Day 13: That He would open your eyes to the joy of doing sex His way.
第十三天：他会打开你的眼睛，用他的方式使你享受性的喜乐
Song of Solomon 8:4
雅歌8:4。
“Do not arouse or awaken love until the right time.”
“耶路撒冷的女子啊，我嘱咐你们，不要唤醒、不要挑动爱情，等它自发。”
What if we were to say “yes” to sex.
什么是对性说是“是”呢。
God-honoring sex, that is.
上帝尊重性，就是这样。
As a Christian single, when you think of sex your typical thought process surrounding it is most likely something like this: don’t do it before marriage. Like I often say, as a church at large, we tend to treat sex like a “say no to drugs campaign”, focusing on all the NO’s rather than all the YES’s. We fixate on the consequences of sex done wrong, without giving enough attention to the joys and the blessings of sex done in God’s way and in God’s time.
作为一个单身的基督徒，你一想到性的时候，你传统观念思想大概是这样的：不可以在婚前发生性关系。就想我经常说的一样，作为一间大的教会，我们倾向于对待性如同“对毒品说不运动”一样，但是比起消极的对待关于性的一切，不如积极的去面对。我们聚焦在性所带来的一系列不好的结果，但是却忽视了那些在主里并且在他的时间中，性所带来的喜乐与祝福。
But you see, it’s one thing to avoid pre-marital sex out of fear and guilt, yet it’s a whole other thing to choose to save sex for marriage because we truly know and believe that it’s in our best interest. It’s what’s good for us! In fact, not only is it what’s good for us, it’s actually God’s BEST for our lives. What a different conversation that brings, and with it, a renewed motivation!
但是你看，对于避免婚前性行为的恐惧和内疚是一回事，但是对于挽救婚姻中的性是另一回事，因为我们真的知道和相信那对我们是很棒的。那是对我们有益的！事实上，这不仅仅对我们有益，这也是上帝对我们生命中最好的祝福！这可以带来多么不同的话题！一个新的目标！
Sex is powerful. Sex is binding. Sex is intimate. Sex is healing. Sex is a mingling of the physical, spiritual, psychological and emotional parts of who you are with the life of another. It’s an incredibly sacred experience, and God wants us to partake in it’s limitless pleasures within the context of a lifelong commitment - because He knows what’s good for our hearts.
性是有能力的。性是有约束力的。性是亲密的。性是医治的。性是你与你生命中另一半身心灵以及情感的交融。那是一个不可思议的神圣的经历，上帝要我们在终身承诺的前提下分享这无尽的喜乐——因为他知道这有益于我们的心灵。
As you are praying over your love life today, ask God to give you an increased desire and motivation to pursue sex in His way and in His timing. Ask Him to replace any bitterness you might be feeling with the ability to trust Him more with this unfulfilled longing in your life. Ask Him to reveal to you any baggage you might be holding on to that taints your view of sex and sexuality.
当你在今天为你的爱情祷告的时候，求上帝给你更多的渴望与动力，以他的方式，在他的时间面对性。求他使你能够相信他在你未实现的渴望的大能，来代替你能感受到一切痛苦。求他向你显露你所有能够玷污你对性与性关系观念的箱子。
This baggage may have come from your past or from doing things outside of God’s best for your life. Or maybe you carry baggage from the “guilt-driven” way that sex has been presented to you throughout your life. Either way, ask God to free you from the guilt and shame surrounding this subject, and open your eyes to the joys of doing sex in His way and in His time.
这些箱子也许来自你的过去，或者在上帝为你生命预备最棒之外做的事情。或者也许你的这些箱子来自那你曾经生命中经历的“内疚驱动”中。不论如何，求上帝在这个问题上从羞愧与罪疚中释放你，开你的眼，在他的时间，用他的方式使你享受性的喜乐。
*If you’re currently facing sexual struggles of any kind, I highly recommend you tune into this 40 minute audio lesson I recorded called Sex and the Single Life: What To Do With Desires While You Wait. Equip yourself with as much knowledge and information as you can, because the more you know, the better you do. Begin taking steps toward freedom TODAY!
*如果你正在面对各种性的麻烦，我强烈建议你听一下我的40分钟录音课程，叫做“性和单身生活”，当你等候却渴望的时候怎么办。尽可能的在知识及信息上装备自己，因为你知道的越多，你做的就越好。让我们今天就开始面向自由吧！
PRAYER: Jesus, open my eyes to the blessing of sex done in Your way and in Your time. Give me the insight to filter out the wrong messages I receive from the world around me, and help me tune into Your plan. I want to trust and believe that You know what’s best for my life, but more so, I want to live that way. Forgive me of the mistakes of my past, and free me from the baggage I hold on to. Give me a new desire to pursue my relationships in a way that honors You.
祷告：耶稣，打开我的眼睛，在你的时间，用你的方式祝福性。给我洞察力使我过滤掉世界带给我的那些错误信息，使我转向你的计划。我要相信并坚信你是知道我生命中最好的是什么，但是更重要的是，我要活在其中。赦免我过去的一切罪，把我从那些我所持守的错误的箱子中释放。给我一个新的渴望，为荣耀你持守我的关系。