Temptation is Normal but it Must be Controlled with Goals/Purpose

Temptation in whatever form, whether it be desires of lust, greed for things or greed for knowledge is normal. We are not bad people because we have temptations. Indeed, these temptations are God given. Without temptation we would not be humans. Even our blessed Lord was tempted. Indeed, that is one of the many reasons He is the one true God. No other religious leader is the Son of God and none came down from heaven to live the life of a human with all of our temptations and troubles. He knows our problems first hand and He showed us how to overcome them solely because He wants our souls to return home.

Our temptations come from the body and they can lead to good things when we make the body serve the soul. This is our challenge, to control our urges and temptations for the benefit of the soul and the glorification of God.

The quest for knowledge is good if it isn't allowed to turn into pride. The desires of the flesh can be good things when they are channeled into a wholesome marriage or even better when they are curbed by truly dedicated people, such as nuns and priests, as a sacrifice for God. Even greed can be channeled into good if the accumulation of wealth is then used to provide for a family and charity for others.

Man is a complicated being. We are not plants or animals whose goals in life are essentially predetermined. We need a goal for ourselves. Goals that master our desires for the benefit of our souls and the glorification of God.

Congratulations to all of you on this site, because you have a goal, a purpose in life, or you are seeking one. What is the purpose you have chosen for your life?

 

I had this addiction for much longer than your good self. Despite that, I think I have done some good things in my life (and some things I deeply regret) but I also see that I could have done those things so much better if I hadn't separated myself from God in this way.

I think a goal of doing God's will is the right one for all believers. It is my goal too. I can see that God has called me to be a loving husband and father but I think that I must do more to define what the achievement of these goals looks like. I pray that I may be given a chance to undo any damage I did to my family as a consequence of my sins. One huge metric, in this aim, would be to draw my children back to the church. They are all adults and I know they can't be forced back to the faith; that approach never works anyway. So, I feel I must set such a compelling example that they choose to come back. This is one of my guiding goals - please pray for me as I pray for you. These are not easy goals but then that means they are probably worthwhile.

 

Don't despair. Christ has not given up on you. It took me 50 years to gain some control over this addiction. If Our Precious Lord waited patiently for 50 years while I rebuked Him, sometimes daily, He will certainly wait for you to quit this sin and come to Him. The answer you seek begins and is maintained by prayer. Beautiful, heartfelt, fervent, frequent and sustained prayer! If you aren't familiar with the acronym A.C.T.S. as a formula for composing your own prayers, please google it. It is powerful and I have found the sequence is quite important. Prewritten Catholic prayers are great too, but I find that I must compose my own prayers to enter into a real healing conversation with Our Precious Lord.

You also need a practical structure/methodology for your prayers and for that I recommend you search this site for " Mr. Eko's Catholic method". It was the thing I needed to get serious about my journey to quit PMO.

Lastly, I believe that we must recognize we are addicts and just like any other addiction, we cannot afford to expose ourselves to temptation. A recovered alcoholic doesn't choose to spend time in a bar with the smell of alcohol in the air. A PMO addict cannot allow themselves to stare at images and people that ignite our fantasies. Personally, I must examine my conscience daily to consider where I may be allowing myself to get close to the flame and take steps not to repeat it. I find there is always room for improvement here.

 

Wise words, as always, my friend. There is certainly room for improvement in my daily prayer routine and the rosary is a key component. Please pray for my family as I will pray for yours and let us not forget to pray for everyone visiting this site. They all have the spark of grace as evidenced by a desire to break the chains of this insidious sin and as we know first hand it can be a long process.

As for our children coming to the Lord at the last minute of their lives, I can testify that this is possible. More so, when a parent loses a child, the knowledge that they have embraced the Lord is the single consolation of any value whatsoever.