Need help
Ok, I'm starting over today bc I slipped.
I need some advice.
What steps you have taken to help cope with not looking at porn or masturbation?
For me- I have stopped being online so much, I used to spend much more time on the computer. I've managed to cut it down to one time a wk mb to porn altho I did it today and yesterday.
- I don't know about you, but I have also used rubber bands on my wrists to hit myself whenever I am having an urge and it has helped keep me away.
-I pray to God for his love to complete me, and that has worked most of the time.
The more time I stayed away from porn, the lesser it bothers me.
Anyways those are the steps I am currently taking, I know I need an accountability partner but I don't have one yet bc it's hard to trust anyone.
I'd appreciate all the help I can get!
Comments
A couple of things have been helping me in the change.
The first step was a very honest admission to God that I was worshiping something other than Him. Telling Him that I really wanted to repent and prepared myself for the worst in terms of pain of growth. And I faced some real pain. God disciplines the sons he loves. I had put this off for a very long time because I valued comfort over Christ. (Comfort being one of the things I was worshiping.)
After that, there was being reminded by a mentor that I was not only forgiven, but made clean by Christ's blood. Being reminded of the whole gospel is a big deal. We don't just have salvation, we have a new identity which says we are filled with glory because of Christ's work. You are clean. Even though you don't feel it, you are clean.
There were a number of other things that has been happening for me. I've been posting on my accountability thread every day I can access the internet. I don't put off when I screw up, and this has helped me not excuse any backsliding and trying to sweep something under the rug which then festers and grows in the dark.
I've been seeking more accountability with friends and I have been seeking therapy and mentorship. I have also been reading. The first book (as I have been putting up on other posts) that has been huge is "Wired for Intimacy: How pornography hijacks the male brain." I also am reading "Counterfeit Gods" by Timothy Keller.
I also have Covenant Eyes that is an accountability/monitoring software that also has a feature called the "Panic Button" which shuts off my access to the internet when I hit it. I call up CE support and in literally 10 seconds they have my internet back on.
So there a few things. 1) I had to kill it. I saw how deep the rabbit hole was, and saw that I had to go to extreme lengths to attack the root of this sin weed. 2) I couldn't kill it. Only by God's grace have I been able to come to a better place. 3) I didn't just get rid of stuff, I had to put God in it's place. 4) I had to be honest with myself about so many more things going on than just my desire to see naked women. 5) I had to be ready for the pain of growth and not let Satan push me around when it got difficult.
Don't let the Enemy push you around. He's there, and He's a little punk.
That also means getting into the Word to be reminded of who God is and who I am in Him.
Yea, I noticed your thread. Though you slipped, you continued to move forward. I know there is no instant healing, unless God does it himself.
I learned that on the road to recovery, there will be a few setbacks. Like with me, I just slipped a while ago bc I couldn't sleep and I had the urge. However, I learned that if you starve your lustful urges, they get weaker. I slipped a few days earlier too so I'm affected more by the urge.
Anyways I appreciate the advice, we are to be positive no matter what. God sees our faith, and he will reward us.
Recently I recieved a word from God saying that I was gonna go thru a phase of growth, so I def gotta stay focused. But see friend? there is always hope. That's the God who loves us!
"We may have problems but we shouldn't let our problems have us"