Monday, November 10, 2008

Fleeing From Sexual Immorality...

Here you go Jerm.... :)

So throughout this school year I have steered clear of something that has brought me down in the past...This thing has been the root of my downfall into a spiral of sin-repent-sin-repent...For some reason I just decided, before I went into training to be a resident assistant at school at the end of the summer, that I just didn't want to deal with pornography anymore, and everything that goes with it. I am a junior in college now, and have a real possibility of a serious relationship sometime in the next few years...I want to honor whoever that women is with every aspect of myself...After all, I want to date a girl so centered around Christ I fall in love with the Jesus inside her...Well, if I want that in her, I need to be the same...I want her to fall in love with the Jesus inside of me...

If you don't know me, I have had a perpetual struggle with porn since I was about 10-12...It is just my main struggle in life...I know it seems super bad or way worse than some things to a lot of people, but all sin is the same in God's eyes...My sin just happens to affect someone else, someone I may not even know yet...It kills me to know I will look whoever my girlfriend is someday in the eyes and tell her how I have sold myself for something short of her in the past...I could possibly have all that crap affecting how I look at her, not because I want to or because it is supposed to be like that, but because I made stupid choices in the past...

Now I know God is bigger than anything, ever...I know he can and is helping me overcome this...Maybe he can even take away how I have this past affecting me now with girls...I know I just need to keep my eyes on God and let the rest fall into place under His plan...

Since I haven't fallen into any physical sexual temptation in so long, I find that I can look at women in a cleaner way now...I can stare at them in the face without thinking twice and let them know I am interested in who they are, not what they are...My thought life is more pure...

In church today, Pastor Mark talked about how Joseph straight up fled from Potiphar's wife...He saw temptation and just fled, before he gave himself a chance to think twice...He has every reason to give in to her, but he didn't because he was conditioned to flee temptation...He didn't make excuses or try to justify all of her advances...All he knew was God as truth and answered her with, "How could I sin against God?"
Genesis 39

The way out is the presence of God...The way out is prayer...The opposite of addiction and sin is fullness...Fullness from God is the only thing that will make it full enough to leave no room for sin...

God has entrusted me with him, which means I have been entrusted with EVERYTHING...

If you know me, keep me accountable to this...I have come to far to fail and don't want to fall back to where I was for the last 10 years...It was hell at times...This one sin, with everything that goes with it, has single-handedly kept me farther from God than any other sin in my life...


Thanks for listening to all my random thoughts...Sorry if I am too open...



"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body."
1 Cor 6:18

"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people."
Ephesians 5:3

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry."
Col 3:5

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality"
1 Thes 4:3

7 comments:

Carly Marie said...

This is your blog, you don't have to apologize for anything that your write.

I think dealing with what you are dealing with is one of the hardest things! Sex is everywhere, its not just in Adult stores or in magazines in the back row. Its on T.V, Movies, Music clips, Ads, Bill boards, and its all some people are just by the way they dress. In other words its in your face all day long!

I will pray for you in this area, I believe that when you find your girl you will treat her with the respect that she deserves, there isn't one percent of me that thinks otherwise.

Thanks for your honesty :)You will overcome this.

x

CoCo said...

I think it's great you are willing to be open and honest. Even though I don't know you in person I have seen the way you interact with people on campus and I see Christ in you. I see someone sold out, someone who struggles but understands the true meaning of grace.

God is with you in this and I have the feeling He has surrounded you with great friends to help you out.

mel said...

Jake... I know you know this, but when Jesus died on the cross...he died for you and for your struggle with this sin. Jesus covered it by his blood and HE will set you free. I truly believe that! We are all sinful, broken people...covered by his grace. I have a lot of respect for you for posting this. If only we all could be so open and brave:) God bless you and I'll keep you in my prayers over this.

Jeremy said...

You are the man. (Technically Jesus inside of you is the man...but He's coming through you prettty well so I think that the term works. Shut up, I'm a Bible nerd).

Way to be open. It's hard, but it's remarkably freeing. Here's where the healing comes. You'll make it...and your mind will be renewed, amen?

Standing with you,
Slagitty Slags

finding reality said...

So proud of you. I love your honesty and your pursuit of Him Jake...I don't doubt for a second that you will break those chains. Praying for you and love you, friend.

Carly Marie said...

Jake,

I just read your comment on my blog.... I don't feel worthy of such kind words, Its possibly the most beautiful comment I have ever received. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Looking forward to reading your next post..... YOUR AWESOME!

Love Carly x

Me. Thats all. said...

Dear Jake,
The RA from above.

I think people who keep away from these things and have been for their whole lives are great, but seeing someone struggling, then have the will to stop and actually keep it that way, shows a great deal of maturity and self control. Those people have a great deal of my respect. Thank you for being so open.

I'm looking forward to getting to know you more.

--Marc