abiding-love: This is a post about dancing. freedomreigns: This post may be a little uncomfortable. I’m writing it anyway. This has been on my heart for months, but I had no idea how to put it into words. I’m not sure that I’ll succeed now but I’m going to try. Being a high school student, I get invited to parties and dances and the like. I am a follower of Christ, I live holy, and I love purity. But.  I know how it is. I know that if you go to a dance and aren’t grinding, people will try to get you to dance. I know that it’s easy to see your Christian friends having a good time and wonder if maybe it’s not as bad as you originally thought. I used to think that dancing provocatively was not a big deal. It was “fun.” Everyone did it! I saw fellow Christians, people that I admired, bumping and grinding and thought that it must be okay. It took some major prayer and a dose of common sense for me to realize how wrong I was.  The music. Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never seen anyone dancing inappropriately to Michael W. Smith or Chris Tomlin. A big drive is music that’s inherently sexual and, quite frankly, disgusting. It’s easy to say that you “just like the beat,” but when you listen to the songs that are played at these events, it’s hard to not be a little put off. The flirtation. Like it or not, a big part of it comes down to boys and girls rubbing on each other. It is easy to say that it is harmless, but think of it this way: if the lights were on and there wasn’t any music playing, would you still be willing to be that intimate with some random person? Probably not. The danger. I’ve personally seen situations where people go “hook up” after dances because they were so hot and bothered on the dance floor. Something harmless often leads to something more. People don’t even blink an eye when couples are literally on the floor at school dances and it saddens me. Your reputation. Even if by some miracle none of this applies to you, you have a standard to uphold. How many people do you think are looking at you behaving provocatively thinking, “What a great woman/man of God!” If anything, you are saying to the people around you that it is okay and someone weaker in their faith may stumble after seeing your behavior. This probably seems incredibly random and I may repost it closer to prom season. I just wanted to say what’s been on my mind. Also, I know plenty of Godly people who go to homecoming and prom and have a fantastic, clean time. That’s not a bad thing! If you are with someone who you know won’t compromise, I’d say that it’s a decision for you to make. It can be hard and I’d recommend discussing it with your youth pastor if you have any concerns or qualms. Blessings in Christ, Ayana