Mold thrives in hidden, dark places; it feeds on rotting organic matter, and does best in a lukewarm environment. Like mold, lust grows strong when it’s hidden; it thrives in the darkness and feeds off of a lukewarm heart, rotting it out over time.
It was late fall, 1998. I’d gone on a business trip and binged on porn movies in the hotel rooms, again, albeit without masturbating. Even though I hadn’t had self-sex, the images, filth and shame flowing through me were no less intense.
Have you ever wondered how half of our pastors could have a porn problem, as the statistics show? Our country is packed with seminaries and Bible colleges led by devoted and gifted scholars, yet many of our ministry leaders are masturbating to pornography.
We know we need to live with a pure mind, the hard question is, how do we cleanse our mind and deal with sexual temptation while living in Porno Land? And what do we do with our fallen flesh, which loves to lust?
Sex addiction is slavery to the obsessions and compulsions of lust. Porn and sexual immorality hollow out the soul;
Our culture says that pornography, promiscuity and adultery are harmless fun. But sex addiction has devastating effects on the struggler with lust and those around him.
The revenues of the porn industry in the U.S are approximately 13 billion; equivalent to the annual revenues of the NFL and NBA combined.
My so-called triggers were loneliness, disappointment and discouragement. It is important to know where each one is individually sensitive and "at risk" and to avoid these situations or to fill with good i.e. being among people, going to bed on time, etc ...
Finding true freedom from sex addiction does not come from working programs, reading books, attending groups, counseling or Bible knowledge. These are valid and important tools God uses as a part of the healing process, but in of themselves they don’t set the struggler with sex addiction free.
A little while ago I called an old friend to say hello, and the conversation turned to my involvement in helping the sexually broken. After I shared of my 20 year struggle with sex addiction, my friend said “well, I’m no sex addict, I’m just a casual porn user!”