Sex on the Brain a la Steve Harvey

I, like everyone else, know that comedian, entertainer, and self-proclaimed "expert on manhood," Steve Harvey* may say
N. E. Thing.

Tact isn't his specialty.

On a recent episode of the Trinity Broadcasting Network's Praise the Lord program, our beloved Steve said something about sex that absolutely shocked me. I expected him to be raw and real, but I had no idea he was so ignorant. The statement that got me, went a little something like this:

"I believe in the no sex before marriage thing, but we know ain't nobody doin' that...."

Urrrrr...? Say what? NO ONE, NOBODY is saving sex for marriage? Really? Has it come to this?

He went on to admonish CHRISTIAN women, people who are supposed to observe God's standard of sexless singleness, to follow his 90 day rule. Since NONE of them are gonna make it to the altar before making it to bed, they should make their men wait 90 days before extending their benefits package, read sex. With the Ford Motor Company as their model, they should place their men on a 3 month probation period in which the women can fully observe and investigate a man's life, checking for inconsistencies and whatnot, before granting him access to the goods. (We'll come back to that word, inconsistencies, a little later.)

Upon hearing this, I proceeded to buck my eyes, shake my head, and eventually write this blog.

Convo in my head sounded like this:

"Steve is SO wrong and his advice is WACK! Who made him an expert on singleness and manhood?"

I posted my frustration with his statement on Facebook and received 3 replies expressing the following:

"That's sad Sis, keep holiding it down for those of us who didn't make it."

-Bestie.

"That's not true. Some people are saving sex for marriage. Some are even saving their first kisses. I feel priveleged to teach people to maintain their purity."

-Abstinence Educator

"Makes me glad I'm not single...in this messed up world. Sounds like we're holding up the world's standard and not God's."

-Married Mom of Three

Make no mistake, singleness, in the context of a sometimes marriage-obsessed culture, is no walk in the park. Singleness, in the context of Christianity, in the context of unmet sexual desire, is a walk in the DESERT.

But it is a walk that we can take, a journery that we can finish. Success lies in learning to lean on God, learning to trust in His Word. He promised to never leave us or forsake us. He'll be with us through every ordered step. His strength is made perfect in our weakness and He will give us the grace, the ability, to live sex-free lives in a sex-crazed world.

We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. It is possible to save sex for marriage.

Some of us are doing it right now. Striving everyday to live lives of adherence to God's Word. Working diligiently to rid ourselves of inconsistencies that would result in counterfeit Christianity.

Lemme drop a few names...

-John Gray, Comedian, Singer, Playwright

-Lindsey Isham, Author, Purity Activist

-Natalie Witherspoon, Teacher, Youth-Advocate, Resident Blogger


Feel free to add to my list as well as any other thoughts in my comments section.

*As an act of solidarity with myself, I've decided that you'll have to google Steve if you want to see his pic or learn more about his book.