The bolded is the case for all sin. This post really rang true for me and touched my heart. Thanks,
Alicialynn86.
I used to battle with lust so bad. I believe that people can sometimes be stuck in a situation for slow long, they no longer look for ways to be free, but tend to deal with it. People underestimate the power of prayer. They dont believe that God can bring them freedom. Do we think that Jesus Christ hung on a cross so we would just have to 'deal' with lust, anger, drugs, depression etc.NO! But He said that He came to give us life more abundantly. But He also said I am the way , the truth and the life. True delieverance from anything comes by complete devotion and alleigance to God. You dont get delieverance from something by going to church one time a week, or going to conference every now and then, but you get delieverance by tarrying with God in prayer, reading His word,and through obedience. When I battled with lust for so long, I got tired of it, I wanted to be free. You have to get to the point that you are tired of it. I begin to examine what it was I doing to feed this lust. Because if you starve anything for longs period of time, it will die. I begin to cut the TV off, cast down wicked imaginations, surrond myself with like-minded people.I have been saved amlost 4 years and havent dated a man since.Thoughts may arise and feelins may arise , but I cast them down and throw myself into prayer, because I want to be clean in God's eyesight. I dont want to be just another "church goer",but I want a pure heart.God is a keeper, He will keep you, but you have to want to be kept. The bible says Resist the devil and he will flee. You have to do something, you to have resist.
I've been saved and celibate for close to seven years and haven't dated in that time either. In my case, it was actually easier (as in, requiring less intentional effort) when I first submitted to the Lord out of helplessness, desperation, and a sin-sick soul. As of late I've become increasingly impatient with being single, especially in light of many man- and marriage-focused conversations here and elsewhere (generally from a secular perspective, of course, as I mentioned in
a blog a while back). Even topics that don't specifically incite lust abet faithlessness and a lack of trust in God's ability to, in His timing and according to His perfect will, provide a mate (and all other needs--physical notwithstanding--for that matter). Focusing on the state of the black community or the idea that all (black) men are no good or that waiting on God for a man is old-fashioned and ineffective and that today's woman must compete and pursue (usually by appealing to lust of the eye and/or flesh) is worldly thinking; once upon a time, I knew this with unmovable conviction.
For this and other reasons I've taken several LHCF hiatuses and overall technological fasts (Facebook account is still deactivated, and Youtube has all but fallen by the wayside; both used to be daily, hours-long indulgences, so I praise God for that), but I somehow always seem to end up back here, usually under the guise of "Oh, I'll just visit the hair, Christian, and health & fitness forums...OT & ET are off limits." Then I'll load up iSpy and click whatever catches the eye.
It may be time to just let my subscription run out so that those forums are all I
can access.
At any rate, I digress. This thread has been refreshingly convicting and incited a lot of much needed and, until now, oft-avoided introspection. I can remember when I used to welcome and thank God for chastisement. When I used to pray for God to show me me and rejoice in that prayer being answered; the opportunity to slay the flesh; and the attainment of even more closeness to Him. Before now I hadn't felt that way in quite some time. (I related to the poster who mentioned not feeling like praying once you've succumbed to lust, even when you're convicted in it.)
The
only thing that can keep us away from God is sin. I'd been acknowledging the distance, yet maintaining that I wasn't doing anything wrong. At first, I wasn't "doing" anything--not blatantly backsliding, but not growing in Christ either. I'm now reminded that my do-nothing slothfulness was and
is a sin, as is pride (i.e. becoming convinced that I'm not sinning because others are doing much worse
), gossip (thanks to links and discussions in ET/OT, among other things), and of course, lust--the "big ticket" infraction of which I gradually became accepting once I adopted the mentality that I was alright not actively seeking and growing in God's grace.
It's not supposed to be as easy as it was when I was a "baby saint." (I'm studying
I Corinthians and
Hebrews once I post this.) I'm supposed to encounter--and overcome--increasingly difficult challenges as a means to becoming more edified and, in turn, more Christ-like. This is why high-mindedness is so detrimental to the walk with Christ; a mentality that you already have it all at any given point only breeds laziness, stagnation, and, at worst, hard-heartedness and a deaf ear toward God.
Sorry for semi-hijacking, but I'm inclined to publicly thank Him for you all and everything that's been said here.
. It does not help that like most men I am very visual- VERY
. So, like Aviah said I cannot listen to certain lyrics or watch certain movies. Any porn is a huge no no for me. I start to get ungodly ideas and inspiration. I have to keep other things in my mind or else it would be very easy for me to 
ver18: simply b/c I can.
erplexed and in the lives of those around me. Es muy verdad
. I am praying for God to transform my thoughts. I had to repent because I prided myself on being physically pure, but mentally I was, well ...NOT! I was dating this guy and telling him how I was waiting for marriage, and then would turn around and send tell dirty jokes and engage in lustful conversation 
. We were both confused- my thoughts were manifesting to my behaviours! This is a struggle for me but with prayer and guarding my thoughts I know I can overcome. 
. I am praying and reading His word, I feel so much guilt for some of my thoughts.
