Take a listen to this podcast from the folks at AffairRecovery.com and learn “why” we do the things we don’t want to do. Discover how you can become empowered by understanding the rationales behind your sexual behaviors and how to stop them by staying one step ahead of the Inner Child.
No more do you need to wonder “why” has sex had a stronghold on my life. You can now discover the answers that will help you manage your sex or porn addiction. And when you are done watching the video go to www.innerchild-sexaddiction.com to learn more and to sign up for our newsletter.
Taking the time and having the discipline necessary to exercise and eat well can keep our bodies from breaking down prematurely. Everyone knows strong muscles, along with a healthy cardiovascular system, leads to overall better physical health.
The same is true when it comes to our maintaining our integrity – we need to put forth a proactive conditioning effort. It is through a never-ending, self-reflection process that we fine-tune our integrity, thus allowing us to create and ultimately leave behind a solid legacy. Looking in the mirror regularly and searching to see our faults and weaknesses is not a pleasant task but an essential one. It is by facing our brokenness that we can become better men.
And nowhere can we find better guidance for integrity and legacy development than with the Fruit of the Spirit outlined in Galatians 5: 22-23.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law.”
I urge you to take a moment and carefully review these virtues. How well are you doing in each of those areas? Are you filled with love, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness? Do you have good patience and self-control?
To create an enduring legacy, we must practice the noble character traits outlined in the Fruit of the Spirit. We should commit ourselves to spend time each day reviewing these nine important principles and working to strengthen them within us.
By dedicating ourselves to the Fruit of the Spirit, not only will we cement our positive legacy, but we will find ourselves living more by Spiritual values as opposed to worldly ones. Unfortunately, today more than ever, men are being drawn into the dark world of pornography, which is a threat to their legacies. It is estimated that nearly 65% of all men view pornography at least once a month. And 3-5% of the U.S. male population struggles with a pornography addiction.
This Sunday is Father’s Day. If you are caught in the stronghold of pornography, please give your family the most valuable gift they could ever receive and get the help you need to break free from this darkness. And with this, you will be on the pathway to creating a strong and enduring legacy. And for that, the world will be a much better place.
Everything seems to be shutting down and people are locking down as the Coronavirus spreads and government officials look to contain the disease. You can’t argue with the cautious methods being taken. But for individuals who struggle with, or recently have obtained sobriety from pornography, being confined at home could increase the risk for relapse. Why? Several reasons.
1. Anxiety Regarding the Unknown
Face it, some people are worried and others are out-right scared regarding the current situation. No one knows how long this crisis will last and what its impact will be not only regarding health, but also school, work and finances. These concerns most certainly could lead individuals to withdraw into the dark world of pornography to evade their worries.
2. Distraction from the negative news coverage.
It’s Coronavirus 24-7 with wall-to-wall coverage that is bombarding us. All of the negativity at some point, will lead many individuals to tune out the media coverage and replace it with something that will soothe and stimulate, such as pornography.
3. Escape from boredom.
This of course is the most obvious rationale for someone to reach out to pornography and masturbation. Most people are not use to sitting at home without uninterrupted periods of work and school. Losing the routine of going to work, school or engaging in social activities, is going to cause individuals to lack structure, which is essential for long-term recovery.
What is important during this unprecedent time is for those who struggle to be mindful that these emotionally trying circumstances could increase the risk of acting out. And with this insight, each individual should develop a strategy to help them deal with emotional triggers and temptations. This may include:
- Participating in online and telephone support groups
- Staying in contact with your sponsor or support team via electronic mediums
- Ensuring you are limiting your access to electronic devices especially when you are feeling drained mentally, emotionally, physically or Spiritually
- Spending quiet time in prayer and reflecting each morning on things that you are grateful for instead of focusing on the negativity surrounding us
This indeed may be a very challenging time for many who struggle not only with a pornography addiction, but with other addictive behaviors including smoking, eating, binge watching, etc. But it doesn’t mean you are facing certain failure. If you maintain your focus and create a new structure to adapt to the current situation you can find yourself beating the odds and defeating lust.
By Dr. Tom Moucka, president of Samson House
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:10-17
Knowing there are powerful forces arrayed against us, Paul says the day of evil will come, we just don’t know when. So he says we are to put on our armor every day, in the same way, we dress ourselves every morning. Truth is the foundation, righteousness protects our torso like a bulletproof vest, our boots are the gospel of peace which gives us a sense of prepared confidence, our shield is our faith, our helmet is our salvation, and the scriptures act like a sword the Holy Spirit has taught us to use.
The point here is, it is a battle we must be prepared to fight at any moment – hand-to-hand combat with a powerful enemy. The weapons God has provided for us take practice to become proficient with over time. That’s why we do these devotions every day. We ponder the truth, we learn the righteousness and peace of Christ are ours, our faith grows and our minds are renewed as we soak in God’s word and lift up our hearts in prayer . . . daily. That’s the key. We must stick with this discipline over time. And with time our ability to fight the enemy will strengthen more and more. We can’t let up; the fight will come… And one more thing: we need to pass these weapons on to our children and grandchildren – their battles will be even more fearsome than our own.
To find out more information about the amazing work being done by Samson House who men struggling with sexual impurity check out its website at: www.samsonsociety.com
