![Page Background](./../common/page-substrates/page0048.jpg)
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