L
Leon
Guest
I am pleased to announce that I have hit my second goal! This is 40 days since I last acted out to either pornography (whether soft or hardcore), or masturbated (including edging).
The word that comes to mind is 'diligence'- this isn't something handed to me on a silver platter. Lord knows I've struggled plenty down through the years with incorrect theology (on how God thinks of us), or else giving in to toxic shame which kept me in a constant state of defeat.
A particular scripture comes to mind, and I believe this would apply whether or not one were a believer- and it is:
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." - Proverbs 4:23.
Abstinence, if it's not to be simply "white-knuckling", truly has to be a matter of the heart. We have to truly want to be free, as I know many here do. But in our struggles, we truly have to have no place for this thing to have a foothold where from to launch an attack against our minds, and have us going down the same old ruts. "Know thyself" as the saying goes.
For example, just last night my daughter's favorite show is "Pretty Little Liars"- and indeed these actresses fit the part. However, I caught myself wanting to watch for the wrong reasons. I went out to pick up a pizza, and had to deeply ask myself as to my emotional state, as to what happened at work, and other such things- though the answers were already apparent to me. And I turned to, not so much addressing my interest to watch, but the 'why' of that interest, and just 'work' through the details. One may do this whether through prayer, or some kind of self-talk, self-assessment, etc- or journaling also comes to mind.
I wish to encourage all in this forum that this thing can be beat, not because we're so strong, but because we're strong enough to recognize our weaknesses.
The word that comes to mind is 'diligence'- this isn't something handed to me on a silver platter. Lord knows I've struggled plenty down through the years with incorrect theology (on how God thinks of us), or else giving in to toxic shame which kept me in a constant state of defeat.
A particular scripture comes to mind, and I believe this would apply whether or not one were a believer- and it is:
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." - Proverbs 4:23.
Abstinence, if it's not to be simply "white-knuckling", truly has to be a matter of the heart. We have to truly want to be free, as I know many here do. But in our struggles, we truly have to have no place for this thing to have a foothold where from to launch an attack against our minds, and have us going down the same old ruts. "Know thyself" as the saying goes.
For example, just last night my daughter's favorite show is "Pretty Little Liars"- and indeed these actresses fit the part. However, I caught myself wanting to watch for the wrong reasons. I went out to pick up a pizza, and had to deeply ask myself as to my emotional state, as to what happened at work, and other such things- though the answers were already apparent to me. And I turned to, not so much addressing my interest to watch, but the 'why' of that interest, and just 'work' through the details. One may do this whether through prayer, or some kind of self-talk, self-assessment, etc- or journaling also comes to mind.
I wish to encourage all in this forum that this thing can be beat, not because we're so strong, but because we're strong enough to recognize our weaknesses.
Well done!