Pornography is a killer. Whether it is viewed sporadically or our indulgences are a daily (or hourly) occurrence, it will within time prove to be the death of all that is good.
We are often blinded to this reality because we typically do not experience consequences over night. The repercussions of our actions are usually the culmination of many baby steps by seemingly insignificant (or at times, blatant) compromise.
Before discovering pornography and masturbation, I was a very joyful person. Seeking after God and living for Him was a delight. I had genuine intimacy with God. I had not yet known the dark paths sin can lead you and ways it will surely diminish your will to live. I was content and at ease for the most part with who I was as a person. (On my blog, I post articles I’ve written regarding pornography and masturbation including many helpful steps to overcome it if you’d like to check that out).
Because of my experiences, I want to warn you about many of ways porn (and sexual sin in general) will ruin your life before you even realize it:
- It will kill your desire for pleasing and knowing God. You will lose interest in reading the Bible, spending time in prayer will be seen as a boring task, attending church will become a bother, you will lose your understanding of what it means to find your value and joy through Christ alone, and studying Christian resources will be viewed upon with contempt.
- It will isolate you from others and stop your ability to form healthy and intimate relationships where transparency is treasured and a regular part of communication.
- It will remove any longing to pursue hobbies because escaping into a fantasy world of porn and the pleasures of self-gratification will trump your desire for anything outside of access to a computer and alone time.
- It will stop you from taking your God-given roles and responsibilities seriously.
- It will make you lazy as a person and will drastically increase a selfish mindset, thereby allowing your marriage or relationships with friends and family to suffer.
- It will make you irritable, short-tempered, and angry when something gets in the way of having your fix.
- It will steal your time and money.
- It will breed feelings of self-loathing and insecurity.
- It will create an insatiable longing for unattainable sexual pleasure while your thoughts of fantasy run rampant and become uncontrollable.
- It will destroy intimacy in marriage, cause any trust and integrity to dwindle away, and can rightly be considered adultery.
- It will harm us as we begin to crave the often illegal acts we see in films and when masturbation gets old, can very well lead us to do things we never thought possible.
- It dehumanizes us and will turn you into a predator who sees others as prey. It blinds us to the humanity and dignity of every person.
- It leads us down unforeseen paths and brings nothing but a labyrinth of wandering from who and what was once most important and precious to us.
Porn promised us freedom, we became enslaved; it promised us intimacy, we found only isolation; it promised us excitement, we ended up bored; it promised us ‘adult entertainment’ and we became increasingly juvenile.Matt Fradd
Whether you are in the very midst of addiction, know somebody who is, or are just curious about how sin has the potential to destroy, always remember that no one is exempt from sin. Temptation is ever present and the opportunities to sin really are endless. Please purpose to dwell on what is listed in Philippians 4:8 and take every decision you make seriously; constantly keeping the truth of Galatians 6:7 (NASB) in mind:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.
Article originally posted on CovenantEyes.com
Author’s blog: babypinkroses.blogspot.com
If you would like to contact the author, you may write at EmmaJoyBlog@gmail.com
Pastor of The Bridge at Real Life Church: Dave Wilson
Celebrate Recovery Pastor at Real Life Church: Bill Rieser
Resources for women struggling with porn or sex addiction:
dirtygirlsministries.com
shannonethridge.com
beggarsdaughter.com
Resources for men and women wrestling with porn or sex addiction:
covenanteyes.com
xxxchurch.com
fightthenewdrug.org
pornproofkids.org
joedallas.com