75/365: Fixing A Lust Problem

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ~Galatians 5:16

Men who struggle with lust tell stories of depression, loneliness, and darkness. Not one single man has described it any other way.

A lust problem is symptomatic of a man who chooses to serve himself first, others second, and maybe God gets a third row seat.

The wound of lust can go deep - but God's spirit can go deeper than any wound.

GO DEEPER: Psalm 147: 1-11

NEXT STEP: The quickest way to kill that lust habit is to confess it and allow the Holy Spirit to heal your scar.

Jack

on 08/04/2023 at 01:25 PM

I found lying and hiding (being ashamed of who I am) is the first indicator that I am on a path of sexual sin. I fill my hole and needs (fueled by shame) with self gratification which gives me a high for the moment but then becomes bigger shame/guilt after the acting out. Learning to accept myself because I am loved by God and that is my ultimate IDENTITY. I am NOT identified by my job, money, possession, what I can or cannot do, or what humans say about me. Amen!

Jay Deming

on 03/23/2023 at 11:07 PM

Is it lusting if my thoughts are about my wife?

Bud Alan Teegarden

on 03/18/2023 at 12:02 PM

No matter how hard I have tried to put my lustful energy aside, I still have Lust on my mind and in my heart during times of weakness.Help me to keep only thoughts of Maggie in my heart and visions when in the presence of other women. Jesus I’m asking you to intervene and set my mind in the right direction, give me strength to overcome this affliction. Through Christ Jesus Amen

Kevin Miller

on 03/16/2023 at 06:27 PM

Another great topic. I struggle with lust mentally. I see a good looking women and of what I would like to do. I’m getting better though.

Old Dude

on 03/16/2023 at 05:19 PM

I picked up the following nugget of Godly wisdom from "My Utmost for His Highest" (Oswald Chambers) this morning and I thought it was apropos to today's Kickstart. One of the penalties of sin is our acceptance of it. No struggling or praying will enable you to stop doing certain things, and the penalty of sin is that you gradually get used to it, until you finally come to the place where you no longer even realize that it is sin. No power, except the power that comes from being filled with the Holy Spirit, can change or prevent the inherent consequences of sin.

Ethan Rogers

on 03/16/2023 at 03:26 PM

I had/ have a sex addiction, I prayed and asked for forgiveness for a long time. After life changing events, I go to a psychiatrist where I am prescribed and take a opioid recovery medication that turned my "manhood abilities" to zero. It is virtually impossible to work, if you know what I mean. I feel like the phrase "be careful what you pray for" because I am full of frustration and suffering, not feeling like a man. This caused me to go deeper into dirtier and more vial porn as the addiction progressed. I no longer act on my lusts, or sleep around, but the sickness feels like a disease. I know ONLY God can restore my sanity, as I seem to do the same thing over and over, and it gets worse. Satan is a master at ruin. When overwhelmed, with little hope, I know God is the only way, I must surrender this. I know that God will help with this too. Please pray for me, brothers. I need this gone. I am defeated by this evil and don't want to keep the lie and shame any longer.

Delray Sheen

on 03/16/2023 at 02:59 PM

...I tried to take on or ignore all the adversaries arrows until one finally made it through and that's all he needed. I did not see change to this cycle for years, until I addressed what kind of love I have for God. When coming under attack I speak out that I love Him. When I come under attack I bind it by name immediately in the name of Jesus and the authority given me by Him. I focus on maintaining my keys and love. Then one blessed day I noticed "hey it's been months since I even thought about it", that urge loosened. I pray if something is not working for you right now to move, to do something about it, to consult heavenly counsel.

Delray Sheen

on 03/16/2023 at 02:53 PM

From waking up to laying our head down, the love of the Lord God should be on our hearts and lips. That love will caste out all darkness, even lust. I testify from a place of many failures

RobCovert

on 03/16/2023 at 02:40 PM

So far so good brother, I can’t remember the last time I gave into temptation and looked at things I shouldn’t. God is good, He has given me an escape every time the temptation has come my way.

Elliott

on 03/16/2023 at 02:22 PM

But I realized that I was dying. So I made some changes I moved away from the temptations of my past life. And I am busy working on being the true me today. I don't need materialistic things to be happy in my life. I need to love who I am today I am a man of strength of wisdom of being selfless. Jesus shows me that there's more to life than being self-centered and worrying about me 100% of the time. I don't have any of those materialistic things in my life right now. I thought that I needed materialistic things I needed lust I needed adventure and didn't want to ever be bored so I was using other things to make my life fulfilled feel fulfilled. I never been so happy with my life and all I have is me my dog a bed and two chairs. I am loving who I am today because I'm not living off of temptations. I'm trying to be a channel of God's love and peace. life is not about materialistic things it's about being the best person that I can be today and I can't be the best person when temptations try to divert me from being the true me.

KJE

on 03/16/2023 at 02:13 PM

Thanks for sharing, everyone. I also struggled for years with pornography and lust. I was struck by what it says in the devotion today about a lust problem being symptomatic of a man who chooses to serve himself first! For most of my life, I chose to serve myself first, and it led to an extramarital affair, and hitting rock bottom. It was the worst moment in my life by far! Now I am almost 2 years removed from that moment and have repented and turned in the opposite direction towards putting God first. Praise God for his healing, and his help in my recovery! I am still a work in progress, but God is good and it has been 2 years since I’ve looked at any pornography. I choose to follow Jesus, no turning back!

