Thursday, July 16, 2015
For my brothers and sisters battling same sex attraction...
There has been quite a lot of discussion/argument/debate in churches recently about same sex attraction and marriage. In the effort to not offend anyone, or to be true to Scripture, or to explain how Christians should -- or should not -- react... I am concerned about a segment of our church that is having a difficult time right now.
I am hurting for my same sex attraction brothers and sisters who have chosen to remain celibate. It is always difficult to battle your demons. Ask anyone battling sexual addiction of any kind. Or ask the Christian alcoholic. Or the brother who is fighting to have a healthy body that honors God.. Or the sister who is committed to not gossip any longer. It is hard to live the way God asks.
It is a battle to stay sexually sober. It is frustrating to realize that you may never experience marriage the way most of your church family does. Not just because you have not found "the one", but because you can't find the one. And you would give anything to have things be different. But they aren't. At least not now.
And now it seems that our culture is celebrating the legalization of what you have made the spiritual commitment to forego. It must be hard to see these couples celebrating what you will not do. There are those dangerous thoughts that whisper how that could be you. Just like for any of us that see culture celebrating and engaging in what we battle. It is hard to be faithful in a unfaithful world.
And then the church is making it clear how wrong homosexuality is. You get it. You know it. That is why you have chosen celibacy. And Satan whispers how unfair it is. No other sin is being publicly condemned like this one is now. It would be easy to feel picked on. It would be easy to just give up and give in.
In what is a hard fight, you have to watch the world celebrate what you refuse to surrender to. And you have to hear the church reminding you how wrong your temptation is.
So to my brothers and sisters faithfully and courageously choosing celibacy and committing to walk the hard road to follow the call of Jesus... you are loved and appreciated. Your courage will inspire us in our struggles. We are praying for you. We are walking with you. Do not be ashamed. Be proud that you have chosen to be a faith fighter.
So God, bless those in my church family who battle same sex attraction and choose not to act out. They are under a lot of pressure right now so protect them from the evil one. Help us surround them in love. For your Son's sake.
I am hurting for my same sex attraction brothers and sisters who have chosen to remain celibate. It is always difficult to battle your demons. Ask anyone battling sexual addiction of any kind. Or ask the Christian alcoholic. Or the brother who is fighting to have a healthy body that honors God.. Or the sister who is committed to not gossip any longer. It is hard to live the way God asks.
It is a battle to stay sexually sober. It is frustrating to realize that you may never experience marriage the way most of your church family does. Not just because you have not found "the one", but because you can't find the one. And you would give anything to have things be different. But they aren't. At least not now.
And now it seems that our culture is celebrating the legalization of what you have made the spiritual commitment to forego. It must be hard to see these couples celebrating what you will not do. There are those dangerous thoughts that whisper how that could be you. Just like for any of us that see culture celebrating and engaging in what we battle. It is hard to be faithful in a unfaithful world.
And then the church is making it clear how wrong homosexuality is. You get it. You know it. That is why you have chosen celibacy. And Satan whispers how unfair it is. No other sin is being publicly condemned like this one is now. It would be easy to feel picked on. It would be easy to just give up and give in.
In what is a hard fight, you have to watch the world celebrate what you refuse to surrender to. And you have to hear the church reminding you how wrong your temptation is.
So to my brothers and sisters faithfully and courageously choosing celibacy and committing to walk the hard road to follow the call of Jesus... you are loved and appreciated. Your courage will inspire us in our struggles. We are praying for you. We are walking with you. Do not be ashamed. Be proud that you have chosen to be a faith fighter.
So God, bless those in my church family who battle same sex attraction and choose not to act out. They are under a lot of pressure right now so protect them from the evil one. Help us surround them in love. For your Son's sake.
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I think the same sex ceremony that can now be celebrated and is legal is more than a marriage ceremony in the sense that partners are now recognized for the benefit status that we in traditional marriages take for granted. The couples outside traditional marriage that you are referring to have found "the one" and are not looking to change that status in their lives.
My husband had coffee this morning with a friend who he and his partner have chosen a God centered lifestyle and in so doing are celibate, but also have made the choice to continue to be partners in life. To assume that a traditional marriage in these cases will be the answer to an unfulfilled quest for a "normal" lifestyle is in my opinion unrealistic.
There are many levels to a relationship that involve love and understanding your mate in life. Same sex couples have a multidimensional relationship with their mates just as the rest of us do, and we all age and change those requirements throughout life.
The difficult choice of a mate in life is not taken lightly by most people, the segment you refer to know their lives are not traditional but many continue to live by God's love and grace, with a generous heart willing to carry not only their burdens but the burdens of others.
I pray that I will look for the good in life from all who offer, and not condemn what I do not understand.
My husband had coffee this morning with a friend who he and his partner have chosen a God centered lifestyle and in so doing are celibate, but also have made the choice to continue to be partners in life. To assume that a traditional marriage in these cases will be the answer to an unfulfilled quest for a "normal" lifestyle is in my opinion unrealistic.
There are many levels to a relationship that involve love and understanding your mate in life. Same sex couples have a multidimensional relationship with their mates just as the rest of us do, and we all age and change those requirements throughout life.
The difficult choice of a mate in life is not taken lightly by most people, the segment you refer to know their lives are not traditional but many continue to live by God's love and grace, with a generous heart willing to carry not only their burdens but the burdens of others.
I pray that I will look for the good in life from all who offer, and not condemn what I do not understand.
I don't think God needs a human marriage ceremony to make a decision if two people's love for one another is pure and therefore not a sin to engage in sex.
He knows your heart.
A marriage requirement for non-sinful sexual activity is an attempt to keep people from having sinful sex run rampant, but it is not a rule without exceptions, it is a guideline with intentions.
God knows your heart.
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He knows your heart.
A marriage requirement for non-sinful sexual activity is an attempt to keep people from having sinful sex run rampant, but it is not a rule without exceptions, it is a guideline with intentions.
God knows your heart.
# posted by 
: 8:38 AM PDT
: 8:38 AM PDT << Home
