S.W.A.K.

Sealed: (1) guarantee of authenticity, (2) guarantee of protection.

S.W.A.K: Sealed With A Kiss. The phrase that I used to stick on the back of all the envelopes I sent to my girlfriends around the age of 9 or 10. We thought it was cute and funny, and the guys thought it was gross. How much better can it be? Thankfully, as I grew older, guys became less fun to disgust and more fun to be friends with.

Now, in college, I am surrounded by the people who live in a way that I have chosen not to. Not because I am better than they are, because I'm not, but because I have God-given strength to follow in the path that He has set for me. I view myself as a gift, rather than as something I am trying to sell. Rather than sell myself, I am content to view myself as God does. Precious. His child.

In a dorm lifestyle, being single is rare and being pure is even more rare. Recently, one of my classmates displayed an incredible amount of shock when she found out that I had never kissed anyone. She gave the normal reaction of "WHAT?! How will you *know* if you don't kiss him??" I told her that I had decided long ago that my first kiss would be for no one but the man I marry. 

To seal something is to show that it is authentic. Whether it is a seal on a diploma or a seal on a letter, the seal shows the authenticity of the person who gives it. It also shows that the thing receiving the seal is protected. A wax seal used to be used on letters, so when the recipient received it, they would know by the quality of the seal whether or not the information inside the letter had been tampered with.

This is why I save my kiss. I save my kiss, and myself, because I want the man that I give it to to know that I am not only authentic, but that I have been protected. I haven't been tampered with or 'opened.' When he receives that kiss, he receives everything, including the duty of guaranteeing that I stay protected, and our relationship stays authentic. 

This isn't something that I am doing by my own strength. Honestly, by my own strength, I couldn't. It is something that I can do because I have already been sealed once.

"In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, 

the gospel of your salvation - having also believed, 

you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,"

(Ephesians 1:13)

I have been given the seal of Christ, which comes with the strength from the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn't 'make' me do the right thing, but He does lead me. All I have to do is choose to follow His leading, believing His promises are true. 

If you're a young woman reading this, I would encourage you to ask God how He views you this Valentines Day. Ask Him to show you how precious He thinks you are, so that you might follow His voice as He shows you how to protect yourself and keep that seal in place. I can promise you that it will not be easy, but I can also promise you that He will also bless you for your obedience and willingness to listen to His voice. 

If you're a young man, please, do not open that seal unless you have every right to. Don't put the young woman in your life in a situation where she might have to push you away. Rather, view her as a gift, and one that is to stay fully sealed until the man that God chooses is able to open it. She will respect you for this, much more than she will if you attempt to take what isn't yours to take. 

If you are spending this Valentines single, take the opportunity to let Him speak to your heart. Ask Him to show you where He wants your heart to be, and ask Him to give you the strength that you need to protect it until the time for Love comes. He is faithful, and He will help you. He has already given you His seal of authenticity and protection as His child, and He will never break it.