She Said Yes... to Waiting!

Dear Single Mom,

I did something that I thought I could never do, something that I felt like I would never want to do! I decided to announce in front of a group of ladies from my life group and Pastor Charisse that I will stay celibate until I was married. It is important to have Christian friends to encourage you and keep you accountable to live a godly life.

God tells us in the book of Genesis to be fruitful and multiply. Sex is meant to be enjoyed and is a demonstration of love, but only in marriage. There are scriptures that state sex before marriage is a sin. Hebrews 13:4 says that marriage should be honored by all, that the marriage bed should be kept pure and, He will judge fornicators and those who commit adultery.

I once had the mindset that I could have sex and then ask for forgiveness because our God is such a forgiving God. But God only approves of sex between a husband and his wife. So although I asked for forgiveness, more needed to be done. I had to repent. Repenting is much more than a spur of the moment; I am sorry, forgive me, Lord. True repentance was acknowledging my actions and feeling regret, all while being committed to change for the better. A change of heart that led me to turn away from sin. For me, that was ending a relationship that was based on lust instead of love. God desires for my heart to be aligned with His will, including waiting to have sex until the day I am married.

If my future marriage has the potential to show the world the incredible love and grace of God, doesn’t it make sense that the enemy would want to try to destroy it?

Before you read my vows, I want to define what it is and how it is viewed in the bible. A vow is a serious promise. Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 says, “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.” And in Numbers 30:2, it says, “When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said.”

My Vows to Jesus

I vow to trust your plans for me.

I vow to trust that you will answer my prayers and send me the man that was specifically made for me to spend the rest of my life with.

A man that would love my child and me.

A man that will cover me in prayer and always lead me back to you.

A man who is patient, kind, humble, truthful, and faithful, just like you, God.

So today, I vow to wait until marriage to have sex.

While I am waiting,

I vow to run away from anyone or anything that can cause me to sin.

I vow not to entertain a relationship that does not have you at the center.

I vow to view myself through your eyes.

A daughter of a King.

Forgiven and chosen.

♥ Julie Cruz