TO HAVE SEX OR NOT: AN INSIGHT ON CHASTITY

TO HAVE SEX OR NOT: AN INSIGHT ON CHASTITY
By Irene Namatovu -UMPA
Many of you would wonder what chastity is. It is a state of being; sexually pure, exercising sexual self-control or a successful integration of sexuality within the person and thus the inner unity of man in his bodily and spiritual being.
There are different forms of chastity that is;
Continent chastity (for the single)
This is where one respects others and refrains from sexually acting out in ways proper and exclusive to the married, this calls for sexual abstinence until marriage.
Conjugal chastity (for the married)
This is where for them this does not usually call for sexual abstinence but fidelity and within marriage, a deep respect and love, never treating one’s spouse as an object.
Celibate chastity (for the religious)
This is for the religious like nuns, priests, brothers who live to respect their vows.
All in all chastity is necessary for all Christians, regardless of their state in life.
There are several benefits of chastity but are few are talked about here in;
• Chastity is a good test of love. It tastes the feelings beyond the first physical or emotional attraction
• Chastity makes better lovers as it motivates us to explore a greater variety of ways to express love and appropriate dating behaviors
• Chastity provides one of the most valuable gifts of true love which is virginity. This is the most valuable gifts one can give a future husband
• Chastity provides freedom to enjoy your youth as it enables one do way with pressures of pre-marital sex
• Chastity helps build patience and self-control which are the major building blocks in a successful marriage relationship or even celibate life
We should note that it is not only through involving in sex that we do not live a chaste life but even acts like indecent dressing, masturbation, watching pornography and in many other acts that are not morally sound. This means that our lifestyles have to be chaste and we should be in position to constantly examine them.
As youths we should embrace living a chaste life because we are not yet sure of our callings in life. What if your call is to become a nun, a priest but you have already engaged in sexual encounters, will you be quick at taking on that call. Even if you are called to be married, who would want to take on a person who has slept around with various people?
We know chastity is not something very easy to practice given the sexual desires that go on with in us. Sexuality is something we have to live with 24 hours of the day hence it is extremely important that we know how to deal with this precious gift of God in a healthy manner, so that we may be happy sexual beings. Through practice and prayer it is very possible.
Let us call upon St. Maria Goretti and St. Charles Lwanga who were martyred rather than give in to sexual impurity to intercede for us as we try out living chaste lives.