Walk by Faith, Not by Society

Everyone has their own personal struggles with spirituality, and today's society makes the struggle ever more difficult. Whichever religion a person practices, those views most likely do not align with the cultural beliefs of modern society. In today's society, sexual intercourse is heavily promoted and normalized. This leads to young children having a pornography addiction or young girls becoming pregnant more frequently. This all stems from the pressures and expectations that society places on individuals as seen or heard in different forms of media. Before we dive any further into this topic, I would like to point out that it is your body and therefore your choice how you use it. Nobody can tell you what you can or cannot do with your body. We all walk through society with different beliefs and values. However, everyone has the power to choose how they want to live.

There is a never ending battle between generational and religious beliefs. In this newfound generation, the media has a greater influence on the mass compared to one's religion. Personally, it is difficult trying to adapt to this new generation but still trying to maintain your faith. Many people are exposed to sexual intercourse and pornography in their adolscence. Society has normalized sexual activities at a young age, and this has shifted society away from godliness. Also, many popular songs pertain to foreplay and sexual intercourse,. therefore, the media and society are putting pressure on young adults to engage in these activities because it has become normalized. The act of waiting till marriage or celibacy has become foreign topics in today’s society. People in this generation pick and choose which verses from religious text are best equipped for their life or lifestyle. In turn, they make excuses for their behavior. Even I am responsible for having my liberal views but still believing in the Bible. To play devil’s advocate, some people see pornography as a way of empowerment, but this can easily turn into an unhealthy addiction., This is similar to how lyrical artists write derogatory and sexual lyrics that many people listen to and live by.

During my personal path to righteousness, I have strayed away from my faith numerous times. However, you can never go too far to where you are not forgiven. Personally, I have seen the emphasis on sex since a very young age. It has reached the point where I am not able to look at common household items such as a hair brush normally. This society has over-sexualized everyone and everything; it has even over-sexualized me. Women possess certain assets that are both praised and ridiculed. After hitting puberty, I began to “fill out” and this caught the attention of many men. There are now certain outfits that I cannot wear without drawing too much attention to myself. This leads to catcalling and other sorts of behavior. In my opinion, it all starts from pornography. Individuals in pornography are not seen as actual people but objects. Therefore, men have treated me like an object that can be objectified. I never saw certain items such as bananas or water bottles to be perceived as “dirty”. However, this culture normalizes sticking items up their vaginal canal that does not belong there, and I did not know where I fit in with this new generation. Even though I have already lost my virginity, I know I can still live a life of purity. I will attempt to do things in the manner I see fit and be abstinent until marriage. It is important that I always inform anyone that I plan to date about my journey and continue my journey to righteousness with them. I think my past of being over-sexualized and being coerced into sexual activities has made me cautious of who is receiving my body. Your body is a temple and it should be cherished as one. If you are having sexual intercourse with multiple people, then it is believed that they are taking a part of you every time. I am a person who believes in soul ties and that is why I find waiting for the right person highly important. 

Having sexual intercourse with someone is a very spiritual experience because you are essentially creating a bond with this person. People casually sleep around but do not understand the demons that their partners could possess. Now that person wonders why they are depressed or longing for that person due to their intimate connection. Society has projected that sexual activities are only physical and not spiritual but this is far from the truth. Yes, some people do consider sexual intercourse a very binding and intimate interaction. However, I am speaking directly to those who participated in sexual activities without knowing the demons that other people are fighting. Sexual activities are both spiritual and emotional. This is something I had to figure out as I hated myself after sexual activities because minutes to hours of pleasure only leaves you disappointed in the end with yourself. At least, that is how it was for me. I believe God made sex pleasureable between two marriaged individuals because of this emotional and spiritual aspect. This is because you are your most vulnerable when in these situations. Like many people should not be trusted to guard your heart, they should not be trusted with your soul as well. It is difficult when you wish to revert from sin but you are constantly surrounded by it and living in it. Many people revert back into their old ways due to the fear of being judged by their peers or conforming to societal norms. We were not meant to be like everyone else and mirror their actions. We need to follow our own paths and make our own choices not because of what is surrounding us but because of what we believe in. Walking down a more religious path is difficult and many will not understand it. However, you just have to walk by faith and not by societal norms.

My advice for maintaining your spirituality while constantly being surrounded by sin on explore pages is to practice the following steps below:

1. Pray the sin away! I always find peace in praying and repentance. Sometimes you need to have a talk with your religious deity in order to feel at peace. The battle is not always yours to fight and sometimes those deities may deliver you from evil. Sex is not evil. However, the desire and lust that it brings can be seen as something unholy or wrong.
2. Listen to spiritual content creators. These content creators discuss their testimonies and help to guide you in the right direction. Personally, when I watch their videos, I feel like I am not alone in my beliefs. For example, I found a song on my recommendation page on YouTube titled “Stay pure for me”, and it came at a time I needed it most. Sometimes always seeing sin makes me feel like a sinner.
3. Use your sexual frustration and place it into something that is productive. This could include starting a new hobby or making new friends. This is turning negative energy into a positive form of energy. This will take your mind off of sexual activities and channel more positive outlets
4. Filter what you're seeing! The things that you watch the most or might be interested in are suggested to you. However, if you choose to surround yourself with posts and even people that support your journey then you will become more successful in your mission.

At the end of the day, it is still your body and your choice. What you believe might not be what I believe and that is okay. We all have our own specific religious beliefs and traditions. I only care about the sins that condemn me and not other people. The different perspectives are what makes our opinions stand out! 

Always take the road that is less traveled by
Xoxo
         -Gabby

​