Sharie King - 40 Days of Purity for Girls

Copyright 2014 by LifeWay Christian Resources

All right reserved.

Printed in the United States of America

978-1-4336-8434-0

Published by B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

Dewey Decimal Classification: 306.73

Subject Heading: GIRLS \ SEXUAL ABSTINENCE \ CHRISTIAN LIFE

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible,
Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009
by Holman Bible Publishers.

Also used: New International Version ( niv ), copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

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I praise God for being a faithful Father; in Him my life lacks no good thing (see Psalm 84:11). I would like to thank my mom for providing for me, and my grandparents for paving the way to my relationship with Jesus. Clayton, the Lord has used your love to heal my heart and make me a better woman. You are the most amazing man I know.

T onight both of my sons had baseball games. My husband drove them to the field while I went to the store for team snacks and drinks. On my way, Clayton called to tell me wed mixed up the game time and wed have an-hour-and-a-half to waste in town. Our conversation experienced a frustrated silence because the past few months wed been so busy, everything was planned to the minute. We didnt have time to waste.

Well, what do you want to do? I asked.

I guess well just meet you at the field.

When I arrived, Clayton was pitching to Jacob in the batting cage, and Joseph skipped up to me with pleading eyes. Mama, wanna throw the ball? My initial thought was, No, I want to pout, but the Holy Spirit helped me grab a glove.

When it was Josephs turn to bat, I walked with him to the cage and realized how much I wanted to smack that ball. I looked at Joseph with the same pleading eyes hed given me earlier and asked, Do you care if I bat? Sure he said.

I leaned back into my stance and felt adrenaline flow through my muscles as they anticipated the power Id feel when the bat connected with the unsuspecting ball. After twelve hits in a row, my sons friend asked me, Did you just finish your college season? Laughter entered my soul because I hadnt played in twenty-one years. But, I decided to play with my kids a little and said, Yeah. We just finished a winning season of 16 and 2. Exasperated grunts left both of my kids mouths as Joseph said, Dont believe her; shes one of those moms that jokes around.

Originally I was entirely frustrated by this misspent hour, but as I played with my family, I realized God was using this time to make me play . I didnt need to accomplish one more task. My soul needed fun and laughter, but I had to follow His lead to find it.

God always knows what you need more than you do, but His ways dont always feel in line with your feelings. Letting the gospel define your purity doesnt feel easy, normal, or popular, so Ive written forty days of encouragement to help you in this journey. But, its up to you to listen to the Holy Spirit and follow His lead. As you walk this hard road, keep this in mind: Ive never met someone who regretted saving their sexuality for marriage. I pray that youll have the courage to leave the worlds influences behind, listen to the Holy Spirit, and follow His lead.

W hen I started middle school, it seemed like everyone left the simplicity of friendships on the elementary playgrounds and traded them in for a new form of entertainment: relationships .

I boarded the school bus where everyone buzzed about who liked whom. I noticed my reflection bouncing in the school-bus window. My permed hair and my shiny new braces were reflecting on the glass. As we approached the school building, I wondered how I was going to convince my classmates to like me when I wasnt even sure if I liked myself.

I walked up to my locker, and my hands wouldnt stop shaking as I desperately tried to get the combination right the first time. In my peripheral vision I noticed stylish girls weaving through the hallways, turning all the boys heads. They must have spent their summer reading magazines that taught them the secrets to looking great and standing out.

I wanted what they had: attention, popularity, and confidence. So I studied their clothes, hairstyles, mannerisms, and conversations.

After a few months I, too, walked the halls with what seemed like confidence. I was no longer on the bottom of the totem pole, and the group I wanted to join started to let me into their conversations. But it wasnt what I expected.

I listened as the opinions of my friends changed about one another with each passing day, situation, or conversation. And I was sure this was true of their conversations about me. The power of my new style didnt earn me the attention I wanted. Boys complimented me with a slap on the rear instead of a love letter or dinner.

I was trying to fill the natural human desire to be noticed, to find affection and love through friendship, but I kept coming up empty. I was in a danger zone. My heart was beating to the beat of blinking yellow caution lights.

The caution in my soul was a warning. As a young Christian, Id come to a crossroads in my faith. My pounding heart was Jesus asking, Will you let other people dictate whom you become, or will you become the woman Ive created you to be?

So, ladies, my question is this: If we know the God of the universe chose us to be His children, why would we ever let a mere person define who we are or whom we will become?

When youre looking at your reflection on that bus, feeling like nothing, remember Jesus gave up His life to give yours value. When people like you one day only to reject you the next, remember Jesus love doesnt flip-flop. He doesnt ask to be your friend one day, only to abandon you the next. He is faithful, and His love is permanent and eternal.

Youve been chosen by the God of the universe.

Will you choose Him?

M ost of us have been told that Jesus love is faithfully permanent. But the test of whether we believe it comes in that moment when we feel like weve failed Jesus. All of a sudden the door of doubt opens in our hearts, and uneasy thoughts creep through the cracks.

He loved me before, but does He love me now? Maybe if I _______ (fill in the blank), I can prove my love, and He will take me back.

The more we doubt, the farther we run from the truth. The truth is: He promised to love you permanently. The challenge is to believe this is true when all the messages around us scream just the opposite.

I was excited to wake up the morning Clayton and I were to shoot the video teachings for the True Love Project until I looked in the mirror.

Ugh! I thought. Why didnt anyone tell my body that I was only supposed to break out as a teenager?

LifeWay had someone on set to do hair and makeup, but I panicked anyway. I didnt even want the makeup artist to see the giant protrusion on my face, much less all the lovely audiences who would watch the videos for years to come.

Thankfully I had my HD concealer, made to cover those imperfections you dont want people to see when shooting high-definition film. Still, as the sweet lady applied layer after layer of high-coverage foundation, assuring me no one would notice, I knew better. For the next twenty years, people would notice the flaw beneath the cover-up.