Imagination and Will

I'm still not done with my transcription assignment :( I'm left with 30 more minutes of transferring audio file to a word doc. Suddenly I have so many things to do again. But anyway, I was able to transcribe ten minutes of the audio file today. And I just can't sleep without sharing what I learned.

By the way, my assignment was the GLC Session on Roles in the family. It's a one hour and 40 minutes talk by Pastor Peter on what the bible says are the roles of the family. It is really very enlightening. And the words I transcribed today were addressed to single adults. Yes, like me (and you maybe) :)

So here, I am pasting an excerpt on single's responsibility, in hope that it will open up your hearts, minds, and eyes that way it did mine:

(Pastor Peter talking)

Singles, you have a responsibility towards yourself. The bible says the second greatest commandment is love yourself as you love others, right? So you got to learn to love yourself. It does not mean others all become secondary. What does that mean? Well, I suggest appreciate God’s design for you. God made you special. You are unique. Develop your talent.

If you are single and you are seated beside other singles, turn to them and say “Develop your gifts. You are unique.” Tell your neighbor, “You are unique.” Understand? You are unique. Singles, I praise God for you. In the meantime, while you don’t have children, while you are not married, develop yourself so that God can use you mightily. The blessing of being single is you have time. You have the luxury of what? Extra income, extra time. The moment you become a mother, your time is limited. The moment you become a father, your time is limited.

Now that you are single, learn! Develop all your God-given talents, abilities. Protect your purity. Be careful what you see. Today I feel a great concern for singles. Because now with the internet, with the DVD, with all the videos, you are exposing your eyes to things you are not supposed to see. So it’s very difficult for singles to fight against moral purity, sexual temptation. Because you open yourself to things that you not supposed to see, you are not supposed to experience, but Satan has deceived us. You have exposed yourself.

It’s called the Pandora’s Box. You are not supposed to experience this. Be careful what you see, what you listen to, where you go, whom you are with. Your friends are very important.

Now, I’ve counseled a lot of singles. And I tell them the battle over sexual purity starts with the mind. If the mind is dirty, full of pornographic materials, you are doomed to failure. As Billy Graham said, “Imagination will always overcome the will. The will is no match to imagination.”

You see, what you think and what you imagine is very powerful. Therefore you need to clean your mind. How do you clean your mind when it is already polluted? It’s like a glass of water. How do you clean a glass of water when it is already polluted? You can not empty the water because how do you empty your brain? Give me a lobotomy. You want a brain transplant? You can not. So when the water is dirty in the bottle and you can not throw away the water, what do you do? You put in new water and you let it overflow. Eventually the dirty water will become cleaner and cleaner. But it does not mean hundred percent, all those images will be gone. But you begin to practice now.

So I teach my children. Guard your eyes, guard your ears, guard what you see. And all those old images will sooner or later begin to go away. I have counseled husbands, wives, they used to watch pornographic materials for their sex. So all of those are embedded. So the way to overcome that you now begin to saturate your mind with the word of God. Stop watching garbage. You understand? That’s the only way. Especially for singles. You have no match against visual imagination. Very hard. Guard your purity, please. The best gift you can give to your future husband is your virginity, your purity.

Now, you tell me, Peter it’s too late. I’ve given my purity to some other men in the past. It’s never too late. You know why? Be a spiritual virgin starting today. A spiritual virgin is somebody who makes a commitment, “Lord, from now on, I will guard my purity.” So be a spiritual virgin again.

What struck me about these words, though it is actually about guarding one's purity, was how it says imagination will always overcome will. How true! It applies to all aspect of our lives, not just in guarding our purity. No matter how many times I told myself I'll change, I am always failing whenever I let my active mind wander and think of "what-ifs."

As I have shared previously, my mind is my greatest enemy. And today I learned a valuable and important lesson. Now I understand I have to fill my mind with other thoughts in order to not succumb to my worldly thoughts before they control me.

Now, my prayer is that may I always remember to do just that! Think more like Jesus!

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable
—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me,
or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
-Philippians 4:8-9