SPECIAL GUEST BLOG BY: HUNTER PAUL  (ANDREA’S DAUGHTER)

Purity.

Purity is such a big passion for me. A few years ago, I went on this journey of really seeking the Lord on what I am called to. I remember him taking me back, to different times in my life, seeing where he intervened. When I saw it all from his point of view, I saw exactly what my calling was.

I am not only called to live a life of purity (which every person is) but there is such a deep passion in me to show the world what it means to live a pure life and be an example of what it means to live that way.

When I was in high school, I was known as “The Good Girl”. I was constantly made fun of by my friends for being a virgin, for not saying cuss words, for not drinking at the parties, etc. So what did I do? I tried to be the exact opposite of a “good girl”. I started sneaking around my parents and lying to them about what I was doing, I started going to parties and drinking, and I started making every word out of my mouth a cuss word.

Still, there was one thing that I could not go through with.

No matter how hard I tried, something would always happen that would prevent me from having sex with someone.

Every. Single. Time.

I didn’t understand it then, but looking back now I know it was God.

In the midst of all this, I had been going to church, leading worship, and then on the weekends getting drunk and partying. I chose to live my life like that for 3 years and then had a huge wakeup call one day and finally gave my life over to the Lord for real this time. HA!

I not only asked for forgiveness, but I completely gave up my old life and turned away from all that I had been doing.

As I surrendered my life to the Lord and started this new and exciting journey with him, I promised God and myself that I would wait to have sex until I got married. I told that to God 5 years before I met my husband.

Let me tell you, those 5 years were probably some of the hardest years of my life!

I faced the opportunity to have sex more times than I could count. Yes, there were times where I went a little too far with a guy, but thank you Jesus we get grace for the times we mess up.

There is no shame in the kingdom, so I didn’t allow myself to feel shame about it. I definitely felt convicted but that helped me to learn from the situation and not do it ever again. As Kris Vallotton says “Conviction says I did something wrong. Shame says I am something wrong”.

Those 5 years may have been the hardest years of my life, but it ended up being the most rewarding. As I laid next to my husband on my wedding night, I remember smiling and thinking to myself “I made it”. I made it with a few bumps and bruises, some blood, sweat, and tears, but I stinken’ made it! That right there, was the greatest and most rewarding feeling I have ever felt in my entire life.

When you have something that you value so much, you protect it with your life.

You make sure nothing hurts it.

I valued my purity so much that I went through hell to protect it with my life. It would have been impossible to do on my own, but seeking after God, making him Lord over everything in my life made it possible for me to cross that finish line.

Why I am so passionate about this is because I want people to have that same amazing experience that I was able to have. Not to go have a one night stand with someone and have the feelings of regret, shame, or even the feeling of having to hide something you know was wrong.

When you have sex with a person, you are giving a piece of yourself to that person. Think about it this way, if you are having sex with different people over and over again, each time those people get a part of you, and eventually you’ll have no part of yourself left. You’ll have nothing in the end that could be given to the person you marry because you already gave it away.

Remember though, I’m not saying you’re doomed for life if you’ve had sex before marriage. God forgives and gives grace, and I definitely believe there is redemption for people who want it.

In the world, sex is being advertised everywhere and in everything. Movies, songs, TV, you name it, it is everywhere. The problem now is people are making sex just a service to validate oneself, not an act of intimacy and connection between husband and wife. People aren’t holding any value for sex anymore, and when you don’t value something it becomes trashed.

While the world is over advertising and displaying their perverted way of sex, the church is too scared to talk about it at all. So, the only thing kids are learning today about sex is what the world teaches them. Children need to be taught the value of sex. How it’s an amazing and beautiful gift that is given for husbands and wives to share together.

My passion is to help people discover the value in purity. In doing that, I want to help raise up a new generation of people who seek after the lord in everything they do, and live a life of purity. Sex shouldn’t be tossed around, nor should it be a scary thing to talk about. It is an amazing gift given by God.

So, I encourage you today, to live a life of purity and pursue after God with all your being.

Love you guys!

Hunter Paul