The Day I Learned What Purity Really Meant

The first time someone ever sat me down and spoke to me about sexual purity, I was just a teenager, in 2011, in Abejukolo, Omala LGA, Kogi State. I had gone to write the WAEC at Government Secondary School, Abejukolo. That’s where I encountered a man who changed something in me forever, Uncle ThankGod Abu.

We met through Grace Chapel, and he was the one assigned to follow me up. One day, my friends and I went to visit him in his area. After receiving us warmly, we were all just watching whatever was on TV, a track and field event was showing. But right there, in that ordinary moment, Uncle ThankGod turned it into a lesson that’s lived in my heart ever since.

He asked if we noticed anything about the sport, the stadium, or the athletes. We didn’t get where he was going. Then he asked,
"Have you ever watched this and found yourself lusting after one of the athletes?"

He paused and said, "That same person could watch this with no feelings, then meet someone dressed similarly in person and start lusting. What changed?"

Then came the answer: “The state of the heart.”
One person saw a focused competitor. Another saw someone to fantasise about.

He said, “Yes, people should dress decently, but beyond that, we must work on our hearts. Because what’s inside you determines what you see.”

Then he quoted one Scripture that became etched in me:

“Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.” — Proverbs 4:23

As simple as that moment was, it shaped me, a teenage boy, learning to see the world through different eyes.
And to be honest, maybe Uncle ThankGod doesn’t even remember that conversation.

But over a decade later, I still do. Every time I see a sporting event, that analogy comes alive again.

So, sir, if you ever happen to come across this post ;
You didn’t labour in vain.

To anyone reading this, may this be a reminder:
Never stop investing in lives.
It doesn’t always take money or platforms.
Sometimes, the most eternal things come from a single conversation.

And for those wondering if sexual purity is outdated or unrealistic,
I learned as a teenager what I still know now:

Purity is not old-fashioned. It’s timeless. It’s powerful. It’s possible.
And it’s worth protecting.