Just for Teens

Teens, can you relate to these thoughts?

teen_couple 

 

“We thought we were in love so we thought it was ok to have sex.”


 

 

teen_guy

 

“He said he had protection, but it didn’t protect my heart.”

 

 

 

Will he break up with me?

 

 

“I was worried my boyfriend would break up with me if I didn’t have sex with him. He broke up with me anyway – he said it just wasn’t going to work out between us.”

 

 

Being there for your girl

 

“He said he’d be there for me if I got pregnant, but he left me anyway.”

 

 

 

 

We thought it was showing our love

 

“We wanted to show our love to one another, but all sex did was cause problems in our relationship. Now our relationship seems to be all about the physical.”

 

 

 

We thought we were protected

 

 

“I thought because we used a condom that I was safe from getting pregnant – I got pregnant anyway.”

 

 

 

He asked me to prove my love

 

 

“He told me that if I really loved him, then I would prove it by having sex with him.”


A New You

You might be thinking that it’s too late – abstinence isn’t even in your vocabulary. But just because a person has had sex doesn’t mean they have to continue to have sex. A person can choose this day forward not to have sex anymore and to save themselves for their future spouse.

From this day forward here are some practical steps you can take to help you in choosing to wait until marriage (or in choosing to wait for your future spouse):

  1. Forgive yourself and start over.
  2. Value yourself and your decision to wait. You are worth the wait. If a person won’t wait for you then they may not be the right person.
  3. Communicate your decision to wait to those you date.
  4. Find non-physical ways to communicate love (or Find ways to be intimate without having sex.) Such as:
    • Talk on the phone
    • Give compliments
    • Go for a walk
    • Remember special events
    • Say “I love you”
    • Write notes
    • Send cards
  5. Avoid temptation and tempting situations. Such as:
    • Being alone with the opposite sex.
    • Being alone in a dark place such as a parked car, movie theater, beach, etc.
    • Laying down on a couch or bed together while watching a movie.
    • Being at a party where there is drugs and/or alcohol.
    Instead:
    • Go out in groups.
    • Stay in a well lit area.
    • Stay vertical, not horizontal while watching TV or movie.
    • Refrain from using drugs and alcohol. The most powerful sex organ is the brain. When under the influence of drugs or alcohol, it inhibits us from making good decisions.
  6. Find support/ accountability. We recommend a trusted adult such as a parent, youth leader or pastor, guardian or relative.

For more information on finding support or accountability, check out our website at www.whatisimpact.com