Knowing that porn is wrong is not the struggle for me. Staying motivated to abstain from it…now there’s the real struggle!
To give myself a fresh shot of motivation, every single morning I remind myself of 33 reasons why I must abstain from porn. I call it “My Personal Purity Motivation.” It usually takes me about 5 minutes to read through it or to listen to it on my iPod. (Yes, I have myself recorded, reading these 33 reasons. I listen to them in my office or riding down the road or when I’m working out.)
I learned the importance of daily reviewing my reasons/motives from the author and counselor Joe Dallas.
Over the years, I’ve learned the hard way that I need this daily shot of motivation to live pure for God. The daily review always has a powerful impact upon the rest of my day. I encourage other Christian men who have a background with pornography to develop their own list of reasons/motives. Feel free to use any of mine that you want to. I don’t consider it plagiarism. If my bullet fits your gun, shoot it!
Type your reasons/motives up on your computer. Then print them out, and put a copy in your planner or Bible (some place you’re going to see them everyday). If you want to, record yourself reading through them—and keep that recording on your iPod like I do—and then listen to it daily. It really does help.
So here they are…
33 reasons why I need to abstain from porn
- For the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31
- I’m commanded by God to live self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
- Holiness is God’s will for my life.
- Jesus said loving Him comes down to obeying Him.
- It hinders my fellowship with God and everything flows out of that.
- My body is not my own. God purchased me with the shed blood of His Son.
- It’s worshipping the creature rather than the Creator (idolatry).
- It’s cheating on God (spiritual adultery).
- Only Jesus Christ can truly satisfy my heart’s thirst.
- God is always watching me.
- Angels and demons are often watching me.
- It prevents me from having an effective prayer life.
- It diminishes the spiritual power I need to impact this world for Christ.
- It interferes with my ability to make wise decisions.
- It hinders my fellowship with my brothers in Christ.
- It brings God’s discipline.
- It causes anxiety, paranoia, fear, irritability, anger, and depression.
- It causes God’s blessings upon my life, family, and ministry to be withheld.
- My children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren need me to be holy.
- It leads to more sin and worse sin.
- It diminishes my focus and motivation to work hard and achieve my goals.
- It creates impulse control problems in other areas of my life.
- It causes me to be angry, harsh, and disrespectful towards my wife and children.
- I made a vow to my wife before God to forsake all others.
- It puts spiritual and emotional distance between me and my wife.
- It diminishes my attraction/arousal for my wife.
- It deeply hurts my wife by making her feel like she’s not good enough for me.
- It diminishes my wife’s trust and respect for me.
- It causes my eyes to wander when I’m around real women.
- Every female is someone’s daughter.
- Every female is someone whom Christ loved enough to suffer and die for.
- The one who lives with integrity lives securely, but whoever perverts his ways will be found out. – Proverbs 10:9
- God does not withhold good from those who live with integrity. – Psalms 84:11
Jason George is the Founder and President of Narrowtrail Ministries. He’s an itinerant evangelist and teacher who speaks at churches, camps, conferences, schools, etc. He and his wife have been married for over twenty years and have three children. Jason utilizes Covenant Eyes Accountability Software on all of his computers and his iPhone. Jason also produces a weekly podcast called, “THE GRIZ PODCAST,“and it’s all about helping boys become men and helping men become better men. It’s available on iTunes.
Jason – this list was inspiring and so right on – tons of scriptural references back up every one of your points. Thank you for sharing this!
kudos on your determination to abstain from something that perverts the great gift God gave a husband and wife. porn defiles and perverts sex like eating and gluttony and drug abuse does perverting the natural need for food and drink. porn is designed to twist the whole concept, and one of hte best ways to avoid it is to keep the computer in a public place like the living room or dining room where eveyrone else is, if you cannot control the computer access then get rid of the computer or have your wife put the blocks on using a password and she not tell you. second avoid others who talk about sex especially fornication adultery and perverted aspects of it, avoid movies on the tv that have sexual inneuendos and jokes, and obescene jestings, (trying to make a scene funny while giving the idea of sex) spend as much time with your wife too, if your focused on her the rest will be alot easier to control as when your alone tha relationship will be so precious to you you will not risk losing it, praying to Jehovah is another tool that has more power then people realize, I know your not a jehovah witness but it couldn’t hurt. develope a strong love for your wife and for God and over time it will get easier like any withdrawl from addictions goes. keep up your dtermination and don’t let others criticise or convince it is okay in moderation, breaking a marriage vow and God’s laws is never acceptable in moderation.
Ur thinking is good but “a thing or practice is right when it is in right amount,EVERYTHING has bad effects when we do the thing in worse amount,so be doing the things in right way and amount if that they will not spoil our life.
Singh, you are surely not suggesting that porn can be holy when used in moderation are you?
This is so helpful and practical. You shed light on key issues and you know the topic well. You go straight for the heart. Honestly brother, you should think of writing a book.
You must be dumb as a rock it you think this will work. Do your research and find the cause and you will discover it is people like you. Jesus did the right thing you are just an ?
I don’t think he intends this list to be a be-all, end-all “cure” for porn use, just one more tool for the fight.
You think he’s dumb as a rock? Are you saying this because you’re not a Christian? If you are not, then your response makes sense. I will tell you in all my research that nothing is better than straight from Scripture. The cause is obvious – sin – the answer is Christian brothers coming along aside each other & helping each other with the Bible. The reason I hate text and email is tone cannot be interpreted – and mine is not argumentative – would truly like to understand where you are coming from and what you base your thoughts from/quote as authority in your life.
@Steve,Let Those with eyes see & those with ears here. If one cannot even pick out one helpful tip that could make one stronger & act on it to live through Christ day by day, then that is sad.
At the end of the day, it comes up to ones self.
Do you want to let go of Porn Use?
Are you ready for the pain/suffering that you shall go through to100% be free of it?
Are you ready to seek the help of Jesus to guide you through and strengthen you as you do his will(not ours)?
I personally have decided to take the path and follow Jesus and let go of all these sin. I definitely was hooked to porn like all my friends were. Talking about stopping…It did hurt/trouble me badly especially at the beginning, but due to Jesus strengthening us day by day, we keep moving a step forward away from sin…further & further away.
So nothing shall make one stop until it comes from ones heart to repent and be determined to make their life right once again.
Thanks.
Aren’t you being a bit dumb by insinuating that he means at as a “cure all”?
He intends it as a tool, not as a self-help panacea!
Be careful not to read your own thoughts into what he has actually written.
Or, to take a bit of my own medicine…have I mistaken you what you intended to say? If so, please clarify…
My 2c
Steve. I am praying for you! The list reflected the authors desire to align his heart with Christ. I pray the God will move you to make a list to address your heart.
Great list of things to be focusing on!