We first published the TOP10 Things Sex has in Common with New Years Eve ten years ago, but they keep dropping the ball in the same city every year, so it seemed apropos to reprise this Date Night Advice hit.
#10: New York
Many find watching the ball drop in Times Square the epitome of New Year’s excitement. Back in the day, many also loved watching Sex & the City, filmed in the same metropolis (probably more for watching the sex than than the city).
#9: Hype
Speaking of New Year’s Eve in Times Square, personally I don’t get it.
Being stuck out on the street. All night long.
In the freezing cold. Surrounded by strangers.
Basically spending the evening as a homeless person. Only instead of sleeping on a grate you’re standing upright, shoulder-to-shoulder unable to move because there’s a million others joining you. Hopefully not spreading covid-23.
Regardless, it looks like fun on TV! And so does sex. However, setting your heart on the Type-H sex propagandize in the media won’t help you enjoy the Type-M sex that marriage offers long term. In fact, it will make it very difficult to enjoy. So don’t believe the hype.
#8: Kisses
Many people like to begin the new year with a kiss.
Kissing is also the most common way for a sexual encounter to begin. Of course…
Most consider a little making out to be innocent fun. Well, at least FUN.
But sexual arousal was never meant to be a mere recreational activity. Instead, sexual arousal is more like the beginning of a conversation your body generally wants to finish, so kiss carefully.
#7: Bad Song Lyrics
What other song makes less sense than Auld Lang Syne?
Oh. That would be half the lust song… I mean “love” songs on pop radio.
Every Breath You Take from Sting sounds more like a warning from the NSA than a love song. LIl Wayne’s Bedrock throws Fred Flintstone under the old (foot-powered) bus. Then there’s those completely incomprehensible songs, like Gangnam Style, where the only lyrics you can even understand are “Hey, Sexy Lady,” while the rest literally sounds like Chinese. Speaking of the Orient, I think I’m Turning Japanese. I really think so.
#6: Alcohol
Though many honorable toasts will be made to the new year, many revelers just want to get wasted.
Though, for some, a glass of wine adds to the potential for romance, for others it will encourage them to give into sexual advances they never would have considered sober.
Indeed, alcohol is the most common date rape drug. So whether you’re celebrating the New Year or a new love, be wise and remember: all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.
#5: Hope
There are few moments inspiring higher hopes than New Year’s Eve. And there are few experiences inspiring higher hopes than sex.
In fact, without consciously realizing it, many expect the right romantic/sexual relationship to complete them in a way that makes the most earnest hope for the new year look like vague optimism.
#4: Promises
Inspired by the aforementioned hope, we make New Year’s resolutions, but far more promises are made in regards to sex.
Some make empty promises just to get what they want. While others promise to wait until marriage, and many churches seem to imply (promise?) that if you do so an epic sex life awaits.
However at the end, of the day a promise without a plan is just a pipe dream, whether you’re wanting to lose weight or remain celibate. If you’re trying to accomplish the latter, consider this one single sex boundary that just might work!
#3: Anxiety
When your hope is greater than what is realistic, anxiety results. When, out of that optimism, you make promises you can’t keep it compounds the stress.
You know what you want. You’ve seen it on TV and in the movies. When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, you want the body of a supermodel, so you determine to start working out. When it comes to sex, you want the body of a supermodel, so you determine to start dating (or courting or whatever).
But maybe you’ll never have a flat stomach no matter how many sit-ups you do. And maybe you’ll never enjoy Hollywood sex, even if you marry a movie star. Maybe you have the wrong goals. And maybe if you set the right goals you’ll have less anxiety.
#2: Timing is Everything
Flip the calendar whenever you like, but everyone knows that the new year doesn’t begin a minute before midnight on January 1.
In the same way, you can choose to engage in sexual activity whenever your passions dictate, but Jesus said it’s a sin to even fantasize about sex outside of marriage (Matt 5:27-28). It’s almost as if He knew about the bonding power of sexual activity before neuroscientists could explain it.
Believe what you will, you can’t change the nature of sex anymore than you can change the dimensions of time.
#1: Ring
As you ring in the new year, remember this:
The privilege and responsibility of sexual intimacy is worthy of a wedding ring.
To act otherwise is to demean both sex and marriage and, worse, to treat lightly the legacy you will leave to your future children.
If you’ve already failed the test, there is always forgiveness and freedom.
We wish you God’s very best in the New Year! If one of your goals is to save sex until marriage, let me encourage you to check out our Hot Topic page dedicated to pursuing sexual purity.
Better yet? Why not change your goal from waiting for sex to preparing for marriage? Click here for help there.
