In Part 1 of “Now That Porn Has Become Normalized” you were given a list of ages and stages of people who might be at-risk, some questions to help you identify if any of your loved ones have absorbed a porn-indoctrinated mindset, and a group of warning behaviors to help you discern if someone is in trouble. In Part 2, you will find the Biblical design for sexuality, ways you can be encouraging, and a list of some valuable resources.

Part 2

GOD’S DESIGN FOR SEXUALITY

• Pornography, to any degree, for any purpose, and in any context, violates God’s beautiful design for sexuality and His commands for how it must be honored. His standards don’t adjust for our humanity; our standards need to adjust to His divinity. (Job 40:8; Ps. 19:7-11; Is. 48:17-18; Eph. 5:25)

GOD’S DESIGN FOR YOUR MIND

• Porn requires you to change your values so that you will feel permission to rewrite God’s other standards as well. With eroded values, you don’t have to consider how you view or treat others, and you will eventually lose your desire to hear anything God has to say to you in His Word. (Is. 66:4; 1 Cor. 2:14)
• Porn numbs your brain. It requires that your mind gives increasingly more attention to it so that your brain will store more of its visuals, leaving less time and space for higher thoughts. (Phil. 4:8, Col. 3)

GOD’S DESIGN FOR THE HEART & SOUL

• Pornography makes you believe it will improve your life and meet your needs, but its deceptive goal is to make sure you never feel satisfied so that you keep going back for more. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can have a balanced approach to porn. It’s waiting to take your human sexual curiosity and desire, and exchange it for deep and painful shame. Nothing can satisfy you day or night like the Lord can. (Ps. 42:1, 8; 107:9; Prov. 23:1-3)
• Porn turns you into an addict. Then it wants you to keep it a secret to keep you from getting any help before it completely owns you. But when you’re a servant to the righteousness of Christ, you are set free from sin. (Jer. 17:9, Rom. 6:18; 1 Cor. 7:22)

GOD’S DESIGN FOR RELATIONSHIPS

• Pornography de-prioritizes your relationships. You can’t have both fantasy and a real person. If you choose fantasy, your constant giving in to self-gratification will cause you to struggle in the real world. If you choose a real person, you have no need to maintain a fantasy life. You will function at a higher level relationally and get to experience the unique sexual experience God has planned for you in the context of intimate marriage. (1 Cor. 13; Heb. 13:4)
• Pornography needs you to lust so that you won’t love. It will even try to convince married couples that it can be beneficial for love; but it will only be toxic and lead to disrespect and harm. (Prov. 6:25, 11:6; Mt. 5:28; Col. 3:5)
• Porn tries to get you alone so that you will give in to all of your temptations instead of remaining authentic and open with fellow believers in order to remain strong. (Eccl. 4:9-12; Gal. 6:1-2; Heb. 4:13)

 Wondering how else you can help…

• Be approachable as a safe place for confession.
• Don’t make your sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, etc. feel ashamed for being curious about porn. They didn’t ask for their world; but they do have to function well in it.
• Continue the conversation and never stop after just one talk. Inspire them and teach them Truth until they believe it.
• Pray for singles to find like-minded boyfriends/girlfriends and pray protection around the marriages of your loved ones.
• If you’re not as tech savvy as some of your friends, ask for their help setting up security on your family’s devices.
• Remind others not to try to fight the lure of porn in their own strength. Temptation needs fighting with the living Spirit of Jesus. Only He will be able to continually guide you to express a self-controlled, healthy, holy, fulfilling sexuality – beginning at puberty (loving your future spouse well with your early choices) and lasting for life (enjoying a faithful, sexual relationship with your spouse and a holy relationship with your Savior). (Jn. 16:33; Rom. 5:1-5; 1 Cor. 10:13, 2 Pet. 2:9)
• Be a helpful brother or sister by championing on-going purity and honor for your family of believers. (Is. 42:16, 2 Tim. 2:22)
• Make sure your loved ones always have a group of trustworthy peers/mentors for accountability.
• Forward this article to your friends and family members.

 “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.” (1 Jn. 1:7)

Wondering about some good resources…

• Help! My Kids are Viewing Pornography by Tim Chailles
• https://samsonsociety.com/
• https://harvestusa.org/
• https://www.covenanteyes.com/
• https://conquerseries.com/
• https://chastity.com/
• https://thefreedomfight.org/