celebrating celebacy

I came across this and thought I'd share:

“A great way for both single men and women to celebrate their celibacy is by mentoring teens in their church or local community,” suggests Shannon Ethridge, author of the Every Woman’s Battle series. “Teach young people that they don’t need to have sex to be worthy of love. If anything, knowing how to have a healthy relationship without sexual involvement sets them up for faithfulness in future relationships—we all have to learn to say ‘no’ at some point. You will also help them avoid consequences that can negatively impact their lives such as unplanned pregnancy, STDs, infertility, low self-esteem, etc. As you pour wisdom into impressionable minds and realize what a difference these values could make in their lives, you’ll feel proud that you’ve made the commitment to celibacy and can be a great role model to others.”

Also, this:

“Celibate singles are free of encumbered relationships where they are unsure if someone really loves them for who they are or because they are participating in a sexual relationship,” explains Sean Covey, author of The 6 Most Important Decisions You’ll Ever Make in Life. “They don’t have to worry if someone is using them for sex because their relationship is not based upon the physical but upon true meaning and care. In particular, if you are a woman, you don’t have to wonder if he loves you just because of your body and because you are having sex with him. You can know that he is attracted to you not only physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This also applies to men, as well.”

When I chose abstinence, I did it for the wrong reasons (rejecting a culture that had been defined as 100% depraved, wanting to be 'holier' than everybody else). The quotes above, in my opinion, capture some of the RIGHT reasons.