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48

christian counseling today

VOL. 22 NO. 1

want to stop looking at it. The key is helping

facilitate a heart change, not simply attempting

behavior modification.

In the past, pornography was simply the white

elephant in the Church that no one talked about.

Today, it has become an unleashed, roaring lion

that is destroying relationships as it gets its claws

into—and then devours—men, women, and

children alike.

The good news is that the Gospel is the hope

of the world. It has the answers and solutions.

Christians are the instruments God works through

to reflect that Gospel to those inside and outside

of the Church. As with any unhealthy habit or

influence, Christians know that it requires putting

off the old and putting on the new. However, when

it comes to porn, the problem is magnified one-

hundred fold. Pornography creates pathways in the

brain that become superhighways over time because

chemicals, such as dopamine, are released and

become tied to certain thoughts or behaviors. In

time, a person’s mind not only suggests, but craves,

the next porn, lust or fantasy fix.

The Church must learn to confront this

problem in a radically different way. The root issues

are so deep that people need more than a life vest;

they need a total makeover and retooling of the

brain pathway. What works? We have found that

those who have broken free from porn addiction

start with a mindset that it is

no longer an option

and they are

willing to do whatever it takes

.

1

What most do not understand, however, is that

doing “whatever it takes” does not mean pulling

harder at your bootstraps. It means switching

masters. It is doing things God’s way this time. The

proven path involves laying aside selfish practices

and living for a larger purpose. That is where real

change takes place. Just like it took a long time to

dig the hole, it will take much effort to climb out.

Again, people need to remap their brain pathways.

They also need to emerge from hiding in false

forms of intimacy and begin building real, healthy

relationships… and that takes not only time and

energy, but also proper tools and a fellow sojourner.

One of the best tools for fostering change

consists of a daily, biblically-based workbook

focusing on sexual integrity. The goal is to

equip people to be able to dig up the roots that

feed lust and replace them with godly character

and relationships. Therefore, the study should

intertwine daily homework assignments that build

healthy relationships. Because it takes at least two