help me to do that today in all areas including my sex life. May I conform my desires and actions to your ways. Amen.
Question of the day: How are you honoring God with your sex life and how could you do this more intentionally?
Sexual freedom is highly valued in our culture. Anything that intrudes upon someone's ability to act out their sexual desires (as long as it doesn't hurt anyone else-- with no clear grounding of what hurt means) is considered harm. This cultural value begins with the individual and their ability to do whatever they want. In 1 Corinthians 7 today, the starting point is a very different place. For Christians, all our values, ethics, and actions should start with God. Therefore, as a Christian, my highest value shouldn't be about sexual freedom or individual autonomy but rather glorifying God. This desire to glorify God impacts every aspect of life including sexual expression.
Paul touches on several areas of sexual expression and how glorifying God impacts those areas. He tells us that singleness and thus sexual abstinence is a way to glorify God and specifically the path that Paul (not to mention Jesus) chose. Then within marriage, sex is not about self-gratification but about service. It is not a tool to manipulate a spouse but to serve them. Finally, Christians should remain in difficult marriages (though this doesn’t address issues of abuse) out of a desire to glorify God. As Christians, our lives, and our sex lives, should be just one more area where we seek to glorify God and put him and his desires first. We are to be like Nehemiah who sought God and his will, we should be like Paul who served God with his life, and like David who praised God through every circumstance he found himself in.
Father God, thank you that the most abundant life is one that honors and obeys you. Help me to do that today in all areas including my sex life. May I conform my desires and actions to your ways. Amen.
Question of the day: How are you honoring God with your sex life and how could you do this more intentionally?
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