Why wait?

I believe that waiting until marriage to have sex is one of the greatest ways to exercise faith unto God. The world teaches us that there really is no need to wait, that we should enjoy our sexual beings, and the idea of waiting is rather obsolete. I remember someone once saying that when the Bible was written, girls were getting married at much younger ages (when they got their period and were able to bear children) and that it was more practical to wait then. However, despite what the world says or how things have changed, the Bible still says the same thing. It never changes. & Today it still says that fornication is a sin.
As a young person who deals with these worldly philosophies, they have to make a decision as to what they're going to believe. They can go with the world and enjoy sexual experiences with their partners or make the decision to wait. God asks them to wait, but the world says - "It's the most awesome thing in the world. It's really not going to affect you as bad as they say. It's so fun! It'll bring you closer to your mate." So ... instant gratification? Or waiting until the appointed time? This appointed time would be your wedding night. You can have it right now and see what all of the fuss is about. Or you can wait until it's time.
To wait is to say that you have faith in God's idea despite your body telling you otherwise. Oh yes, our bodies do tell us otherwise. However, our bodies are sinful and weak (Matt. 26:41). Who can depend on that for decision making? And our hearts, the world always says to follow your heart. The Bible says that "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) However, God is the solid rock. God is truth. & He never fails us. I don't know about you, but I wish I would have had the faith to trust His Word before I listened to the world, my body, or my heart.
I did not wait until marriage and I know everything I've just written played a huge role in it. I was heavily influenced by the world, my body wanted it, and I thought I really had feelings for the person I had sex with. I only saw what was happening at that moment when I decided to have sex. I didn't see how it would affect my future.
My decision not to wait did not affect me instantly. Actually, I felt pretty good about it. I felt more grown up and I felt closer to the person I shared it with. I did my best to enjoy it, as well. I was living in the moment (another worldly lie so many follow). There were no instant visible scars or traumatic feelings. I felt fine.
Today, I don't feel so good about it. I've learned the world was wrong, my body was just reacting the way it naturally would in any sexual situation, and my heart was so deceived. My ex boyfriend is long gone and I'm married to someone I truly love. This will sound so cliche, but I can't avoid feeling the way I do. I wish I would have waited. I wish I would have understood the significance of it. I wish I would have thought more about consequences and future, rather than living in the moment.
Why? Because sex doesn't just bring a baby and STD's. (Neither of which I got, thankfully.) It brings feelings, it trains the mind, and it affects the way we see things. It also has it's effects on the one I married. There are so many things we deal with as a couple, so many things that God has had to heal. Although I am very in love and enjoy our marriage, my past decisions do have their consequences on our marriage now.
Thankfully, I am forgiven by God's grace and my husband loves me no matter what. (He waited, by the way! & I'm jealous!) However, I can walk away with the wisdom that I hope to share with many. Waiting is worth it. Trusting in God's Word is worth it, even if everything else around us says differently. Having faith by standing firm even though we don't really understand all of God's ways - it's worth it.
My advice to young people is to keep their eyes on the Lord, to have faith in His ways, and to stay in the Word. :)
"While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:18