I recently had a conversation with a young man about how to stay pure as he enters life on his own.
He is about to turn 20 and traveling across the US to a new place. He was concerned that he would face powerful temptations and not know how to handle them.
There was good news during the conversation though because he recognized three very important things:
- He knew that he was going to face temptation.
- He knew that prayer was a strong force to use.
- He had a great book on how to face the challenges and stay pure!
I told him he was on the right track. He recognized and admitted that he would face temptation and was brave enough to ask for help and advice on what to do moving forward. Most men, young or old, continue to struggle with temptations because they won’t ask for help or advice on how to defeat it.
Here are the few things I offered this young man. And if you are in a similar situation, I would offer this same advice to you.
1 – Take Responsibility
As a young man no longer protected by the his parents, no longer able to hide behind those he has known for most of his life; it’s vital to his success that he take responsibility of his actions. His decisions are up to him now. He could choose to blame his failures on others, or he could do like he did and ask for help from other men that have already been. He’s on the right track.
2 – Don’t Be Lazy
Since he mentioned the fact that he had a new book specifically geared towards living and maintaining a pure life, I challenged his efforts! Instead of kicking back and watching television, read the book! And as you read the book, don’t just skim through it. Take notes on it. Highlight quotes and challenges that speak to you in a huge way. Take those quotes and enter them into your phone calendar so you can be reminded often about what you read and remember what it meant to you! Be a man of action and you’ll grow stronger against your temptations!
3 – Don’t forsake the value of Jesus
In all honesty, he wanted help with his temptations beyond just reading scripture and praying. In all honesty back to him, I told him to keep doing these things first and foremost! The book will give great insight into the topic of purity and temptations, but Jesus is the one who will help you beat the temptation, day in and day out. As you add quotes from the book into your calendar or social media, add verses too! Don’t underestimate your best defense!
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY!
BE A MAN OF ACTION!
DEFEND WITH CHRIST!
Guys, many men are facing similar challenges. This young man was able to step up and ask for help. I would encourage you to do the same! If you are struggling with something similar, please hit me up or talk to someone locally about your situation. With temptations and purity, silence can be deadly.
Let’s be a community of men who share! Please offer your thoughts, experiences and advice on this topic below or on one of our social channels.
.jpg)
