I'll never understand fear
You are bigger than the fear of falling
I detest not being in control of my life, emotions, thoughts, desires, etc. Not as opposed to submitting to God’s word, of course, but that place of carefulness in living that comes from FEAR.
FEAR of falling.
FEAR of messing up.
FEAR of something.
I’m in this group, and a question about ministers of the gospel and their chances of staying faithful if they stay apart from their spouses was raised, and yes, I see their concerns and their experiences. But most, if not all, of their counsel was shrouded in fear.
Is sexual immorality so powerful that a believer cannot dedicate themselves to God’s work apart from their spouses for a decent amount of time without being promiscuous?
Are we that weak and helpless?
Again, I understand the need for caution. I understand the need for boundaries. I’m not advocating for lewdity. But I’ll never understand the FEAR from which we live our lives.
Firstly, the fear of falling is not even godly.
Secondly, sexual immorality should not become a hindrance to the assignment God has given anyone.
Whether married or single, believers should be able to discipline themselves and have rule over themselves and their desires.
Married people sin.
Single people sin.
Fear is bondage.
Fear is torment.
Fear is slavery.
No matter how we want to preach it, I’ll never live in fear of ANYTHING. I want to be able to lay down my life when I want and pick it up when I want. I want to be able to rule myself and my thoughts and own my decisions and mistakes. I want to be able to live above erring, but on my journey there, I want to be able to take responsibility for my actions, repent if need be, and get the “hell up” and keep walking.
I don’t know about you, but if I can’t stay apart from my spouse for a good reason, no matter how long, and not be okay and not act funny, then I’m in bondage.
I personally DO NOT want that type of life.
It was the Corinthians that Apostle Paul told to get back to their spouses so that Satan will not tempt them, not me. I am not a Corinthian. I don’t live my life according to their way of life.
Funnily enough, the person who was giving them this counsel was not even married.
So who should even suffer more?
People who are married and have to stay away from their spouses for a period, or someone who never got married?
Who should love sex more?
Those who have had sex and everything that goes with it or someone who hasn’t?
No one is asking you to live apart from your spouse. But if you cannot do so because you will not be able to keep yourself, I wholeheartedly believe that there is something wrong with your mind and your self-control.
I want to DO WHAT I WANT, how I want, and not pressure myself to not fall into this or that. I want to do something not because I CANNOT DO WITHOUT IT, but because I just want it.
With it I’m perfectly okay.
Without it I’m perfectly okay.
And this doesn’t just apply to sex alone.
It applies to EVERYTHING in life.
Being okay with or without anything is pure bliss.
You cannot be manipulated; you cannot be controlled. Because control is both emotional and ignorance. You can’t control me if my emotion is not tied to what you’re offering. You cannot control me if I am not ignorant of what you’re scheming.
So if you’re in this world, but you’re entirely detached from everything in this world, you have won the battle of manipulation.
You’re a soarer. There is nothing that can stop you unless yourself.
There are stories of monks who discipline themselves and their appetites to achieve ascendency. Some of them pledged their sexual lives for the sake of service to Buddha, but here we have a believer who has God’s Spirit, shaking at the sight of a naked woman, and we call it what? Holiness?
If a monk can become a master of his appetites and desires, how much more the believer in Christ? You have a higher advantage. You are literally God living in the human body.
It is okay to begin by fleeing from tempting situations, but you must not remain at that level where all you do is flee. You must rise in maturity to the point where you are not running away from darkness, but shining your light in the darkest places.
If we cannot do this, then we are slaves to our desires, and we should not be taken seriously at all.
Know where you are on the rung, but also know that you must keep pushing the bar. Don’t settle for less. You are bigger than the fear of sin.
You are bigger than the fear of falling.