I love Elite Daily’s
site and often read up on the voice of “Generation Y.” I, recently, ran across an
article filled with questionable info about sexting. In the article they
discuss 6 ways
sexting can keep your long- term relationship strong. Apparently a major
88% of people have engaged in sexting at least once, but I am not shocked by
this. To me, this means a whopping 88% of people have scars from love gone
wrong. They are desperate to be accepted, they don’t know the depth of their
worth, and they are infinitely loved by the Beloved.
Honestly, this might be
TMI, and mom if you are reading this then just skip down a few paragraphs… I
bought into the lie of sexting in the past and am not proud of it, and it took
me some time to figure out why it is wrong. I have never been the person to
just lie down and take ‘no’ for an answer, so when someone said I can’t sext, I
reacted by thinking they don’t know what they are talking about. No one
explained the reasons behind how sexting is contrary to the dignity of the
human person.
Sexting is an
attractive activity, same as any sin. What I didn’t realize was by engaging in
sexting I was pulling someone further away from God. Sexting gives evidence to
a lack of self- control for both people involved, and I was forgetting the
infinite worth of another, then ultimately letting go of my own dignity in the
process. Sounds romantic right?!
Let
me explain why the author’s 6 reasons to
sext are, in fact, not good.
1. Sharing secrets builds
trust.
They say: “Trusting your guy with the most private things
you like to do, in private and with your privates, will strengthen your bond.”
Saint Pope John Paul II talks about the feminine genius
saying, “Women are called to become masters of their own mystery.” Women are
not called to reveal everything right off the bat, but to unveil themselves to
their husband in marriage. This includes a natural physical and emotional
progression through a dating relationship on into marriage. Meaning saving sex
for marriage requires the purity of our mind and words as well.
Good communication is key for a marriage to work well. Your
physical, emotional, and spiritual trains must all be in a line at the same
speed, so to speak. Trusting your guy with these fantasies or desires outside
of marriage puts your emotional connection ahead of your physical and spiritual
connection. If you do trust him by sharing your desires, the article makes a
good point of the risk you face of them sharing these images or sexts with
their friends or the public. Do you really want to take that chance with the precious
gift of your own sexuality? Sharing these things does not strengthen your bond
in a healthy way, but a co-dependent way. As in you need to take take take from the other, instead
of recognizing the self-gift that you are worth waiting to discover by that
future spouse one day.
In marriage, you
will need to discuss your sexual needs and desires, but not by way of
objectifying the person through sexting. The discussion should be done in a
loving open conversation about how to best [in a pure way, ordered toward God’s
plan] pleasure your spouse through the sexual act. This is a good and normal
thing to do periodically in marriage.
2. Sexy thoughts build
tension (the good kind).
This
is true. Yet, in the context of attempting to wait to have sex till marriage
and/or living out the married vocation, building this tension outside of
immediate foreplay can be a very dangerous thing. When we constantly think sexy
thoughts, this means we are constantly building up lustful thoughts. We become
enslaved to that desire of sexual pleasure to be met, all the time. Human persons are not made for slavery, but
for true freedom, which comes from self-control obtained by not objectifying
another.
Personally,
I know saving sex for marriage is difficult, and I have fallen to temptation a
few times. Each time, sexy thoughts have helped in my demise. Thinking about
sexual things did not build tension in a good way, but in a way that caused an animalistic reaction, a loss of morals to the bad side of passion.
Sometimes
we can’t help a sexual thought coming into our brain, and that is normal. The
best thing to do is to allow them to be a passing thought, not dwelling in the
fantasy or desire. I mentally give the person or sexual feeling back to God,
and strive to think of how they are a child of God worthy of a pure love, even
in my mind.
3. Men are fragile and
weak.
False.
Basically this section is stating that men need women to sext them to gain
confidence in the relationship and that the woman is being satisfied sexually.
If a man needs this verbal affirmation of sexting from the woman that they are
dating or are married to, they have not fully grasped what true authentic
manhood is all about, and you should not waste your time on them. They have reduced
you solely to what you can do to pleasure them in the relationship, not
focusing on how best to love you. Sexting is selfish in nature.
Sex
and sexting should not be the meter of confidence in a relationship as
successful. Your confidence in the person you are dating or married to should
come from how they treat you, how they treat others in their life, and are they
going after the Lord’s heart by growing in holiness and virtue.
True
men, comfortable in their own masculinity, will not degrade a woman they are
interested in perusing or are married to- to a mere moment of bodily pleasure.
They know the power of masculinity and use it for the good. They should have a
standard of their own in regards to purity and hold their relationships to
it.
4. Dopamine is addictive.
They
said, “While sending a
naughty text to someone, you might experience a rush of excitement that can
actually improve your chances of bonding! The brain doesn’t differentiate between love
and excitement at first, and that confusion can be incredibly
sexy.”
Dopamine
is the pleasure chemical and yes two people will be more bonded if they sext
about their desires, whether in marriage or outside of it … and YES it is
confusing. This confusion between the feelings and true authentic love is not a
sexy thing, just a stressful thing. We cannot base our love on these feelings
from dopamine. Love is more than the feelings; it is about doing what is best
for someone.
I
think sexting can be addictive. It is one of those things that when you start,
it can be difficult to stop. When we rely too much on the feelings, then they
fade, what will be left outside of the physical aspect of the relationship? I
don’t want to train someone to use me in that way and neither should you.
5. Fun is king.
Everyone wants to have
fun in life, living it to the fullest. Why does society seem to think that
being pure has to make you boring, or that the only way to have fun is to be
sexual with someone? In case no one told you, you can have fun in a
relationship and not be sexual. Remaining pure in your relationships is
challenging sure, but that doesn't mean you are automatically boring. It simply
allows for more creativity in how you date. Also, chastity gives way for a
great foundation of friendship to be formed for when the feelings come and go.
6. Sexting prevents
cheating!
REALLY? When you are
far away from the BF/GF and you are building that tension, then you see someone
else sexually attractive while away, what do you think might happen? That
tension will want release and if someone else offers, it would be tricky to say
no. Sexting can lead to cheating.
With that being said, I
don’t think it is wise to build that tension through sexting and not be able to
act on it. Reasons for that are hopefully clear, in terms of outside of
marriage, but even in marriage it is not the best scenario. This sexual tension
naturally comes about through foreplay so expressing the desire in a sext
without immediately being able to act on it can just leave us with lustful
thoughts about our spouse aka sin.
Sexting holds us back
from trying to live a life following Christ. I know how appealing it can be,
but I also know the joy and freedom that comes from purity of thoughts and
words. Trust in the plan that God has for you, that you are loved and worth the
pure abundant love of another.
As I sit, or really
kneel, in anticipation the tension is building in my heart. My prayer to the
Lord bubbles up in my mind, “Beloved, I
just want you. I long for you. I crave your intimacy in the restlessness of my
soul.” All of a sudden, in the depth
of the sweet silence before receiving him, it made sense. I should want to be with and desire my earthly spouse in the same way,
but not to same degree of intensity because even Scripture says only Christ
will fulfill all our longings. 
