When I tell the average person that I’m a chastity educator, the response I receive is typically (and sadly)
negative:
“HAHA good luck to you! Kids these days can’t control themselves.”
“Oh I see! Good for you. Too bad most teens would never in their right mind CHOOSE chastity. I mean
kids want to experiment with their sexuality; it’s normal!”
“That’s a worthy endeavor, but how can you even compete with our crazy culture?”
**laughter followed by silence** “Oh, you really do teach chastity?”
You see what I mean. And to be honest, I don’t blame them. Our culture is arguably the MOST confused
it’s ever been when it comes to our sexuality. Things look bleak. Hope is running low. Is the youth of our
nation doomed? Destined for lives of misusing and abusing this incredible God-given gift that is sex?
The answer is NO. While things may look bleak on the surface, there is a deep yearning for truth, beauty,
and goodness present in today’s youth. The more I’m in the classroom, the more I see that. When we
share our message of chastity with the students, it quickly becomes clear that we are not CONVINCING
them of anything. We are simply stirring up a deep-rooted desire that is already inside of them. They
WANT this message.
The kids always start out a little shy at the beginning of each week. They know my co-teacher Zach and I
are there to talk to them about the “s” word, and they’re not too thrilled about that. But by the end of
the week, we never cease to be amazed by the excited energy in the classroom and the positive
responses on the evaluation sheets. This program helped me so much, this makes so much sense, this
program was just what I needed are not uncommon comments. Our society has set a very low bar for
our youth, especially in the realm of their sexuality. “Have whatever you want, experience as much
pleasure as possible, and don’t worry about the consequences!” is the battle cry of our oversexualized
culture. But does this lead to happiness? Fulfillment? Healthy marriages? Healthy lives?
We must combat this battle cry with the truth about who we are and what we’re made for. Explain to a
young boy that he is created for authentic love and he doesn’t have to settle for the pornography on his
phone…and watch him come alive. Explain to a girl that she has inherent worth and she doesn’t have to
settle for a guy that only wants to use her for her body…and watch her rediscover her dignity.
We don’t need to wallow in despair. We don’t have to give in and give up. Our children DESIRE purity.
This I can assure you. The question is, will we be brave enough to talk to them about chastity so that
they have the chance to realize it?