James Meehan - Break Free from the Prison of Porn
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We live in a world today where porn is more accessible and acceptable than it's ever been before which has led to so many young people like you getting trapped in a cycle of addiction. That's why today we're talking about three steps you can take to break free from the prison of pornography and come out on the other side stronger than ever before. The first step to quitting porn is to eliminate temptations today so that you do not have to resist them tomorrow. Because for a lot of temptations we fight them, but when it comes to sexual temptations, we flee from them. 1 Corinthians 6:18 says this: "Run from sexual sin. No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body".
Sexual temptation trains us to see other people as objects to be used rather than people to be loved. That's what we call lust, a choice to put our desires above someone else's dignity. And the way that we eliminate those temptations is by making our smartphones dumb phones. What do I mean by that? I mean, on your phone, eliminate access to the apps, the websites, and the accounts that regularly tempt you to see other people as less than human beings made in the image of God. That means unfollow the accounts, delete the apps, block the websites that lead you to continually fantasizing about other people in ways that you know you shouldn't. That means stop listening to the songs and watching the shows that glorify sex outside of marriage. That means don't take your phone into the bathroom or the bedroom. Go the extra mile to eliminate those temptations because your purity is worth it.
Step number two for quitting porn is to train yourself to see other people as human beings made in the image of God. So here's what that means. When you are tempted to objectify another person or to fantasize about them, bounce your eyes, and then pray for God to bless them. You're walking down the street, you're scrolling through Instagram, you're at the gym, and you see somebody that you think is attractive. Bounce your eyes. That means don't linger, don't stare, don't get weird. Instead, you've noticed the person, now bounce your eyes. Look away, look at something else so that you don't let your mind go running. And then redirect your thoughts by praying for God to bless them. Super simple prayer. Pray, "God, bless them tremendously. Thank you for making them a beautiful human being made in your image. Help me to honor them the same way that you honor me". That way you can train yourself to see them the way that God sees them.
Step number three for quitting porn. Get help from the people that God has placed in your life. Confession and accountability are essential. What is confession? That is agreeing with God about your sin and telling other people about it. That means when you are tempted to lust after another person, when you stumble onto a website that you shouldn't be visiting, when you go back into that habit that you've been trying to break, you confess it to God and to other people. Because the Bible tells us that when we confess our sins to God, we will be forgiven. And when we confess our sins to other people, that's where we will find healing. And sexual sin wounds us deeply. It's something that we need to be healed from, and confession is the path to healing.
The other thing that you need is accountability. You need people that are going to encourage you, challenge you, be there for you when you fall short, and build you up when you need to go the extra mile and resist those temptations that feel crippling. So invite other people to be a part of your journey towards freedom from pornography. Tell them that this is a struggle that you have and ask them to pray for you, to encourage you, and to ask you regularly how you are doing in this area of your life. Because none of us are meant to go through this life alone. All of us need other people with us so that we can become the person that God has created us to be.
And then a bonus tip for you. Start reading the "How to Quit Porn Bible Plan" found in the YouVersion Bible app. If you're watching this video on YouTube, then you can check in the description to this video. Click on that link and it's gonna take you right there. And this Bible plan is designed to help you through the wisdom found in God's Word, break free from this addiction so that you can find freedom in Christ. So if you want to quit porn, then I would encourage you to eliminate the temptations today so you don't have to resist them tomorrow. I would encourage you to train yourself to see other people as made in the image of God by bouncing your eyes and praying for God to bless them. And then, finally, get help from other people. Confession and accountability are essential ingredients on your path to freedom.