Drink waters out of your own cistern [of a pure marriage relationship], and fresh running waters out of your own well. 16 Should your offspring be dispersed abroad as water brooks in the streets? 17[Confine yourself to your own wife] let your children be for you alone, and not the children of strangers with you. 18 Let your fountain [of human life] be blessed [with the rewards of fidelity], and rejoice in the wife of your youth. Proverbs 5:15-18 AMP
In this portion of scripture, God tells men to “drink waters out of your own cistern,” which means they should enjoy a loving, refreshing, fulfilling sexual union with their own wife. He says, “Confine yourself to your wife.” Don’t have sex with other women, so that you do not end up with unwanted children all over the place, who are running wild, with no father to properly raise them and care for them. Stick with your wife – keep yourself only for her before you marry her and after you marry her, so that you will be blessed with the rewards of fidelity and your children will be blessed with a secure environment and a stable, loving family. Children desperately need good, decent fathers, who love and accept them and who provide for them. They need this for their emotional health as much as for their physical health. The absolute best environment for children to grow up in is where there is a father and a mother who are fully committed to one another and their offspring.
The way children are produced is through the sexual union, therefore, for the benefit of children the sexual union should be confined to marriage, and preferably committed marriages. To the world sex is “dirty.” In fact, the more impure and illicit it is, the more “exciting” it is to people and the more entrapped they become. The problem is that impure sex is like taking drugs – you need more and more and you never, ever are satisfied. The devil is in control of this arena of sexual perversion and he will lead you, like a foolish donkey, straight into a hellish life with his “carrots” of lust and temptation. The only pure sexual relationship is inside marriage. Sex is not dirty if it is practiced God’s way – inside a loving, committed marriage. God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. God gave us His laws to live by and He does not give His laws arbitrarily. God’s laws work for us; they work in our favor; they are there for our protection and blessing. When God’s laws are violated, that’s when people are hurt and damaged. Little people – children – are the most vulnerable in a godless, selfish society.
The current liberal, cultural climate in the world is very detrimental to children and families. Unfortunately, today society is moving more and more toward extreme selfishness. People are encouraged to do whatever feels good, not what is good. People are not encouraged to put anyone else first. These days, because people are so sexually promiscuous, even when they eventually marry someone, they find it extremely difficult to remain either faithful or committed to their marriage partner. Faithfulness and commitment to your marriage partner begins before marriage. Faithfulness and commitment to your marriage partner is also a commitment to your children!
We are not animals – we are people, created in the image of God. We are thinking, feeling, emotional, and spiritual beings. Sex is not just a bodily function that you practice with anyone who happens to be available. You need to think about the consequences to your mind and your spirit as a result of your sexual activities. Brain scientists tell us that when we have sex with someone, a chemical reaction occurs in our brain, which bonds us to the other person. This is really good inside a marriage, but really bad in an uncommitted relationship. You also need to think about the consequences to any children who could come along as a result of your sexual activities. The children, who are not thrown away through abortion, more often than not suffer great rejection in their lives as a result of their parent’s unrestrained sexual activities. You have an obligation to the next generation; you have an obligation to your own children – future and present – to conduct yourself with integrity in this area of your life!
Researchers will tell you that teenagers who respect their parents and who have a close, loving relationship with their parents are far less likely to drink, smoke, do drugs, sleep around, commit crimes or commit suicide than kids who have no healthy, positive parental influence in their lives. Parents have the biggest influence over their children – more than teachers, peers, or TV – and the greatest responsibility for their children. If you have fallen short in your parenting, if you have made choices that have been bad for your children, then today is the day to change. Today is the day to repent, turn around, and start living life God’s way. No matter what has happened in your past; no matter what mistakes you have made; make a commitment to God and His word, to purify your heart and to discipline yourself and your flesh. Do this for yourself; do this for your spouse (past, current or future); and do this for your children and your grandchildren. The choices you make – good or bad – affect future generations of people. Let the past be the past and let a new day dawn in your life. Your children are depending on you!
A good man leaves an inheritance [of moral stability and goodness] to his children’s children. Proverbs 13:22a AMP
The righteous man walks in his integrity; blessed (happy, fortunate, enviable) are his children after him. Proverbs 20:7 AMP
