Pure: Mind, Body and Spirit

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things"

- Philippians 4:8

     As followers of Jesus Christ, we are told to dwell on good, honest, noble and pure things. Are we dwelling on pure things? In Rebecca St. James' book "Pure," we see that purity is not only physical, but something that we should also strive for spiritually and mentally.

"Striving to live a pure life physically is obviously a huge goal, but in addition, the way you turn over your fears and priorities to God, the way you forgive others, the way you think about every subject in your life --and your life to come-- are also part of living a pure life before your Father."

- Rebecca St. James, Pure

     Purity starts from the inside out. What we think about and what we let into our minds will be reflected in our words and actions. So what are we allowing our minds to dwell on? What are we allowing to seep into our souls? When we have the choice of exposing ourselves to something wrong (e.g. through movies, music, etc.), which choice are we making? Of course, somethings we cannot really help; we are constantly exposed to stuff, so something is bound to make an impression. But are we dwelling on it?

"We all face times in life when we find that we, in our humanness, are not sufficient for the task at hand. That’s when we also have the opportunity to discover firsthand that in our weakness, God is strong" (ibid.).

     God knows the intentions of our hearts, which we, being human, are not always the purest. But He is strong and He can make us clean; God can make us pure. How wonderful is that? When we accept Christ into our life, God begins to clear the cobwebs of sin from our spirit. And then when we begin to delve into His word and seek His will, we find our minds dwelling on pure things. And then it is reflected in the way we live.

"There are many reasons why I believe purity is so important. I am passionate about purity because it works. I am passionate about purity because it protects me --and my future husband and kids. I am passionate about purity because it is romantic and beautiful. And I am passionate about purity because it makes my Father smile. Many people think of being pure as an action --something they must do-- rather than approaching it as something they can be" (ibid.).