Love Does Not Envy

Living Hope’s Wait 4 Me program encourages teenagers to take a stand and commit to sexual abstinence until marriage. On Saturday more than 500 kids assembled at King of Kings Baptist Church to celebrate that commitment in a wedding-themed event that featured high-energy music, drama and a powerful message about God’s love.

The guest speaker, Pastor Jeremy Kories of Ocean View Baptist Church, brilliantly linked abstinence with the teaching that love “does not envy” (1 Corinthians 13:4). When practicing abstinence, Kories said, the temptation is to envy those who are sexually active. But God’s love is more than able to keep one from envying and to help them stand firm. And for those who have already had sex, He is equally able to forgive and redeem.

The event ended with an invitation to receive counselling, with more than 100 kids responding. It was encouraging to see kids so open to sharing their concerns and problems. But sadly, quite a few of the respondents indicated they had been raped. As one of our Life Skills staff members said, the real work is just beginning. These kids who have been hurt will need lots of support as they seek to heal, and much followup is required to help every one of the attendees live for God and keep themselves pure.