How to Use "The Lust Dare"
Day #24: Whatever is Pure
“But the wisdom that is
from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of
mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.”
–James 3:17
Whatever is true, whatever is
noble, whatever is just, whatever is pure...
Is
it just me, or does that last word sting a little? After all, if we are going
through this dare to rid ourselves of the lust of the flesh, what are we but
impure? But I believe that God grants us a new purity, and that once again our
slate is wiped clean and we are undefiled once again.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man
is being renewed day by day.” -2 Corinthians 4:16
We are renewed day by day. And we
are reminded to also think on that which is pure. As it is the impure thoughts
that we are trying to replace, does it not make perfect sense that in their
place we should be putting pure thoughts?
Well, what does the passage mean
when it tells us to think on that which is pure? The Greek word that is used,
hagnos, expresses freedom from defilements and impurities. That which is hagnos is free from all defilements, and
is not contaminated in any way. The same word is used when referring to a
virgin, which is a clear symbol of that which is pure. Pearls or the color
white in general are meant to symbolize purity; because that which is pure
white is without defilement.
So does this mean that we should
be thinking on those things that are pure white? We should spend all of our
days pondering the snowflake and the pearl? Well… I probably wouldn’t say that.
Although if those symbols remind you to think on what is pure, then by all
means wear a string of pearls everyday. But more so, we can think on beauty.
True purity is a thing of much
beauty. A small innocent child is a delight to the soul. A virgin on her
wedding night is lovely to behold. A pure white flower with no blemish is a
thing of beauty. These are the kinds of things that we can think on. We can
think on the purity of that which is around us, and how to protect that. We can
think on the new purity in us that is being renewed day by day, and protect
that by guarding our thoughts and that which would make us divulge in that
which is impure.
“Blessed are the pure
in heart, for they shall see God.” –Matthew 5:8(ESV)
Today’s Dare
Find some ways to collect photographs that symbolize purity
to you. Whether it is pictures of small children, or of beauty in general, or
whether it is pearls, unicorns, and lilies. Put these pictures somewhere where
you will see them often. You could pin them up on a corkboard in your bedroom
or kitchen, you could make them rotate as the background on your computer, or
you could put together a mini scrapbook that you could purposefully look at
daily. Whatever is the best way for you, collect these photos that you might be
reminded daily of purity and to think on that which is pure.
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