I have a ring on the ring finger of my left hand. No, it’s not a wedding band—it’s a purity ring. A purity ring is a ring worn on one’s ring finger to represent purity until it’s replaced by a wedding ring. Mine is stainless steel but is worth more to me than one of gold. It has fake emeralds but is more valuable than real ones. Why? Because this ring embodies something more than itself. It represents two promises: one made by me, and one made by God. This is why it’s so important to me.

The writing on my ring says, “True Love Waits- 1 Timothy 4:12.” The first part, “True Love Waits,” is my promise. I promise to keep myself pure for my husband. I will not give into the temptation of temporary love but instead save myself for the lasting love of marriage. I won’t try to rush relationships. I will let God make everything beautiful in His time.

Through this, the second part becomes true. 1 Timothy 4:12 states, “Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” By keeping myself pure, I am setting an example for other believers. Even new Christians who are older than me can learn from my example. It doesn’t matter that I’m young, others will benefit from my life choices. They will see that I am different from the rest of the world, and that the difference is good. No, I don’t have sex. Yes, I am happy. The difference is Christ.

God also has promises for those that keep themselves pure. First, he promises that this is the best for them. Romans 8: 28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” God IS working all things together for those that love him. We may not see it in the moment, but God is always there working the whole time. The only thing that we have to do is trust Him and follow His plan.

Purity until marriage is God’s best for those that love Him. Yes, he will forgive sexual sins, but they are more lasting and damaging than other sins. There are many secular reasons for abstaining from sex. They include pregnancy prevention and for health reasons. These, however, are empty without God. God is the author and creator of marriage. He designed men and women for each other, and He meant for it to be beautiful. Mankind, however, has made sex into something ugly and vulgar.

Still, for those who hold to God’s promises, it still can be a beautiful thing. Purity rings can mean nothing to someone who doesn’t hold to their promises (as we see with celebrities far too often), but to me mine will always be precious. The black lettering has rubbed away, and the fake emeralds are in danger of falling out, but the promises remain. It’s not just a reminder of my promise, but of God’s. And His promises are the most beautiful of all.