Let's just get it out of the way now. I wear a purity ring. I received this ring when I was 12. I asked my mom for it because it was I felt I was ready to make that commitment to God and myself. Spoiler alert, I wasn't ready for that level of commitment yet. In middle school, I never understood the meaning of purity. The most scandalous thing in middle school was who my classmates slow danced with.
Purity is about the mind and physical affection, which is something I didn't comprehend at such a young age. God explains this in The Bible when He says, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness." (1 Thess. 4:3-8) In this verse, God explained very clearly that we are to abstain from sexuality immorality.
Sexual immorality means more than just sex before marriage; it is a matter of the mind also. It means that I will stray from sexual thoughts and from looking at sexual images. The act of sex before marriage means more than just sharing yourself with someone else, but it links you emotionally.
I started realizing how emotional relationships could be when I started dating my ninth grade boyfriend. I honestly felt as if I had found the greatest guy in the word. Then, as lots of adolescent relationships do, it was over. I was devastated and felt as if I was never going to recover. Try imagining all of that emotional damage. I'm sure you have a similar experience. Would you want to add sexual emotion and betrayal on top of it all? God only gives us this verse out of love and concern for our lives.
God did not tell us to stay sexually pure to make us angry. God even says that sex is good. "But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. " (1 Corinthians 7) God explains to us that it is good for a husband and wife to share physical affection because it promotes a healthy marriage. Having sex outside of marriage can cause heartbreak, emotional scarring and resentment towards another person. Containing sex inside of marriage will help bond the married couple together emotionally and it will reduce the risk of emotional damage.
On the other hand, my ring does not make my decisions. A little piece of silver around my ring finger will not stop me from doing anything or looking at anything sexual. It does not create a barrier between anything. Think of the purity ring as a wedding ring. A wedding ring will not keep you from physically or emotionally cheating on your spouse, but it is a symbol of the vows you have taken. It is a token of your love and commitment to your wife/husband. My purity ring is a symbol of my commitment to my future spouse.
That is why I am still wearing it at 18. I believe it is so important for me to make that commitment to my future husband now. I am taking the initiative to say that I will keep myself pure for him. I want to obey God's commands because He is preventing me from a heartbreak that could be prevented. The choice is mine, but I always choose to wear my ring.
