Wouldn’t it be nice if something simple as buying a small piece of jewelry could ensure that our children would be protected from the dangers of pornography, premarital sex, and abusive or manipulative relationships? That would be amazing! Unfortunately, such a thing does not exist and believing that a purity ring or pledge will magically protect its owner from harm is as ridiculous as believing that your living room rug can fly you around the world.
Purity rings are a fine idea in theory, but they simply do not work. Here are a few reasons to rethink the purity ring.
The primary reason many wear a purity ring is as a symbol of a decision to wait to have sex until marriage. But just the lack of sex does not necessarily make one pure. Abstinence can happen despite what is going on in a person’s heart. Watching pornography may technically be practicing abstinence, but it certainly wouldn’t make one pure. Purity is about the things that are the most important to you. Focusing of goodness, light, and gratitude is more effective than just promising to avoid sex.
Yes, choosing purity is an important decision, but it’s not a one-time thing. Living a pure life happens day-to-day, and often moment-to-moment. We can’t expect to prepare only once for a battle that happens on a daily basis. Victory comes when we continue to take small steps and make small choices every single day.
No matter how much we wish we could save our children the pain that comes through mistakes and choices, it’s important to understand that the choice must be their own. Buying a purity ring for your daughter will not mean a thing unless she has made the choice for herself.
Choosing to live a life free from the weight of temptation, pornography, and other dangers can sometimes feel like an uphill battle. It’s natural to want to provide all the protection and tools necessary to keep our families safe. Learning about accountability can go a long way to ensure that we are making those small positive choices on a daily basis.
Ever Accountable can help with this journey.