The Raging Beast Within (Part 3)

So, how do you deal with a porn addiction?

Many men have considered Job's confession in Job 31:1 (NIV) - "I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl," and said to themselves, "Yeah, right."

Our media inundates us continually with images of barely clad stars and starlets. Summer wear and fashion continue to get more and more revealing. It prompts men to ask the question presented in Psalm 119:9, "How can a young man keep his way pure?" (NIV).

The answer from the same verse is, "By living according to your (God's) word."

This is a good answer, but I'm afraid it needs to be defined in much greater detail for many men, especially these days.

Men, particularly Christian men, who view porn tend to feel isolated and fearful. They feel stigmatized and rejected, even though their activity may be known only to them.

As embarrassing and shameful as they may feel, their secret needs to be brought into the open, not publicly, but in a safe environment, with trusted men who will not betray their confidence.

Along with this, they need to agree to be brutally honest about their activities on the web and other avenues through which they view inappropriate material.

They also need loads and loads of prayer from their confidantes, and prayer for themselves as well.

This is a very tough addiction... every bit as hard as alcohol and drugs in many cases. But it can be won. Consider the testimony of this brave Christian singer, Clay Cross - Click here

What are your thoughts on how Clay became trapped in this delimna... and how he got free?

Please feel free to comment below.

The Raging Beast Within (Part 2)

I would like to say that pornography isn't a problem in the Church. However, that evidently is not the case.

In one of my pastorates, a parishioner lent me his truck while my car was being worked on. I noticed a hesitancy on his part as I drove off. Something inside told me there was pornography under the seat of the vehicle. I pulled over, reached under the seat - and sure enough... there was a porn magazine lying there.

I scheduled a meeting with the man in my office and we had a long, prayerful talk about the situation.

It appears that viewing pornography is quite pronounced among Christians according to this 2008 Christianity Today article - Click here.

What exactly is wrong with viewing porn?

The most glaring fault is that it gives approval to the lewdness and fornication that is being performed by the models, actors and actresses. A person viewing pornography is giving their ascent to what is being carried out before the cameras. It says, "I agree with what is going on in this photo or video."

Second, it lends support to an industry that promotes illicit behavior. People at the top of the this industry are raking in massive amounts of money promoting it and presenting it to the masses.

Third, it creates an unrealistic ideal in one's mind as to how a man's or a woman's body should look - and how it should perform.

Fourth, it replaces a man's natural interest in his wife's physical appearance. Men who view pornography regularly tend to lose interest in their wife's appearance. When they stop viewing it, they become interested again.

Fifth, it generates lust that is not acted out in a loving and appropriate way with one's spouse. The Bible is very clear... sex outside of marriage is either adultery or fornication - even if it is only in the mind.

In the case of my parishioner, he repented and established regular accountability with me in his struggles with porn. Interestingly, his wife, who was quite overweight, lost several pounds and became very trim and attractive.

How do you struggle in this area? What types of safeguards and accountability have you put up in your life in order to keep yourself unstained by pornography? Can you add anything to what is wrong with pornography?

As always, please feel free to comment below.