Elliott

on 03/16/2023 at 02:05 PM

2 weeks of build up and then the real problem of LUST is shown to me. In a way that is making me know that sometimes God works in mischievous ways!! My last marriage was based on 100% lust. there is really no other reason for us to interact the way that we did. Last night's Men's bible study was on the book of James. James 1:14. It Talks about Lust and about temptations. For me to finally understand that my past relationship was based on lust helps me understand how temptations lead to death. James 1:15. It was a relationship that should have only lasted 2-3 days at the most. Our marriage lasted 7 years.🤔 Lust, porn, materialistic things use to be my life and nothing was going to stop me because I was finally living a life filled of dreams coming true.

Brandon Pembleton

on 03/16/2023 at 01:12 PM

Lust is a powerful tool of the evil one. The devil ties it together with his deceit. Especially porn. The lies I once believed were it's OK and it's better than sleeping around with a whole bunch of different women. Buts it's not. It's the same thing. Maybe even worse. It scrambled up my brain and made me think for a long time sex has to be the center of a relationship. Not to mention the motivation center killing effects it has on the mind and soul. I was fortunate to get into a recovery some time ago and my sponsor saying at the beginning how dangerous it is to play with the fire of porn and hook up culture. I believed him and trusted that guidance since it was prior to a relationship with God. And I would dabble every once in awhile still those first few months in porn. It made me feel so empty inside like it just ripped open the void or better put it caused me to push God out of the God sized hole in my heart. To me porn and hooking up both instantly drive God out of my being. If I stay true to God and practice His principles to living I don't desire that quick hit of dopamine. Probably because serving God and trying my best to put Him in all things makes those thoughts far away. I and I'm guessing everyone can't exactly put God into porn nor hooking up. If I fail immediately run to God to help me see the why I failed and for guidance to not fail again - just like any other sin I may fail at. Thank you God for allowing us to always come to you. I love you God amen 🙏

Boyce Moses

on 03/16/2023 at 12:25 PM

Love the Lord with your heart, mind, and soul. Confess your sins to a brother, and pray with them. Be a brother they can confess to also. Love you Jesus! 💜❤️🤎💛

Rich Rangel

on 03/16/2023 at 12:16 PM

As others have stated lust is not just sexual. God wired us to appreciate and desire the opposite sex. That is always going to be there looking at a pretty woman. It's when I keep staring and thinking about sex is when it turns to lust. The bible says to flee temptation. Look the other way and thank God for his creation.

Steven

on 03/16/2023 at 11:57 AM

I was addictd to porn and the dopamine high I got from it. It was rotting me from the inside. When I finally hit rock bottom, I had friends who came along side of me and loved me and helped me face the shame of what I had done. As I started to learn new habits, I found that hard phyical work got me through tough times of temptation. I would run, garden, clean the garage, anything to keep my hands and mind occupied. I would go to bed mentally and physically tired. It felt good to use that energy in a positive way rather than a sinful and distructive way. God showed me a way out of my addiction. Praise Him!

Michael

on 03/16/2023 at 11:03 AM

It started for me in elementary school. My dad had Playboy magazines in his magazine rack. I don’t have a pornography problem via pictures or video as I gave that up at my conversion, but I can play images in my mind still which is just the same. That has been so difficult to heal from. I hate it.

James Peckham

on 03/16/2023 at 10:44 AM

Amen! What the Lord has shown me through recovery over the past 17 months, lust is a symptom to mask deep seeded personal issues we are really good at burying deep and medicating in order not to feel. Once those are open and the light shines on all those hurts, He can work wonders at bringing lust under control and show you the life you were meant to have- worshiping Him and being the father/husband/person we were meant to be.

Tommy Williamson

on 03/16/2023 at 09:55 AM

The dictionary definition of lust is "1. intense or unrestrained sexual craving or 2. an overwhelming desire or craving." Lust is essentially to crave something, usually associated with worldly desires of sexual intent or material possessions. What do you lust after. Is it looking on an attractive lady thinking of sexual pleasure with her? Is it a lustful desire for a better home, car, tools, the prettiest lawn and flowerbed than your neighbors, a bigger better tv then your friends, to have the best party for that big game. Yes while most lust is geared at sexual desire it really doesn’t stop there. Anything that we lust after to be better than someone else or anything that we lust after that comes between us and God is a sin. There is nothing wrong with desiring nice things in life, it is just when they become more important than God. I remember for years looking at just about every pretty female and thinking how nice it would be to have her, then it started to include handsome men and finally younger and younger girls. Though I never acted out any of the men or young girls J did often try to touch the lady’s I was dating in a sexual manner. Praise God I have now overcome these lustful desires. However my lust didn’t end there because I also desired that nicer car carving and lusting after it even if I knew that I really could not afford or did not really need it. Now I think alright our car may not be the newest but it runs good and gets us around.

75/365: Fixing A Lust Problem

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