A Better Path than Pornography

David Shannon

The problem of Pornography is ancient, but the modern day method of the internet is fueling the lust, causing more destruction than any California wild fire ever has. Forty-percent of all homes say pornography is a major problem in their home. The convenience of the internet has helped spread it into an epidemic. Its lure is in part to men and women feeling they are anonymous. Often the product is free. More than 25 million Americans a week are viewing pornography online. Twenty-five percent of all internet searches are porn related. With 372 million pornographic pages online the search is never unsuccessful. You may be saying, "Men have a real problem with porn." Yes, about half admit to struggling with looking at porn, but don't forget that women are also fighting this dragon. Almost 30% of viewers online are women. And if you think the problem is with young men, think again, the largest consumer base is men between 35-49 years of age. Perhaps the saddest of all is the average age for an American to see pornography for the first time is eleven-years-old. Children are finding what their mothers, father, and older siblings are addicted to at a young age.

Pornography destroys souls, healthy relationships, and reputations. There is a better path to travel. Solomon informs his son that the Lord ponders the path that we travel ( Proverbs 5:21). No wonder, every path leads to a destination. One who travels the path toward things that are sexually impure are devoid of understanding ( Proverbs 7:7-8). If they realized the destination at the end of the path, they would surely change. "Do not stray into her paths...all who were slain by her were strong men. Her house is the way to hell, descending to the chambers of death" (Prov 7:25-27). But how do you change paths? A man once said he was angry at God because he had prayed and prayed asking God to deliver him from pornography and God had not answered his prayer. Take a book and lay it on a table. Begin pushing it to the edge of the table. As you do this begin to pray, "Lord, please do not let this book fall to the floor." Pray over and over as you push the book over the edge. Did it still fall to the floor? The Lord will forgive if we repent, but the Lord will not make you repent (stop viewing pornography). You must decide to change paths. No amount of prayer will change your path! That is a decision you must make. You won't be able to do so alone.

You will need God's blessings. Seek His forgiveness. Then seek His wisdom. Read Proverbs 4-7; Romans 7; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Philippians 4:8-9; Psalm 1; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8; Ephesians 5:1-7; James 5:16.

Secondly, notice that with most addictive behaviors you need to confess the sin to someone while seeking their help in order to recover ( James 5:16). We were not saved to walk this way alone. You need someone to hold you accountable daily or weekly. You need them to reprimand you when you stray.

You must set new boundaries. This is an important part of the new path. Identify the times you are the most tempted. Identify the triggers that prompt you. Is it after watching movies with immodesty or nudity? Traveling this path has to stop. You may have to decide to set the boundary of no internet when alone or after your family is in bed. You may have to stop "people watching." A great aid to place in your life is to set up an account with "CovenantEyes" to allow what you view to be sent to an accountability partner. Go to www.covenanteyes.com

You must find a good path to travel in the place of the corrupt path. No one lives in a vacuum. If you take out the hours of thought, fantasy, and surfing the internet, etc. from your life, you need to fill this time with good, holy, and productive living. If not, you will fall back to the same destructive path. Begin a daily study of scripture. Begin to set family time as a priority. Begin to exercise. Find a ministry that requires at least a weekly commitment. Do good and do a lot of it.

Don't give up. There are ups and downs in recovery. Celebrate the victories and get up after the losses. Remember the prodigal son was welcomed home after wasting his father's money on harlots in Luke 15. The Father always wants you back!

Don't become so consumed with recovery that all you think about is what you are not doing! Put that old person to death and begin to reinvest in a new life. Discipline your thoughts and take them captive ( 2 Corinthians 10:4-5). Tell yourself what is true and purge the lies that Satan will run through your mind ( John 8:44). What you continue to dwell on is what you become ( Proverbs 23:7). Satan will lie to try to get you back. Live by faith, not by sight ( 2 Corinthians 5:7). Know that only the truth will set you free ( John 8:32).

Make a covenant with your eyes not to lust. Job did ( Job 31:1). Stop looking at the opposite sex in a sexual or lust-filled way. Stop traveling that path. Discipline your mind. Pray for God to help you. Righteous recovery will not be avoiding pornography, but instead to purge the heart of the lust that has been harbored in the heart. Be the real deal! Be pure in heart, not just in eyes!

Read the poem below

Autobiography

of a

Recovering Addict

in Five Short Chapters

I walk down the street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

I fall in.

I am lost .... I am hopeless.

     It isn't my fault.

It takes forever to find a way out.

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

     I pretend I don't see it.

     I fall in again.

I can't believe I am in the same place.

     But, it isn't my fault.

It still takes a long time to get out.

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

     I still fall in .... it's a habit.

          My eyes are
open,

          I know
where I am.

     It is my fault.

I get out immediately.

I walk down the same street.

There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.

     I walk around it.

I walk down another street.

Let's travel a different path!

Remember that you are not alone. Remember, you are not your addiction. You can lay it down and travel a different path just as thousands of others have done. There is a better path awaiting you. How can we help?

September 13, 2009

Related Articles:

Print this Article

Back to the Sermon Page