Castle & Moat

JMJC

One method I use to preserve chastity is to create a moat around my truly worst behaviors. This moat I may enter but shall not fully cross.

For example, I first chose drinking alcohol and using drugs as the activities I would never ever engage in (‘the Castle’), but I would still occasionally slip into gluttony or sexual acting out (‘the Moat’).

Later, I realized sexual acting out needed to be in the Castle, and I kept drinking and drugs in the Castle also. If a church lady asks me try her cake, I’ll jump in the moat of unhealthy eating, but I refuse to climb out of the Moat into the Castle of sexual acting out, drinking, or drugs.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

– Galatians 5:22-23

God teaches us teaches us through Paul’s letter to the Galatians that self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Knowing this, appreciating this deeply within my soul, praying with this in mind, and thinking through my choices mindfully and intentionally while striving to maintain connection with God have all helped me to cooperate with God’s grace.