in a culture that has exploited sex in every possible manner.
(^) Reading the Proverbs daily provides a very natural setting for
discussing moral purity. In Proverbs 5, there is an extended
discussion of moral impurity and its fruit, as well as the benefits and
sexual delights of purity. The passage warns freely about the danger
of becoming ensnared and bound by the cords of sin. The frequent
reading of the Proverbs provides scores of opportunities for thinking
about the dangers of sexual sin and the joys of sexual freedom within
marriage.
(^) Proverbs 7 describes the adulterous woman. It depicts seduction
and its results. These passages provide a context for frank discussion
of sexuality. They are replete with warning, discernment, and
direction.
(^) I have seen children who have understood these issues grow into
teens who are circumspect and careful. They are persuaded that God
has given the joys of sexuality as well as the context in which it is
experienced.
(^) It is important that you let your children in on the fact that there is
a sexual dimension to Mom and Dad’s relationship. Some Christians
have the mistaken idea that their children should never see Mom and
Dad in any intimate embrace. The result is that the fraudulent affairs
on TV and in the lives of wicked people are the only expressions of
sexuality that they ever see. I am not talking about inviting children
into the bedroom, but about the importance of them knowing that
there is a sexual dimension to Mom and Dad’s relationship.
(^) In addition to this instructional role, you must be prepared to
address distorted concepts of sexuality that you see expressed in the
lives of your children. For example, many little girls learn to walk
and sit in ways that are coy and suggestive. Somehow, adults think
that being a miniature seductress is cute and they affirm such
behavior. Rather, this is a golden opportunity to teach a little girl how
and why to handle herself modestly.