Pure Manhood

"Is purity really possible?"

Every man has the ability to be pure. Most lack only the motivation. Where is that going to come from?

I've heard it said that a knight cannot be brave unless he has love. His love gives him his courage.

Whether it's love of his queen, his family, his country, or freedom, this driving force overpowers his fear of defeat and death. The knight can stare death in the face not because he cares little about life but because he cherishes it. This passionate love keeps him from fleeing the battlefield.

In the same way, a man cannot be pure unless he has love. His love for God and women gives him his courage. Because of this love, he chooses a sacrificial path that may bring mockery and rejection. He turns down countless opportunities for selfish pleasure not because he lacks love for women but because his love for them is so strong. He is not pure because he lacks passion. It is his passion that fuels his purity.

It is possible for you to be pure if you want it. A man can be abstinent by accident (for example, lack of opportunity), but you cannot be pure without freely choosing the lifestyle and fighting to preserve it. This is difficult, but what noble and good thing is not? And what's the alternative to chastity? A life of sloth, mediocrity, and living for one's self? That is not living; it's merely existing.

Some may say, "Why not just go with the flow and give in to what feels natural?" Try this attitude in sports, and you'll never make the team. Try it in academics, and you'll never attend college. Try it in marriage, and divorce will be inevitable. Try it as a father, and your children will resent you. We have been made to live for something greater than ourselves.

Ifyou wish to be pure, begin by admitting your need for grace. Purity is a giftfrom Jesus Christ, and he will give it to you if you ask for it with faith, humility,and perseverance. You have what it takes, because you are a son of God.