Today I Won't Look at Porn...

I'm watching a very peculiar thing right now. My son, Jaxon, is three months old. He's at that age where he's trying to talk but all of his words sound jumbled together, kind of like listening to a Barbara Walters interview without the annoying part. Jaxon is trying his hardest to fit all of either one or both of his fists into his mouth at the same time which is also setting off his gag reflex causing him to spit up and choke. No matter how much he chokes and gags he never pulls his fists away.
As I'm watching this it reminds me of what pornography does to a person. No matter how much you choke and gag, no matter how much you feel dirty and disgusting and no matter how much it destroys relationships with those you love the most, you never pull away. It's kind of like drinking Mountain Dew when you're really thirsty...you can never get quite enough. No matter how much you gorge yourself it always seems like there's room for more. Sound familiar?
The amazing thing is that Jesus knows this is virtually impossible for you to overcome by yourself.
In Matthew 19:16 - 26 tells the story of another individual whose appetite for other things was out of control.

Someone came to Jesus with this question: "Teacher, what good things must I do to have eternal life?"
"Why ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "Only God is good. But to answer your question, you can receive eternal life if you keep the commandments."
"Which ones?" the man asked.
And Jesus replied: "Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother. Love your neighbor as yourself."
"I've obeyed all these commandments," the young man replied. "What else must I do?"
Jesus told him, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." But when the young man heard this, he went sadly away because he had many possessions.
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. I say it again - it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!"
The disciples were astounded. "Then who in the world can be saved?" they asked.
Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible." (emphasis mine)

Jesus may have been talking to a rich young man here, but the point he was trying to make is, what are you willing to give up to know Him? Jesus doesn't care how much you give, it's what you don't give that matters to Him. What is it that is so valuable to you that you would never let it go? For many reading this, the answer will be pornography. We can never let go on our own, but that's ok because we don't have to. Paul says in Philippians 4:13, "For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need."
So how do you loose yourself from the quagmire of pornography? Think of it as falling into quicksand. You have a couple of different options: a. You can flail yourself around trying to "swim," which actually causes you to sink deeper and deeper until you're over your head and gone, or b. You can make methodical movements to reach out and grab onto something to pull yourself out.
God has given us at least three outside resources that we are to employ:

1. God's love for us - John 3:16 says that God didn't just love us, He SO loved us that it moved him to action. He SO loved us that He gave His one and only Son. He was willing to do what He had asked the rich young man from Matthew 19 to do, give up the one thing He loved most in order to attain something of greater value to Him...US!
2. The Holy Spirit - Romans 8:1 - 4 says, "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses could not save us, because our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent His own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit." There is a definite correlation between being free of condemnation and being led by the Spirit. The Spirit doesn't condemn us, but rather convicts our hearts.
3. Friends and Family Members - Accountability with others is so very important. Notice I said accountability and not confession. There will always be some measure of confession, but as you progress you should be confessing less and being pre-emptive more. Accountability is calling a friend before-hand and saying, "I really want to look at pornography right now and I know I can't afford to. I need you to walk with me through this." That, my friend, is true freedom!

Shortly after my addiction became common knowledge to those that knew me best, I was going to counseling with my pastor. I was so discouraged because I would slip up and look at pornography. Afterwards I would feel so dirty. I would pray and ask for forgiveness and promise God that I would never do it again. Guess what? I lied. I was sharing this with my pastor and he told me, "Don't ever say you'll never do something again. Instead say, today by the grace of God, I won't look at pornography." After that my life became so much easier. Forever is a long time, but today is only 24 hours. So I encourage you to begin each day by saying, "Today, by the grace of God, I won't look at pornography." Please let me know if I can do anything. Someone threw me a life preserver and I want to return the favor. Blessings.

D