“We should treat our brains and souls with the same respect, at least, that we give a kitchen sponge. You wouldn’t put your sponge in the toilet and then use it to clean your dinner plate. So why would we let our brains absorb hours of filth every day; filth and violence and sex and everything, and then think that we can turn around and use those same minds to be decent, virtuous people in real life? It’s very hard to do.” –Matt Walsh
Our hobbies, habits, and interests make up, in part, the pie chart of our existence and are interwoven with where our focus lies. Our focus stems from our issues and experiences beginning in childhood. There is a direct correlation between our thoughts and our actions, between whom we associate with and the entertainment we watch, read, and listen to.
A more wholesome existence is attainable simply by shifting our focus from one thing to another. Hobbies serve us well in this regard, as they cement our focus on something outside ourselves and help free us from being bound to the patterns of thought and action we’ve become so accustomed to over the years.
Life has taught us that every day is filled with the ordinary, the unexpected, the difficult, the mundane, and numerous responsibilities and roles unique to each person. Every decision we make either fuels or starves jealousy, rage, joy, freedom, peace, or euphoria.
Many who have given up porn as a primary hobby experience a new, better quality of life afterwards. Here are three ways a new hobby can help you change your focus away from porn and improve your quality of life:
You make the most of the time you’ve been given.
A profound lesson can be learned by spending moments staring at an hourglass. It shows how time is limited and cannot be redeemed again once it is gone. It warns greatly of squandering the brief days we each have on this side of eternity. It also awakens the desire to leave a mark on this earth for God’s glory and the good of our fellow man. It convicts us to esteem Christ and others above ourselves. It stirs in us a passion to use our hours in a way that extends beyond personal pleasure in order to build a special and beautiful legacy that continues long after we are gone.
You experience a new sense of purpose.
A crumbling self-esteem can be ours at any turn simply because we live in a society ruthlessly intent on making us feel like we aren’t enough or don’t have enough. Under the crushing weight of such unrealistic and impossible standards, porn calls us to itself. We buy the lie that it is our best option because, in those moments, its seduction silences that nagging voice which belittles us constantly (thus becoming our go-to fix in times of vulnerability and hardship).
To correct this warped mindset, research a list of meaningful, others-focused hobbies. You will gain new momentum in servanthood and feel appreciated for who you are as a person as you contribute value to the world around you.
“Credibility is earned. Earning takes time. The deepest impact comes through credibility. So the deepest impact takes time.” –Gundersen
We all know instinctively that people should not be given a trophy for merely existing, and we rightly mock acknowledgement handed to those undeserving of such praise. In the same vein, it should be obvious that we cannot gain confidence without actually doing something worthy of self-respect and the esteem of others. We must be intentional and thorough in our approach to find ways that add quality to other people’s lives. It is the best way to correct that haunting feeling that we are worth nothing.
You begin to feel alive again.
“For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” –Psalm 139:13-16, NASB
“Just one more time” was much of my story regarding pornography. I justified my use of porn and the neglect of pursuing constructive hobbies because I did not measure time accurately, nor did I see that my soul could be fed by pursuing healthy interests. I refused to dwell on the fact that the years are going by and did not make good use of my youth. I envy the enthusiasm and passion of most teens and children because their vitality and interest in life is new, fresh, alive.
If you notice children playing outside, it offers a brilliant picture of the value in hobbies that involve others and do not revolve around a screen. These hobbies force us to live in the moment and have the capacity to make us feel alive again. But similar to motivation, you cannot wait around for the desire to just appear. You must make the choice if you are to experience firsthand the benefits.
Making your life count.
Choose today to make a change. Don’t let another day go by where your conscience is slayed instead of being fortified with truth and beauty. Don’t allow your commitment to Christ to waver to the degree it becomes shattered as you look away from your first love (Jesus) and onto what He never intended your eyes to behold.
I’m afraid that many will approach the end of their days and mourn bitterly at everything they missed out on because a computer or TV screen took precedence over everything else in their lives. Pray at once that God would move mightily on your behalf and give you His best in all things. And don’t forget to beg Him to make your life count, so that when that final hour of your life draws near, you can have peace. “When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a manner that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.” –Unknown
Thank you for this ebook, I will look at this in a few days!
It’s true that it’s something important. But not easy to get rid of it :)
WoW! very moving! Thank you! Keep writing!!