Normally, I wouldn’t have picked this book to read. The cover and title wouldn’t have appealed to me. I review books and was sent a complimentary copy of this book. I trust that the Lord works in all things and so I began reading it. He has used this book in my life four times in the past week since I began reading it. I have been amazed at the timely reading of this book in my own life.
#1 The first day I read the first 50 pages of this book and puzzled as to why I was reading it. The chapters were about women having affairs and the temptation to be unfaithful. The next day a friend shared with me that she had been having an emotional affair with a man. God prepared my heart to hear her, not judge her, and have compassion. I encouraged her to flee temptation.
#2 A few days later during a small group discussion at my home, this book came up again. A conversation had been related in which a wife nit picked at what her husband said in front of his family. I related a story from this book. The story had hit me very hard. A woman wrote a letter to Ms. Kassian about how she treated her husband for 30 years. She bucked him at every turn and wouldn’t go along with anything he said (her words). After 30 years, her husband left her for another woman. Two years later, she said that she would have been married for 32 years, but instead all she has to show for it is an empty house. The woman wanted young women to know the falsehood of what feminists have been teaching women. She was thankful that Ms. Kassian was speaking to young women to open their eyes and encourage them to love the Lord and submit to their husbands.
#3 The next morning, I turned on VH1 hoping to see some old 80s or 90s videos like Glee. No luck. Instead, there was a video by a popular singer of today. Oh, my goodness! I realized in that moment how sheltered my life is. I do not expose my eyes, heart, and mind to the things that were on that video. I realized that the content of that video is commonplace today. Women are inundated by sexual messages that are ungodly and full of sin.
#4 The last time this book came up was two days ago, when I heard about a popular Christian singer coming out. I grieved as she claimed that the translators have mistranslated the Bible (she inferred this on Larry King Live) and that homosexuality is not a sin. Many people commented on blogs that many churches and denominations have come to a fuller and deeper understanding of human sexuality–implying that homosexuality, affairs, and such are not sins. That isn’t what the Bible says. It is clear. I read a sign in front of a church that says “don’t re-write the Bible, just re-read it”. Ms. Kassian is urging young women in this book not to be deceived by the world, but rather to look to the truth in God’s Word about sex.
Affairs, sexual sins, homosexuality, lewd talk… our culture is filled with these things today. If we become desensitized to it, we can easily fall into these sins and not see what’s wrong. Mary Kassian wants to sound an alarm and make young women aware of what they need to watch out for. She wants young women to guard their hearts and minds. She wants them to protect their relationships and not go down the slippery slope to sexual sin.
If you live in the world and are surrounded by this culture and are struggling to know what is right and wrong, please read this book! It will give you a strong defense and help strengthen your resolve not to give in to the temptations of the world to sin.
I was reminded in my heart of the phrase “But for the grace of God, there goes I” as I read the first 50 pages. I am not experiencing these temptations right now, but I was reminded how important it is that I continue to guard my heart and mind as well as the hearts and minds of my family.
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this book for review by Moody Publishing.
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