AUGUST 15
scripture reading: I Peter 3:1–7

Read the Instructions!

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)

A number of years ago I bought a charcoal grill that had to be assembled. I opened the box and began to arrange all the pieces. It looked simple enough, so I got my tools and went right to work, ignoring the envelope that boldly said, Read instructions before assembling!

Two hours later I was hot, tired, and completely frustrated. Why did the legs wobble? Why did the wheels not turn? Why wasn’t the grill level? Finally, I humbled myself and found the envelope, opened it, and began to read the instructions. Within fif- teen minutes the job was done and everything worked perfectly. Amazing. We’ve enjoyed fine barbeque ever since!

In a similar way, many of us need help when it comes to figuring out how to live with our sexual identity. God made us male and female and gave us passions and desires that reflect his very image (Genesis 1:26). But what will we do with such a gift? How will we use and direct these urges that daily churn within us? Will we try to figure it out by ourselves? Or will we pause to read the instructions? In the Bible, God has given us an “Instruction Manual” that is ignored at great peril. In his Word, God explains both his purpose for our gender and his provision for helping us direct our sexual appetites into healthy and constructive channels. But our culture today pretends we can operate without regard for these instructions that our Creator has so graciously provided. The result has been catastrophic. For example:

,. We’ve divorced sexuality from procreation. We’ve developed multiple methods for preventing pregnancy (including abortion!) so that now we have a generation of people who don’t relate sex to its most basic God-ordained purpose: babies!
,. We’ve divorced sexuality from marriage. Many today view sex as fun and entertaining, a remedy for boredom. Even those who view it as a way to “make love” often refuse to recognize God’s intention that it be reserved for a covenant commitment that will last a lifetime.
,. We’ve divorced sexuality from the community. “What I do with my body is none of your business!” is the attitude we so often hear. Really? Is adultery just a private matter? And what about pregnancy? Abortion? Teen-sex? Sodomy? Pedophilia? Are these merely “private” concerns? Does not the community have a say in the matter?
,. We’ve divorced sexuality from God. We have reduced sex to animal instincts and biological drives. Like eating and breathing, sex is viewed by many as just another bodily function void of any deeper meaning. We can’t help how we act because, like animals, we simply obey our instincts. Really? Is sex only animal behavior? When did we lose the rapturous awe of the apostle Paul who looked on human sexuality and could only whisper, This is a great mystery! (Ephesians 5:32)

As long as we continue to separate what God has joined together (sexuality and God’s instructions), we will continue to experience frustration, confusion, pain and brokenness. So, before it’s too late, read the instructions!

Sex is God’s idea . . . Sex is perhaps the highest form of human ecstasy that God has given to us. But it can be enjoyed only within God’s approved form for intimate sexual expression—marriage.
—David A. Seamands

point to ponder • When God is separated from human sexuality, confusion, chaos, and suffering come in like a flood.

prayer focus • The one who is confused about their gender identity.