Let's start with a story! I love me a good story. :)
Once upon a time, on a hot day in September, we had to run into town. (Ugh!) First we picked up a coffee at Wood’s (of course) then headed off to TJ-MAX to search out a present for my Grandma. The place was CROWDED. And you probably know from experience that heat and bodies don't mix. We were rushing through, trying to be as quick and decisive as we could, when this beautiful lady walked through with her husband. Wedges, a (very) short skirt, toned legs. A man on my left was waiting as his wife picked through the racks. He immediately scanned those beautiful legs, in a complete daze- staring and drooling as she turned the corner.
"Ready to go?" his wife innocently stated.
"Uh, yeah.." -half mesmerized.
They walked off, the short little woman displaying her finds to her semi-listening husband.
(not a very good story, I know.)
The whole scenario just broke my heart. How could he stand right beside his wife and so blatantly lust after another woman? And not even consider the fact that the woman was already taken?
I stopped dead in my tracks. How many times had I looked at a guy and thought, He's pretty cute. Or only looked at them as "husband material"? I am taken by my Lord and Savior, by Jesus who calls me His own. His daughter, his treasured one. Anyways, God had planned for me (and every man and woman) a spouse since before the beginning of time. In reality, every time I look at a man and think, "gosh, he sure is good-looking" I am lusting after SOMEONE ELSE'S FUTURE HUSBAND.
I am just as guilty as that man.
“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman [or man] lustfully has already committed adultery with her [/him] in his [/her] heart” (Matthew 5:28, NIV).
And what about when I create a fairytale in my mind about some "crush" of mine? ‘And then he'll embrace me, and we'll ride into the sunset on his gleaming white Ferrar- ...I mean horse--’ 
It is easy for us as girls to fall into the sin of letting our heart fall to too many places. The new boy in band. That adorable neighbor you’ve been crushing on for simply years. A cute pizza delivery guy. And, yes, even that sweet twenty-something from church that always opens the door for you. I fall into this, too... don’t get me wrong. For men, the lust is visionary. For us girls, it’s mental. We like to dream up that perfect scene with the cute neighbor. We like to picture ourselves as his girlfriend (someday, at least...).
Well, you might be thinking, I’ve only ever liked one guy. I’ll only ever like him. Again, you must check your heart. Is this what I want to be doing to my heart? Do I want to put it through these shredders over and over again until there is not even one morsel left for my eventual husband?
Now, through all of this, I am not trying to condemn you. Of course not! The goal of this series is to bring us closer to God and His ways; this is my goal. How awesome is it to have more sisters in Christ to cheer on the Christian way? TOTALLY AWESOME. I want you to feel free by reading this post.. not condemned.
So, I can’t deny it. I have fallen over and over again (x20) into this sin. What can I do about it? Sometimes we feel as though we have fallen too far. Best to just throw in the towel and keep on sinnin’, right? No. I am saved by Christ. He died for my sin, the sin I will forever fall into without Him. If I repent, I will be forgiven. Is is easy? No.. It feels good to fantasize about all those cute guys, even with the guilt that follows. Sin does, every time. But it is pulling us away from Christ, the one we should be striving for. So I have to go against the core of my creature and think on the good, pure things. Think on Christ, and His Awesomeness. Focus on His Saving Grace. Don’t stop repenting, even when it feels better to lust and think about those ripped arms and One-Direction hair.
We keep pure for Christ, because He always has us in mind.
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