William Perkins - When Young Men Are Tempted. Sexual Purity for Guys in the Real World

INVERT

WHEN YOUNG MEN ARE TEMPTED: SEXUAL PURITY FOR GUYS IN THE REAL WORLD
Copyright 2007 by Bill Perkins

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ePub Edition June 2009 ISBN: 0-310-86468-2

Youth Specialties products, 300 South Pierce Street, El Cajon, CA 92020 are published by Zondervan, 5300 Patterson Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530.

ISBN-13: 978-0-310-27715-6

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version. NIV. 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan.

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER 1. Understanding Why Naked
Women Look So Good

CHAPTER 2. Waitingand Waiting
and Waiting

CHAPTER ONE
UNDERSTANDING WHY NAKED
WOMEN LOOK SO GOOD

Can you imagine how freaked girls would be if they knew how guys really look at them?

David A.

I dont get why people are so uptight about nudity. Thats how God created us. I say if youve got it, show it off . Im just talking about girls, though.

Geoff V.

I think about girls a lot. I mean A LOT. Almost all the time. Do you think I have a problem?

Vincente

The idea for this chapter came one Friday night while I was turning on my sprinkler system. As I walked across my yard, I noticed that my neighbors lights were on. Curious as to why the neighbors were up so late, I approached the fence and looked through the slats. I expected to see a handful of people playing cards inside. Instead I saw a beautiful young woman talking on the phone. No big deal, right? Wrong.

The woman was naked.

Instantly my eyes locked on her. Adrenaline rushed through my body. My heart started pounding like a jackhammer. My breathing grew shallow. The rest of the world seemed to fade away as I focused on the unexpected sight before me.

After gazing at her for a few seconds, I managed to pry myself away from the fence. I walked away a little shaken and a lot curiousnot about her, but about me. One question kept running through my mind: Why did I have such an extreme reaction to the sight of a womans body? Why did her naked beauty affect me so strongly?

Maybe youve had a similar experience as an accidental peeping Tom. Or maybe your first exposure to female nudity came from a magazine. Or an adult Web site. Or some late-night movie on cable.

Whatever your experience was, Ill bet you remember your reaction to it. The question is: Why did you react that way? What is it about a naked woman that stops guys dead in our tracks?

What is it about her that makes everything else suddenly seem uninteresting and unimportant?

Those are the questions Im going to focus on in this first chapter. Once you understand why you react as you do, you can begin to explore healthy, God-pleasing ways to deal with your sexual feelings and urges.

A WORK OF ART

The first and most obvious reason guys react so strongly to the sight of a naked woman is that the female body is a masterpiece. Call it the crowning work of The Master Artist. Genesis 1 tells us that God created the universe, the earth, and all living creatures in six days.

Genesis 2:21-22 tells us that God put Adam, the first man, into a deep sleep. While Adam snoozed, God went to work on the final piece of creation: the woman. With careful precision and perfect artistry, God designed her eyes, her nose, her lips, her skin, her breasts, her hair, andwell, you get the idea. When Adam finally woke up, Gods work was finished.

In human history there have been many momentous discoveries: Christopher Columbus discovering the New World, Ben Franklin discovering electricity, some guy named Reese discovering that chocolate and peanut butter taste great together. But none of them can compare to the discovery Adam made when he finally managed to stir from his slumber. Standing before him, in all of her God-created beauty and allure, was the first woman.

And she was naked.

The Bible doesnt tell us how Adam responded to such a glorious sight, but as a guy, you can probably imagine his reaction. In Genesis 2:23, Adam called his new companion woman. The Hebrew word for man is ish and the Hebrew word for woman is isha. Perhaps when Adam got an eyeful of Eve, the first woman, he simply said ish and then added a moaning exclamation of awe and excitement: aaaaaaaaaa! If Adam had spoken English, he might have said, Whoa! Man!

Does a response like that make sense to you? As descendants of Adam, most of us experience the same extreme reaction to Gods creative work in women. We share our ancestors appreciation for the female form.

Want proof? The next time youre hanging out with a group of guys, toss out a question like this:

Whats the most incredible sight in all of creation?

(a) The night sky during a meteor shower.

(b) A sunset in the Painted Desert.

(c) Twenty-foot waves off the coast of Maui.

(d) A fresh blanket of snow on the slopes of Vail.

(e) The female body.

Feel free to throw in any other natural wonders you can think of, but it probably wont change anyones answer. As far as most guys are concerned, everything else in Gods creation pales in comparison to the masterpiece of the female form.

THE HIDDEN TREASURE

Not only did Adam get to attend the unveiling of the first woman, but he also got to see her in all of her glory. Genesis 2:25 puts it this way: The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

Imagine having a beautiful naked woman by your side 24-7. Life was good for Adam...for a while. Unfortunately for him and for ushis time in paradise came to a screeching halt after one terrible decision. Ignoring Gods clear warning, Adam and Eve decided that tasting the fruit of the forbidden tree was more interesting than obeying Gods rules.

Gods response was quick and severe. He booted Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden and warned them that life was going to become extremely difficult and painful for them and their descendants.

Along with the pain of being separated from God and their home in the garden, Adam and Eve had to deal with a couple other new emotions: guilt and shame. One of the ways they dealt with their shame was to cover their naked bodies. Genesis 3:7 tells us they strung fig leaves around their hips to cover themselves. God later updated their wardrobe by giving them animal skins to wear (Genesis 3:21).