Sex Sex Everywhere!

Perhaps one of the most frustrating for my in the battle against pornography, is the fact that sex is literally everywhere! I can do everything in my power to get sexual imagery out of my life...internet filters, throwing away porn, blocking television channels, refusing to rent movies with nudity, ect. Yet as much effort as I may put into this, I can still find sexual imagery in the most innocent of places. Grocery stores, billboards, restaraunts, hotels, at work...the list goes on and on. Not only that, but I can spend all the time in the world filling my mind with pure thoughts and making myself realized what a terrible thing pornography and lust are...but meanwhile a large portion of society is constantly trying to remind me how completely normal and healthy sexual promiscuity is. Conversations at work...discussions on the radio...even articles in the newspaper. Seems like the media and society want to convince everyone that it is strange, unhealthy, and downright weird to seek a pure life free from pornography and unhealthy sexual habits.

The question then is how to battle this? When we are putting forth our best effort to focus on God and seek purity...how do we deal with the imagery that we are bombarded with almost everyday? I suppose there's a few steps to that...

1) Prayer. This is always number one. But as I discussed in one of my earlier entries...we can't just wait until we're bombarded with sexual imagery. We must pray even when we are feeling strong and invincible. We must pray that we might not be bombarded with such imagery...but if we stumble upon something that might stir up temptation, that we have the strength to look away and not dwell on this. That brings us to #2.

2) Look away. If your checking out at the grocery store and the scantily clad woman on the magazine catches your eye...don't allow yourself to stare. Look away. Find something to distract you as quickly as possible. Drool over you favority candy bar instead. Read your horoscope. Stock up on those last minute items conveniently stocked by the registers..."hmm...maybe it is time for a new pair of nail clippers!" The longer we stare the longer that image will be in our minds...the longer we'll have to struggle to get it out. If we turn away immediately, we can't dwell on it. And to go back to #1...say a quick little prayer when you stumble upon something unexpected.

3) Be prepared. We know those magazines are at the front of the grocery store. I know where the billboard for the adult bookstore is. You know these things are there...so pump yourself up...get your game face on when approaching...and make the commitment to avert your eyes. You know its there. You can be ready for it. You have the upper-hand. Even still, there are times when something strikes out of the blue. An attractive woman walking down the street...or a an ad in the weekly bargain that always arrives in the mailbox. The best we can do here is not let our guard down. This stuff will always be around...we can't foget it. We must remind ourselves everyday that we will be faced with the imagery somewhere...and again, we turn back to step 1...we must pray we will have the strength to not allow our minds to dwell on any unexpected imagery we are faced with.

So to summarize, prayer...preparation...and distraction (I suppose it would make more sense had I written about those in the same order...but you get the point). Pray for strength...prepare ourselves to be bombarded...and distract ourselves when we are.

God Bless!