This is a p.s. to this Sunday’s (4/28) message. You can read it before or after, but this is just a word from the Word that I want to share with the church, but will not be including it in my sermon. That happens sometimes. You could preach about 5 more sermons just with the material I have to cut out for Sunday!
As we talk about all things marriage and physical relations (aka “you know what“, aka YKW), one of the ways we can protect our marriages is by guarding our hearts.
Proverbs 4:23 says: Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.
It is sort of an abstract concept. How do I literally guard my heart? Well, he goes on to tell us specifically how to!
First (Proverbs 4:24), put away crooked speech. Lying, deceitful, lustful, angry, sinful… get those words out of your vocabulary. Stop the crass talking about YKW. But let’s hone in on the next 2 verses. Proverbs 4:25 says to let your eyes look directly forward and Proverbs 4:26 says to ponder the path of your feet.
Two words here for you: 1) Watch what you focus on (4:25). My eyes must be on my love and commitment to my own spouse. When you get your eyes off of that, and start looking around, it’s easy to let your heart go astray fantasizing about YKW with another woman. It’s easy to romanticize, ladies, about what it might be like to have a passionate YKW with some other guy. Men tend to be more visually enticed, where woman lean more towards an emotional fixation. Men AND women: Eyes forward! And fix your gaze on what (rather, who) God has provided for you. God meets your needs for YKW with your spouse. Period. Get focused on that.
And 2) Watch where you are going (4:26)! I need to pay attention where I am going. If you are not careful, you can end up on a website you shouldn’t be on (depicting explicit and sinful images of YKW), in a chatroom you have no business entering (talking openly about YKW), or some other compromising situation where temptation to YKW (with someone not named “your spouse“) is pounding down your door. Most sin can be avoided if we sincerely pray, “Lead me not into temptation”, and then follow the Shepherd when He is guiding you away from it. How many tragic stories of life-destroying sin started with, “I was in the wrong place at the wrong time”...?
When it comes to maintaining marital faithfulness, this is advice (no, sorry, it‘s a command from God) you must embrace!
The rest is coming this Sunday! I am doing a whole sermon on YKW. Because it's in the Bible. Because God invented it. Because the church is pretty lame about discussing YKW properly. Pray for me.
p.s. - Let's keep You Know What at You Know Where. You Know How and Sunday, You'll Know Why. (When is up to you and your spouse.)