An Encouraging Word

I'm not going to lie, living the virtue of chastity is no walk in the park. It would be a lie for me to sit here and tell you chastity is an easy thing to live. It requires much self-control, sacrifice, discipline and humility. But it is so worth it! We use these things everyday. Many of our dreams and goals require much self-control, discipline and sacrifice whether it be to give up party or hanging out with friends in order to study for an exam or to train for a sport. But how many of us would encourage one another to give up on our dreams and goals because they take too much time and effort? How many of us have the dream to truly love and be truly loved? Don't give up this dream just because it takes time and effort. Take it one day at a time. Daily remind yourself of the reasons why you are doing what you are doing. Remind yourself how special you are and how much God loves you and how much He wants you to know that you are not alone. Sometimes the only thing we can do is throw our hands up in the air and humbly admit we cannot do this alone. We must ask Him to make up in us what we lack. He knows we can't do it without Him and He takes joy in helping us.

And from time to time we may fail; we may stumble. It's important to remember during these times that God always loves us. His love never fails. God is not surprised by our weaknesses or our sins. He knows we are weak without Him. What surprises Him is our lack of faith in His mercy and love. Never run from Him. Never convince yourself that you are too sinful to approach God. This wounds His heart more than your sin. When we face sin in our lives honestly and openly and humbly admit them and seek God's forgiveness, He will have mercy on us and empower us to overcome them. It is never too late for anyone to turn to God and to overcome obstacles. And then sit back and watch as your life becomes more fulfilling and more satisfying than you ever imagined possible.