FOR MEN. ...and I guess for women also if you really want to read it?
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Recently, one of my buddies enlightened me regarding his struggle with lust and pornography. I gave it some thought as to how I could support him by tackling one of the biggest root problems (in my opinion) that causes it. So in essence, this is an article for him. ...and I guess all the guys out there too!
I believe that our struggles with lust and pornography stem from the fact that we lose sight of the hope and satisfaction that we have in Christ and so we turn away and trade it for a very temporary satisfaction. Yes, there are many temptations as guys due to the way we are hard-wired but if we're so satisfied with GOD, why do we need other things to fill our lives? It's common knowledge that where this is sin, there cannot be holiness and where there is holiness, there is no sin at all. Indulging in this sin is a tradeoff between a temporary satisfaction and an eternal satisfaction. I'll liken it to the analogy where a child is presented with two options from which to choose from: 1) One piece of candy right now or 2) Five pieces of candy tomorrow. So often we are like the child that will choose the one piece of candy right now because we fail to see the rewards we will reap in waiting. In the same way, we should wait upon the LORD and find satisfaction in Him alone.
"But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst." -John 4:14
1) Seek to be satisfied in everything GOD has to offer. Sex is a beautiful thing that has been corrupted not just by the media and the world around us but by ourselves and our own choosing. As a single man, I may fall and have urges to be satisfied outside of Christ but sexually speaking, the time when the need is to be fulfilled is when I'm married to a woman of GOD. What more do we need than Christ and knowing that His will is perfect?
2) Spiritual discipline. In the same way that we approach GOD in prayer and read our Bibles daily, us guys must avoid these types of temptation when possible and keep our minds ever focused on whatever is pure, lovely, noble, etc. As much as GOD is willing to help us fight these battles, we must initiate the fight!
3) Flee from sin. In James 4:7, it talks about how the devil himself will flee from you if you flee from him. In the same way, draw near to GOD and He will draw near to you. If you don't actively run away from it, it will chase you and eat you up.
