Is It Too Late For Me?

A college student approached me and asked if we could talk. We sat down and he began to tell me about how he was actively involved in the hook-up culture. He would go to bars, meet women, get drunk, and wake up with them the next day wondering what had happened. He told me, “I know that things need to change; I can’t go back.” I offered him the advice that I could give, and then prayed with him so that God may grant him strength to become a virtuous man. He left encouraged to fight for authentic love.

I share this story because this man knew that he needed to change for the better. He knew this lifestyle was not leading him to real happiness; it was actually doing the exact opposite: it was teaching him that people are disposable and unworthy of a faithful and permanent love.

He had enough! Maybe you have had enough. Maybe you want out of this lifestyle. If that’s you, I wish I could sit down with you and listen to your story, offer a prayer, and encourage you.

1. IT IS NOT TOO LATE. You may feel like you are trapped in this lifestyle, and that there is no way out. I am here to tell you that you are stronger than you know. It is never too late to recommit to living a life of virtue. It’s not about failing; it’s about never giving up. We aren’t the sum of our weaknesses; we are the sum of the Father’s love! (JP II).
   
2. STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. I know personally that I need friends in my life who are fighting for real love. I can’t do it without them. When I am weak, they can be strong for me. God didn’t create us in isolation; he gave us family and friends. We are made for relationships. You may even mean need to end certain friendships that are not helping you strive for virtue. Fight for community. It is a life-line.
3. PARDON & PEACE. Anytime you fall, run back to the Lord in the confessional, ask for his mercy, and start new. This was essential for me in my battle for chastity. Let’s be real, you and I cannot live chastity without God’s help. It’s been said that the devil, though he knows your name, calls you by your sins; whereas, God the Father, though he knows your sins, calls you by your name. You and I are called by name.

On those nights when you are tempted to say “yes” to a hook-up or any other form of counterfeit love, remember you are made for more. You are deserving and worthy of so much more than this. That fleeting pleasure pales in comparison for the love that God wants for you. You are worthy of a life-long, sacrificial love. And if you don’t believe me, look up at a Crucifix. Jesus gave it all, so that you might have life, and have it to the full. Let’s live for real love.