February 28, 2007

Guys ... and Sexual Temptation/Sin

I travel about once a month. Being the people person that I guess I am, I meet people along the way, guys mostly, at conferences in places like Boston, Atlanta, Washington, Denver, etc. Not usually very satisfied with surfacy "chit-chat," our conversations can get pretty deep, pretty fast. One thing I've observed - Satan is claiming one victory after another, with one guy after another, in the area of sexual temptation and sexual sin. And I won't pretend to have not been there myself. Seminary students are not immune. I've talked to several. Pastors' studies are not exempt, as some of the pastors I've met have confirmed. And chances are pretty good that some of you reading this blog right now either did or will see something very different on this very same computer screen in the recent past or future. Just the other day, I read 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 and prayed with a single guy who told me about him and his girlfriend. A few weeks ago, the 18-year old high school senior I had befriended at a local store said he just learned his girlfriend is pregnant and they'd been "active" for three months. Last month, a dear friend of mine confessed to multiple affairs during the course of his marriage. I've met a number of guys throughout my travels who are hooked on Internet pornography - one has since installed Covenant Eyes on his computer and asked me to be his accountability partner - I receive a report every other week.
Guys? What are we going to do? it's not that we don't know what Scripture says - "Flee from sexual immorality" (1 Cor. 6:18); "Honor God with your body" (1 Cor. 6:20); "It is God's will that you should be sanctified ... avoid sexual immorality ... learn to control [your] own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God" (1 Thess. 4:3-5). So is there a secret part of your life that involves sexual sin? Please ... please ... go to a trusted brother in Christ, confess it to him, seek help and accountability in this part of your life. If you haven't anyone you think you can go to, let me know (steve@banneroftruth.org) and I'll try to connect you with someone. But let your eyes take in the written Word today; hear it and accept it, brother; and may this unchecked sin go unchecked in your life no more! Satan has racked up enough points in this area. And just so you know, this blog does accept anonymous comments so feel free to let me know what you think. Honestly, I really just want to help.
Grace & peace, and in Christian brotherly love ...
Steve

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brother, I can resonate with this call! This is precisely why the only internet-capable computer is in the very public living room! Even FoxNews.com has been shunned now because the advertisements and racy articles were not fit to have my kids seeing. (and therefore nobdy else!)

I switched to MyWay.com for my news now!

Steve Burlew said...

Yeah, I think a lot of guys can "resonate" with this subject, just by looking at the number of hits since I delved into the subject. Thanks for letting me hear from you.
Steve