This actress decided to save sex until marriage and says the wait is worth it.
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Yvonne Orji is best known for her role as Molly on Insecure, but she’s also gaining popularity for something else: speaking up about abstinence before marriage. At 33 years old, she’s not ashamed of her virginity, saying, “Sometimes you have to sacrifice short-term comfort, for long-term quality relationships.”
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Chastity and the double standard among Christians
In her hilariously honest TED talk entitled, “The wait is sexy,” Yvonne recounts the story of how she was “bamboozled by Jesus” at 17 and decided to commit herself to saving sex for marriage. A lot of people tell her that her high standards are preventing her from finding the right guy, but she says, “What the wait does is weed out the riff-raff. I don’t have for the foolishness, ya’ll.”
Some people might be tempted to see chastity as fearful, a decision that cowardly people make in order avoid making mistakes, but Yvonne is clear on one thing: “Wait on purpose, not in fear.” Citing Hebrews 11:1, she reminds us, “Faith is the assurance of things hopes for, the evidence of things not seen.” Faith, she says, is her motivation for waiting on love and on true commitment.
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A martyr for marriage?
Approximately 10 percent of women in the U.S. wait until marriage to have sex. Some might be shocked by how low that number is, others by how high. Sadly, there are few statistics available on the same issue in regard to men, with abstinence widely considered an option only for women. With the internet overflowing with articles encouraging all people, but especially young people, to “explore their sexuality,” Yvonne’s honesty about the challenges and gifts of “the wait” is beyond refreshing. Hopefully, her voice will continue to testify to the value of abstinence, even when the wait is difficult.
