SHOWNOTES FOR EPISODE 048 (9:18)
Click here to download or listen to the show
There are a lot of parts to our recovery: roadblocks, counseling, support group, accountability relationships, purity strategy, deep friendships…
These are all very important to build a strong recovery structure.
THE most vital part of your recovery is developing or redeveloping your intimacy with God. My friends at Pure Life Ministries like to call it “making God large in your life”.
SEXUAL ADDICTION IS TOO BIG
You are probably discovering in your quest for sexual purity, that there are many things that are bigger than us. Bigger than our support system. Bigger than our counselor, pastor, or support group.
A desire inside to be pure
Ability to deal with temptations and triggers
Withdrawing from long time sexual behaviors
Abstaining from sex
Stopping masturbation
There are many things we can’t control.
How other people react to your sexual problems
The reconciling of a marriage
What other people are saying about you
Other people deciding to come help us
The length of time you have to deal with the consequences
How long you will suffer loss
Making God “large” in your life is not complicated or mysterious. Here are some basic steps that will help you work on your relationship with God:
1. Build a regular time to devote to prayer and Bible reading
God has left us His Word and His Spirit to help us grow close to Him. Make room in your schedule for reading and seeking Him. Growing a relationship requires time together.
You don’t have to spend hours in prayer and Bible reading to grow your relationship. It will start growing immediately with 15-30 minutes. But you have to give it quality time. And the more quality time you give God, the better your intimacy with Him will grow.
2. Turn your life over to God
This is such a simple thing, but we fight it so much. We have to turn over the driver’s seat to God. We have not been doing a good job, and our sinning continues to mess things up. God has opened the door to a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. In the best way you can, in your heart, turn control over to Him.
Do it now. Stop reading (listening) to this, and tell God you want to turn your life over to Him. Give up control and let Jesus take the controls.
3. Practice surrendering your struggles to God
This is when you take your specific struggles and offer them to God. Surrender is releasing control. You need to do this with each of your present struggles. Call each one out to God in prayer and ask Him to help you, heal, or provide.
4. Get around other people who are more mature in their faith
There’s a fancy word for this in the faith community… it’s “discipleship”. You put yourself in the place of the learner, and find other people who can help you work on your relationship with God. People with maturity and experience who have been where you have been and can help you grow in your relationship with God. A Bible-based recovery group is perfect for this. Or a bible study group or meetings with a pastor can help.
5. Read Bible Passages that target recovery
Reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is a great idea… for another time. You need to hover around specific passages in the Bible that relate to recovery. God’s Word will help strengthen you on the inside. Here are some good places to start:
Romans (Chapter 5, 6, 7, or 8 )
I Corinthians (Chapter 7 or 10)
James (Chapter 1)
John (Chapter 15 or 16)
Psalm (Chapter 25, 32, 51)
6. Use a journal or notebook to help you
When you write down the things you’re learning they will help drive them home. Write down what you are learning from God’s Word. Write down the things you are praying about. Write down bits of verses that jump out at you and speak to your life. Write down the tips you hear from other people that help you in recovery.
All of my Top Tips For Sexual Purity started with scribbles in my notebook.
FROM SMALL STEPS TO LARGE
It’s important to understand that God is not a part of your strategy for recovery or a button to push to make things go a little better. Our relationship with God is the most important aspect of our recovery.
THE BEST ACCOUNTABILITY SOFTWARE
We are proud to be affiliated with Covenant Eyes! They have allowed us to offer you a Free 30-Day trial of their software. I my and Marsha’s opinion, it’s the best on the market. They have great filtering software and accountability software. CLICK HERE for a free 30-day trial of Covenant Eyes, and type in the code PURITY when you check out.
Take this important step and shore up your computer with some filtering and accountability.
Resources
www.porntopurity.com (Main Website)
http://porntopurity.wordpress.com (Porn to Purity Blog)
Show Music from MusicAlley.com
Show Theme – Derek K. Miller “Hotcake Syrup”
Background - Aramitsu “Black Coffee”
The 104 Podcast
Top tips for sexual purity. The meat. Get to the most important stuff in bite-sized pieces.
Subscribe to the show on I-Tunes
