Why I Choose to Live Out Chastity

I have 1,500 pageviews! My blog has grown more than I imagined it could in such a short amount of time. A lot of work has gone into it, and I have learned so much from this experience. 

One thing I really want to talk about is why I choose to live out chastity and why it is so important. I've come across many people who do not agree with what I believe, and it is difficult. It truly is. The world teaches young people a different definition of what love is, and in order to find real love, we have to trust and believe in God's divine purpose for love. Many people are unaware of what that means. To understand what that means, we have to look at Christ.


Jesus died for us. He could have chosen otherwise, but He chose to die a painful and terrible death on the cross so that our sins may be forgiven. This is the greatest expression of love we can ever know. God became man, and in Christ, all of humanity were redeemed. Christ gave Himself for His people in sacrifice. He laid His life down for us that we might live with Him in eternity. 

I know that I am nothing without Christ. I owe him everything. All he asks of us is to show Him our love. To love Him. That is what He most desires of us.

To love like Christ, we have to look at his love for us. He gave his life freely and completely. Living a life modeled after Christ's example is not easy, and I think that some people misunderstand that idea. It doesn't matter if a person is a devout believer, following Christ is not easy, and it is often counter-cultural to the times. 

Chastity is modeled on Christ's love for his people, the Church. One of the main concepts of chastity is that we sacrifice our own desires in order to fully love another person, in the way that Christ loves us. Chastity seeks to protect the dignity of each individual by teaching us to communicate love without physicality. When physical intimacy is regarded more highly and valued more than non-physical intimacy, love is not possible. In this case, it would not be considered love; it would be considered lust because the body becomes more valued than the dignity and spirit of the person. Love is not this way. Love seeks to sacrifice for the good of another in order to safeguard and protect that person's dignity.

These are just a few of the reasons why I practice chastity. But why do I think that it is so important and work consciously to live it out?

Chastity points me towards a higher form of love. It takes me away from myself so that I can focus on God's plan for my life. It also gives me security and conviction. I have never been in a relationship in my life. As someone who firmly upholds the ideals of theology of the body and chastity, I know that my conviction will allow chaste relationships to grow. It will also allow me to recognize relationships that could go badly because of differing beliefs, viewpoints, etc... about the standards I keep. In a way, I guard my heart more because I am aware of what is true and holy and I strive towards that, and anything or anyone that does not lead me closer to Christ is not worthy to have my heart. This is important for me: the practice of chastity will allow my relationships to be centered around Christ with a foundation in prayer. Praying with your significant other is actually one of the most intimate things you can do with another person because, in order to pray, a person has to open up their heart.

Chastity also allows me to focus on finding out who I am as a person before I try to focus on a relationship. I can grow, be confident, and devote time to being an active single person before I have to worry about divvying up my time with a significant other.

And finally, I practice chastity because, someday, I want to find true and holy love. Ultimately, that is what we all want most in life: to be loved unconditionally and to love someone else unconditionally. Chastity opens the door to the possibility of that kind of love. I may not find it now or in the near future, but I know my life will be lived for Christ, and in the end, that is all that really matters.