Relationships and Sexuality Worksheet and Journal - Essay Example

Relationships: Proverbs 18:24 – The passage under consideration promotes the idea of having rather less friends but those who will be faithful and devoted. A person, who pursues having a lot of friends, will feel a harmful effect on his or her mind and soul. At the same time, having one really steady friend is better than having a hundred unreliable ones. Proverbs 13:20 – The proverb encourages one to pick out friends and companions with care, giving preference to wise ones as sticking to wise people one will grow spiritually him/herself. In contrast, one who chooses the company of fools will suffer moral decay. John 15:12-13 – The key idea implied in this commandment is that people should love one another following the example of God who loves them all. Thus a person should love others. Furthermore, the greatest expression of love is to sacrifice one’s interests unselfishly for the sake of others. Proverbs 27:5-6, 17 – These are the guidances that shape a person’s attitude towards companionship and interaction with other people, simple rules that guide relationships with people. It is human relationships that teach an individual and give experience as well as wisdom. Moreover, displays of love towards the others are crucial in relations, and if love isn’t manifested through actions and self-denial, it is inferior to plain and sincere reproach. Romans 12:3-21 – According to this fragment, people are to live in harmony with each other, loving and helping each other. Everyone possesses some talents that should be used for good purposes – people are called to unite in their service to God, to help each other and practice hospitality towards each other. 2 Corinthians 6:14-16 – Idolatry is strictly condemned as there is the God that is above people and people should bear Him in their hearts. Besides, one shouldn’t have unbelievers as mates. The passages offered for consideration provide a comprehensive look at Christian perception of human relations based on the idea of unselfish help, love and cooperation in the name of God. The righteousness is reflected in a kind and respectful way a person treats other people. At the same time, the importance of careful choice of friends is emphasized, for friends should help a person in self-improvement and encourage all the best traits and qualities. Thus, these passages shape the attitude towards relationships based on benevolence. Sexuality: Exodus 20:14 – This passage implies intolerance towards marital infidelity: one should share bed and love with the person whom he/she made a covenant in front of God with. 2 Samuel 11-12 – The story of king David shows sinfulness of taking other man’s wife. This teaches us that the man should be satisfied with the woman given to him by God and not dare God’s kindness going into adultery. Matthew 5:27-28 – Following the commandment teaching not to commit adultery, this one expands on the idea implying that one should be careful with his thoughts and not look lustfully at a woman as it might be an adultery in thoughts. Colossians 3:5 – The passage urges to abandon all sinful forms of sexuality like lust and sexual immorality as those that can lead a person to a punishment by God. Proverbs 5:17-23 – Righteousness in sexual sense lies in being loyal to the only person one has chosen and taken for a wife or a husband in front of God. The couple should enjoy love of each other, not looking at other’s spouses and living in harmony. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 and 7 – It is stated that pure mind should subject desires of the body. A person should avoid impurity in his/her sexual life in accordance to what God taught. 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 – Sexual sins are the sins against God as the body is a temple for the Holy Spirit and hence should be respected and treated with care. Sexuality viewed from the Christian point of view should be free of impurity and sexual immorality. The key ideas promoted in the given passages are: 1) the connection between a human and the God through the body and thus necessity to keep the body ‘clean’ from adultery, sexually immoral actions and evil desires; 2) the idea of mutual marital fidelity and being loyal to a single person whom one has once chosen. In other words, sexuality in Christian context has certain moral restrictions that should keep people from crossing the line between sexuality and immorality. Part 2: Purpose in Life The purpose in life is a kind of a lighthouse that leads us though the life journey, otherwise we could easily get lost. In fact, a person can take anything for a life purpose, anything that fills his/her way with sense turning mere existence into full life. In traditional meaning, the purpose presupposes a certain result reflected in an achievement, but it is erroneous to neglect the process focusing only on result. For me, the purpose in life isn’t just about achieving something. Of course, I have plenty of plans and wishes I would like to make come true in this life, but I think of how I live and will live as a part of the life purpose. To my thinking, living should be filled with self-improvement and yielding benefit to others. As the purpose in life is closely connected with the world overview, it probably also deals with the person’s strivings and moral principles. Having had a closer look at the worldviews, I would say that my purpose is to live righteously, following moral principles and fulfilling my function in the society: I would like to be a good wife and mother and share kindness, wisdom and experience in my relations with people. I hope it will eventually help me become what I want to be. I would also presume my position to be close to the Christian worldview as the ideals professed in the Bible are rather close to my own. Rick Warren wrote: “As long as you do things for God, you are a Hall of Famer in heaven's list” (Warren). Referring to this expression, I don’t think that one should focus only on his/her afterlife completely sacrificing his/her earthly one for the sake of being in the ‘favorites list’ in the entrance to heaven (in fact, it reminds of the medieval doctrines), but I would certainly agree that living righteously, following the steady moral principles taught by God is what the purpose of life itself should be like. Work Cited: Warren, Rick. The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here for? Zondervan, 2013. Read More