Sex, Lust, and Fist Bumps!

As a growing Christian, an area in my life that I tend to struggle with is the area of sexual purity. Living in such an adulterated society, we are constantly being bombarded with profound and explicit sexual innuendos. We see it on TV commercials, movies, television shows, the internet, billboards, art; we hear them on the radio, music; and we read about them in magazines and books. It is such a constant battle because as a Christian, it is God's will that we pursue a life that grows in the love and knowledge of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ. God calls us, believers, to be holy and set apart (Lev. 20:26). To put it plainly, to be "set apart" would mean that there is a clear distinction between people who love God and those who don't.


To view my life as holy and set apart, it would mean that I do things much differently than how the world lives. Consider 1 Corinthians 10:23 when it says we can do virtually anything, but everything we do is not beneficial or constructive. I like how the Amplified version says it like this:

All things are legitimate [permissible--and we are free to do anything we please], but not all things are helpful (expedient, profitable, and wholesome). All things are legitimate, but not all things are constructive [to character] and edifying [to spiritual life].

Another good verse (similar to the previous one):

Everything is permissible (allowable and lawful) for me; but not all things are helpful (good for me to do, expedient and profitable when considered with other things). Everything is lawful for me, but I will not become the slave of anything or be brought under its power. [1 Corinthians 6:12, AMP]

What's the recurring theme? You can do almost anything and it would still be considered permissible. But that doesn't exclude the fact that every action is without consequences. For example, society says it's ok to have premarital sex. I've actually read some magazines, like Cosmopolitan, and found that they encourage people to engage in sexual behaviors. "Here are some tips you can try with your partner," it literally shouts from the covers.

Now here's the flaw with such misguided thinking: the consequences from such behavior brings destruction, distortion, and devastation. Sex is NOT bad. God created sex for a man and his wife to enjoy. Sex is holy in God's eyes when it is in the confines of marriage. Outside of that is a distortion; a perverse use of something that was meant to be holy. Just look at the number of STDs and unwanted pregnancies/abortions that occur outside of marriage. The consequences of premarital sex have detrimental effects; not only with the 2 consenting adults, but also with the lives of others around them. [I'll go into more detail about sex & stuff another time].

What I really wanted to get down to was a conviction that I believe God placed in my heart recently. I have made it my intention to greet guys with a fist bump or a high five. I've learned that guys and girls are wired differently, so how I approach a guy should be different than a girl. If hugging a guy could be stumbling block to them (especially if a guy is struggling with sexual purity) then I'll avoid the hug altogether. A fist bump or a high five doesn't diminish my care and concern for them as a friend. In actuality, I think it only authenticates it.

A while ago, I had just texted a few guy friends to let them know that I wanted to change the way in which we greet each other. I've got a lot of positive feedback, which was actually pretty surprising! I know that this sort of behavior might be new or foreign to them (since Miami is all about the hugging and besso besso), which is why I have resolved to be the initiator in this situation. There might be awkward moments, but I'd rather go through awkward moments than compromise my faith & conviction.

I'm inspired to live differently; going against the flow!