Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeEditorialsPurity Is A Lifestyle, Not a Streak

Purity Is A Lifestyle, Not a Streak

an arcade scoreboard..
Whose score really counts?

People involved in the no-fap movement, and Christians who have an interest in sexual integrity, like to keep score. For either group, keeping score often means calculating how many days since they last PMO’d (watched porn, masturbated, and orgasmed). There is nothing wrong with tracking progress in an area. Tracking progress can actually be a helpful tool of accountability. The probably is when our pursuit of purity becomes a competitive game or streak rather than a lifestyle.

When we play a game, our emotions fluctuate depending on our performance in the game. If purity is a game, and my goal is to achieve the longest streak, then my motivation may increase as I get closer, and decrease the further I am away. I may also compare myself to others based on a number, when in reality the only person I should be comparing myself to is Christ, and to who I was yesterday.

Streaks cannot measure the purity of our hearts, nor should they be used as a gauge of our overall spiritual health. It’s possible not to PMO while entertaining dirty thoughts throughout the day. It’s also possible not to PMO or entertain dirty thoughts, but to fall short on many other life fronts, like how we spend our time and how we treat other people.

Integrity is about becoming a particular kind of person characterized by a pure heart. Integrity is a lifestyle and a state of mind, and cannot be reduced to a number on a notepad.

For the complete archive of articles, click here.

Cornelius
Cornelius
An intellectually curious millennial passionate about seeing people make healthy, informed choices about the moral direction of their lives. When I’m not reading or writing, I enjoy hiking, web-making, learning foreign languages, and watching live sports. Alumnus of Georgetown University (B.S.) and The Ohio State University (M.A.).
RELATED ARTICLES

2 COMMENTS

Leave a Reply

Editor's Picks