Better Husbands
Better Fathers
Better Followers of Jesus
Better Men
- Nate Whitson -
I've loved Jesus for (probably literally) my whole life.
But I've also loved porn for many years too.
Now, I would never have said that I loved porn while I was stuck in the cycle of watching it -> repenting of it-> swearing I'd never do it again -> then watching it again.
But the reality was that I did love it and I didn't REALLY want it to go away.
Sure, when you're done watching porn, you feel terrible and you hate it the moment the dopamine drops. But in the back of your mind, porn is kind of like a old friend who is also a drug dealer. Always there for you when you need a fix.
Dropping porn from my life has been a work in progress and - praise God, I'm over 512 days sober as of today! But it's not a "fixed" kind of thing.
It's more like a "I've got the right tools" kind of thing and I have to use them almost every single day.
There is something powerful that happens when a man gets stuck in sexual sin like this. It's not like every other kind of sin. God says it like this:
"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body." (1 Cor. 6:18)
When we sin like this, we hurt ourselves in ways we're not even aware of.
Brain scans show what happens when a man is stuck in pornography and it isn't pretty.
In short, addiction to porn re-wires God's wiring in you.
The way that He made you gets altered and the "high" you experience requires higher levels of excitement and pleasure all the time. It convinces your brain that the most pleasureable way to enjoy sex is through porn.
But in the end, real-life relationships suffer.
Depression often sets in.
Isolation and hiding become the norm.
Your relationship with God and other people that you care about suffers greatly.
I say all this to say that I understand this battle (sadly) all too well. I genuinely wish I didn't. But God has used my struggle with this particular sin to highlight His goodness and faithfulness to me and He's allowed me the opportunity to relate with and serve so many since I've shared my own battle with it.
If you're fighting and secretly battling this stronghold today, I just want you to know there's hope in Jesus. That's not just church talk. 👈🏻
You don't have to stay stuck or in the shadows any longer.
I created several ways to help men with this issue by using the exact same steps God brought me through to find hope. If you're ready (or MORE than ready) to end this terrible cycle, check out this course called Quit Porn For Good. You can do it on your own time whenever you're ready - or let's chat and I can tell you more about 1:1 Coaching or other options that might work best for you.
There's help and there's hope in Jesus' name. If you need it, get it today!
Nate
P.S.
Nearly 75% of all church-going men say that they engage with porn or other similar material "at least occassionally" each month.
Yet, most hate it (just like I hated/hate it) and wish they could find a way out.
If that's you, there is hope and help in Jesus and in this community too.
Let me know: What are your biggest challenges, obstacles, or issues that you're dealing with when it comes to porn or other unwanted sexual issues? I'd love to hear or help if I can!
