Matthew McCartney
Matthew McCartney's Story
Too Physical
I did not want the physical part of my relationship to ruin the rest of my life.
Elizabeth and I have been dating for over a year and neither of us act like Christians. When we are together we have lots of fun but eventually we get real physical. To get physical we have to sneek around, which may cause lying to our parents, which neither of our parents found ever found out about anything.
During my highschool year I had a friend that was witnessing to me. He convinced me to go to a church camp with him over the summer by saying they play a lot of basketball. That is the main reason that I went, but while I was there I got to know Christ and it was wonderful. The physical part of my relationship affected me because I knew that this is not how the Lord wanted me to live my life. I could not bare to be apart from Elizabeth, so I did not change anything about our relationship.
It wasn't until I got to college when I went on Christmas Conference with Campus Crusade for Christ that I decided to tell Elizabeth that we needed to stop being physical. This was about five months later from the camp I went to over the summer. She agreed to stop because I wanted to, but after time the temptation was so difficult for the both of us. I prayed and prayed for something to happen. I wanted to stay in the relationship because I wanted Elizabeth to see the same way that I did. She believes in Christ but does not do everything that HE wants her to. This really bothered me, so I decided it was time for us to end our one year and eight month relationship. When we broke up we did not talk for a while. Things were really weird.
If Christ had not helped me out then we would probably still be together, and I would be thinking I am living a great life. Our relationship would get even more physical, and by this point we would have had premarrital sex. I would not be going on summer project because I would have been spending the summer with her.
When I went to Christmas Conference and sat down during the Men's time, God really spoke to me. I did not want the physical part of my relationship to ruin the rest of my life. I wanted to be pure and wanted to be with a girl that also wanted to be pure. To do this I knew that we needed to stop messing around. I loved her so much, but there was one thing missing from our relationship. We did not have a Godly relationship or Godly love. Once we stopped messing around the temptation was so hard that I knew that we were not meant to be together. She was not a Christian and she was not helping me in my faith.
Since we have been apart things have really changed in my life. I get more involved with Campus Crusade for Christ at school. I have met so many wonderful people that believe the same way, and they help me out with my walk with the Lord. God has given me peace in my life. I know that Elizabeth and I are not going to get back together and I am really happy with that. She is not someone that it following Christ, and definitely will not help my walk with Christ. By breaking up I see that he has other plans in my life, than to be with her.
Since the break up I have not been with anyone else. Christ helps me out with every temptation and I have not struggled since we were dating. Everything has been perfect and it could not of been any better.