One day, I was in a meeting with some ladies from church. I remember the group leader, Anna, standing up to tell us the story of a young man who ‘miraculously’ always found ways to feed himself even though he was very poor. She said that he said that he would go to any open market where different kinds of garri (cassava flakes) or other market products without packaging are displayed for sale.
He would approach the saleswoman as if he was interested in buying and would ask for the price. While at it, the young man whose name we later realized was Joseph would take almost a handful of each kind of garri or other unpackaged products and eat it. The reason he tendered to the saleswomen was that he needed to verify whether the garri or any other product he tried out was good or not.
After tasting different products displayed for sale, he would leave without eventually buying any. His excuses ranged from: the garri wasn’t sour enough or that he would buy it when he is returning or some other thing he could spontaneously think of dependent on the product he was testing out.
By the time he left her store, he would have eaten four handfuls of garri or any other unpackaged product, he would buy a sachet of water, drink, and that was sufficient for the moment. According to Anna, these went on for days and in different markets around the city. It was quite a funny experience as I remembered us looking intently at Anna to find out what became of poor Joseph. However, Anna interrupted her story by asking us a question.
“Why do you think Joseph was able to do this successfully a number of times?” Anna asked.
After thinking for a moment, I replied, “Well, I think it’s because he is able to get easy access to the products.” The girls nodded in agreement. Then Anna asked another question which sent us thinking again.
“Why do you think that he could not successfully try out that method in a mall with packaged goods, for example, bread?”
This question got me thinking for a while then the new girl who sat beside me jokingly said, “Ahhhh, they will beat him!”. We all laughed as we echoed, “True, True”
“Why do you think that?” Anna asked as she smiled at the new girl’s comment.
As I was about to speak, Flora who had been quiet all through said, “Because bread or any other packaged product is inside a form of packaging that makes it secure. He can’t take it without paying first. Once, he tears open the packaging, it means he has either paid or is about to pay for it”.
It was as if her comment took me to the thinking world in my mind. I pondered on it greatly even though I could still hear Anna talking in the background. And I would love to share the conclusion of my thoughts.
We have two kinds of single people today. We have the ‘Garri – Easy’ and the ‘Bread – Secure’. We have so many ladies today who guys simply use to satisfy their immediate sexual hunger, just like how Joseph did. When that boyfriend, boss, sugar daddy or Facebook fan is done with them, they “serve them breakfast”—dumping them, knowing that they are not good to be virtuous wives.
On the other hand, we have the other set of ladies/guys that society labels as naive, those who don’t know what’s trending but are wiser in God’s eyes. Those, who preserve their body and have made a vow that whosoever will ‘tear open their packaging’ must be the men or women they are married to. They are not outside like a displayed garri. They are inside the packaging of grace, godliness, personal values and integrity.
They believe in inward virginity (purity of heart) and outward virginity. They don’t toy with sexual sins. They understand that their bodies are the temples of God, and run from every form of defilement. They dress beautifully, charming but not provocatively or in an adulterous manner. They stand for chastity, and God is proud of them. The world may hate them, but they aren’t controlled by the standard of the world.
They have seen the future ahead and are grooming themselves for it, heeding the word of God which says, “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honour God with your bodies”. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)
After the meeting, I had several discussions with other ladies and I took time to study the scriptures then some things dawned on me. It became more real to me that keeping myself pure is more about God and me. I also came to realize that even sex is more about God and me than with my spouse. This is no attempt to ‘spiritualize‘ everything because it’s true.
Like most things in the Christian faith, God uses earthly realities to give us a glimpse into spiritual truths. That is why Jesus used parables— storytelling to teach kingdom principles.
All around us, God uses our earthly elements to mirror and teach us about Himself and His kingdom.
Sex was intended to exclusively be between a man and his wife. It is God’s intent that only one man and one woman share that level of intimacy. It came alive in my spirit that it was the reason God said in the very first commandment, ‘I am the Lord your God, have no other God but me‘. God created Himself to stay unrivalled in the hearts of men. He literally made us with the deepest hunger for Himself alone.
Sex is made exclusive between a man and his wife because you and God are exclusive, nothing takes His place in you and nothing takes your place in Him.
The intimacy of sex also reveals the oneness God desires between Himself and us, whether male or female. The oneness is a testament to Ephesians 2:6: “…raised up with Christ and seated with Him in the heavenly realms IN Christ Jesus”. You and Abba are made one Spirit.
Sex was also designed by God to bring pleasure and if you dwell and abide in God’s presence, you will understand how this perfectly mirrors our secret place with Him, how we get in and we don’t want to come out or how we experience high levels of pleasure and satisfaction just sitting with Abba in Fellowship also known as Koinonia.
All of what sex is mirrors God’s intention between us and Himself. It became clear to me that in both married and single life, we can master and be intimate with Abba. Being in reflection of all of Abba. Be ye Holy as Christ is Holy.
Our Intimacy with ABBA easily mirrors our heart’s deepest hunger and that is a question we all have to honestly answer: ‘what is the deepest desire of my heart?’
As a single young gentleman or lady, which side are you? Do you want to offer your body as a garri – easy to be tested by men/women or you’ll rather keep yourself secure in holiness, offering your body to ABBA as a living sacrifice in complete and total intimacy with HIM for the rest of your life?
Are you willing to remain holy, saying bye to reckless sexual immoral life?
Do you wish to have this intimacy with ABBA; where your life will mirror the perfect sexual relationship between you and ABBA and your future spouse?
You have that chance to make the decision now!!
CONTACT US at abbasdwellingplace@gmail.com for counselling if you desire to live a holy life. Or you write anonymously on the chatbot on the website. A life free from all forms of sexual sins is possible.