Trusting God

[JakeS]

Ive been wrestling with this for a while/ basically I have been addicted to pornography since I was 13/ I understand it destroys relationships all too well/ and there are days when im on fire for God but then I stumble back to where I was a few days before



One of my family in my church is telling me it is because im not trusting God/ so then I started thinking and asking myself how do I trust God? What does it look like? And this is where I draw a blank/ can anybody help me with this please?

 

[djness]

I hear you man. It's all about wanting things we think we deserve and is best for us and not trusting God to provide what is best.

Sorry you got into it so young, it's so hard to get rid of if you don't have some sort of accountablity and the idea that God has something better.

Trusting anyone is taking them at their word and acting on that.

So you need to act on the fact that without porn there is something better...and that better thing biblically is a relationship with God.

 

[blue_ladybug]

To trust God, that requires having faith. Do you have faith? Alot of people on here struggle with porn issues. You need to ask him to completely remove any desire you have to look at porn..

 

[mailmandan]

Pornography is highly addictive. Researchers are finding that when people indulge in porn, they release powerful chemicals in their brain and body. Mark Kastleman, author of The Drug of the New Millennium, said, "There are a growing number of therapists and psychologists who are saying that this is as addictive as cocaine," or alcohol, or even heroin. He explained that, when people view porn, "It causes the brain to release what we call endogenous drugs or endogenous chemicals. 'Endogenous' meaning 'produced from within.' So where cocaine or alcohol seek to mimic the brain's natural chemicals, pornography releases the real deal. And so we have things like adrenaline, epinephrine, ACTH."

Due to our fallen fleshly nature, we will have to deal with the temptation to lust until we die. The temptation to lust will come in many forms including ungodly sexual appetites; and there are lusts, such as the lust of power, fame or position. We must rely on the power of the Holy Spirit inside us to overcome lust every day. No matter the form of lust we face, we can be assured that we have a High Priest and Advocate with the Father who "understands every weakness of ours" and "was tempted in every way that we are. But He did not sin" (Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 2:1).

 

[theteachermiss]

I heard once what is in abundance in your heart is what comes out of your mouth.

That really helped me realize that what I watch...AFFECTS ME.

Phil 4:8 is the verse for you. I think it will really encourage you as you struggle to overcome this.

Be blessed!

 

[Willie-T]

Jake,

I've taught court mandated classes in this area for 24 years..... and all the while, I also had some serious problems, myself. I have access to, literally, thousands of sources of information on this, and I have only recently found something that is proving effective.

Google a book by Jonathan Welton, called Eyes of Honor. It's only 9.99 on Amazon. (Kindle version) You won't be sorry you spent the few bucks.

 

[JakeS]

its amazing how God works/ in our church we have a devotional before our class and today it was over Hebrews 12:1-4/ it says in verse 1 that we should lay down our sins right? we all know that but what about the and right before it? it says to also lay down our burdens


this life from the get go is a marathon/ the moment we first accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior we start it/ at the starting point we have all the excitement and cheering and at the end we have the same when we get to heaven/ but in between is a grueling and long race that we only have God as our guide mainly/ sure we have other runners and they do help but they cant carry us the whole way

if we carry our burdens with us are we really laying down our sin at Gods feet? we still have the burden of it and it will only hinder us/ why dont we leave it with God and follow him instead of trying to do it ourselves? are we really trusting him?

we need to accept that God will lead us/ if we follow Jesus example then we will make it through/in verse two it talks about how he suffered for us/ verse 4 talks about not having shed blood like Jesus did/ in the US today we have little fear of shedding blood for our faith/ so the things we go through are just a tip on the iceburg of what Jesus went through on the cross for us/ 3 says we should think of how he endured and never gave up and we should follow in his example


Later on our preacher talked of forgiveness/ we looked at 1 john 2:1-29/ the main verse is 2:4/ our preacher brought up the term Christian athiest/ they are people who believe in god but dont act like it/ that in a way makes them worse then demons/ atleast the demons have enough sense to fear him/ i myself have acted like this and i am ashamed to admit it


the difference in christians today and back then is how we are seen by the world/ they ones back then were called christians by the pagans because the world saw they were followers and Christ imitators/ can that be said for the way the world is today? so what do we do if we have lived withought doing what God has commanded us to do? we ask for forgiveness/ but is it just like the jews with the law of 3 times and no more? or does God give us eternal forgiveness through grace/ if we imitate Christ then we need to forgive


but what is forgiving? it starts with a clear consience/ can you look straight in the eye of the person you offended without shame? then that is a clear consiciense/ can we look at God with one? and if we are truly sorry that we have sinned then should we stay the way we are or should we make a change?


like i said earlier change isnt easy and it takes time/ we are running a marathon/ trusting God is a lifelong thing



thank you to everyone who posted something/ i truly love my brothers and sisters in christ

 

[Fubario]

Just because you are a porn addict does not mean you don't trust God, if you take into inventory your relationship with God by reflecting on the time you spend with Him and the amount of energy you put into the relationship, you can find out if you are progressing in your faith or not. Obviously all sin hinders the relationship, and it really sucks because it wastes our time and we don't gain anything but loss or death that hurts us short term and in the long run.
I myself am trying to quit porn, and God is helping me and giving me a future.

There are many things that have to be taken into consideration, especially as to roots (spiritual, biological, lifestyle, etc). I am for instance hooked because of a medication I took which depleted my dopamine and left me feeling numb and anhedonia (no pleasure or loss of physical pleasure), so I cope badly and cannot do the things I would like to do. However, I am seeking help thanks to my mom and God, who are giving me the needed support to be able to overcome this problem; I am seeing doctors and getting vitamins and things that are going to help me restore my brain to its former state. It takes time but it is worth it.

I am going to send you a private message and hopefully we can talk and pray about this, in the meanwhile, the struggle is real and don't ever give up, but pray to God for deliverance and restoration so you may achieve freedom and have a prosperous future.