So is it possible to overcome lust and pornography on your own with the help of Christ? Does saying otherwise diminish the very power that the Holy Spirit offers us? These are some of the ideas I would like to throw out there and discuss.I believe that it may be possible for Christ to offer a spontaneous healing to someone that is struggling with sexual sin just by asking for forgiveness and having a repentant heart. However, that is not what I have found to be the case in my own recovery and in the lives of the many men that I have had the privilege of being surrounded by in recovery.
It is only now after two years that I am beginning to appreciate the very thing that I was so frustrated about for so long. I have realized that through this journey of frustration and pain I have been able to learn many lessons that I can hopefully pass on to other men who choose to fight this tough battle as well.
For many years I would go to 1st John 1:9,
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our
sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”
It was only after attending a recovery workshop put on by Pure Warrior Ministries that I realized I was missing a key piece in my recovery. This missing piece is found in James 5:16
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you
may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
That is when the light bulb went on. What I was missing all along was the support and prayers of other Godly men in my life. I needed to be connected with other guys that would be willing to hold me accountable to the very standards that I so longed to achieve.
On top of that I needed to retrain my mind so that I would look to Christ to fill all of the voids in my life and not towards my addiction. This was not an easy thing to admit because it now meant that I would be unable to keep falling back into my sin like I had in the past.
Finally, I realized that this is what Christ has desired for us from the very beginning and following this model does not diminish Christ’s power at all.
Thoughts?
James
Thoughts?
James
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4 comments:
Wow. Now, I'm even more convinced that I need some real accountability in my life. Not just to be accountable but to have the freedom to confess without fear of being shamed for it.
Thanks Anon,
Shame sucks. Maybe if we all talk about it more, there'll be less shame.
Job
it seems so hard to find the courage to ask for accountability, but the biggest problem i keep having is when the accountability i do have is inconsistent/ineffective. how do you set up a solid accountability system?
Anonymous,
I think that is why being in some form of 12 step recovery group can be beneficial. I understand what you mean though about finding a true accountability partner that will say the things that need to be said.
James
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