God Will Help You

The Big Bet

I faked to the left, then drove to the right, and shot the basketball. It's in, I win.

My younger brother Mikey wadded up a one-dollar bill and threw it on the ground. "I am faster and can shoot better, but you still always win. Unbelievable luck", he said while rolling his eyes in disgust.

"I can tell you my secret." His face turned red and tightened up as he stared at me.

"When I wiggle my shoulders after I score, it gives me the Juju to keep the flow going."

"Yeah, you probably do practice some foreign ungodly religion."

"Well, at least I am not a porn addict like you. Mr future Bible school student," I said. Immediately I had total regret for two reasons. First, I knew how hard he was trying to quit. Second, I am just as addicted and he knows it.

Glaring at me he said, "I got a dollar that says I can quit for longer than you can." He began to smile. He prayed all the time. He always had his devotions. I felt trapped.

"You are on," I said confidently. But inside I have zero confidence.



The next morning Mikey comes out of his room a bit late. I know he has been praying extra.

I've been working on a sermon about Jonah," he says with a smile.

"That's good," I said nodding. I returned to my bedroom. My lust is already starting to build up, and my brother is working on a sermon. I have no chance! In desperation, I type "how to quit porn" on Google.

The first article says we need to hate our sin. Immediately I pause and pray, “Father, help me to hate this sin that so often brings darkness into my life.”

The second article says we need to know why God hates this sin. It says, “God knows about how P draws people away from him. How it enslaves people so that they can't live a great life. How it drives people into destruction.”



Fast forward to day three. Unbeknownst to me, Mikey was really struggling. Again he prayed fervently. But, the minute he went back to his normal routine, he felt temptation in a heavy way. He prayed and prayed and prayed, and made it through the day.

By day four I am ready to give up. Lust is at the boiling point. I quickly search for help online. I come across an article that reads, “Quote one of the verses for quitting every time you have a lustful thought.” I print out every verse. A few seconds later – bad thought #1. Fought off with good verse #1. The battle rages and rages, but I make it through the day.

On day five Mikey prays extra. Dedicates his life even more fervently, and gets some momentum. Then as he is eating lunch he notices an old favorite movie of his. As he clicks on it he remembers some pretty raunchy scenes. But without thinking, he just blasts right into it.


That evening Mikey comes into my room. I could tell from his face that something bad had happened. “Are you okay?”

“No, I lost the bet.”

I feel an overwhelming sadness. My brother was going to be a great Christian leader. I know that I need to say something. Anything. This silence is really loud. I put my arm around him.

Finally, I say, “I had help Mikey. I started fighting temptation with verses about lust and they really helped. I started to focus on what God wants. The more I did it, the more I felt Jesus flowing into me. The Bible does say that Jesus is the Word. I really think that the Word flowing into me made me much stronger. More filled with light. It was good. I was excited about the fight. Satan was not just getting an automatic win this time. It wasn't just me fighting anymore.”

Mikey whirled around. “God was helping you.”

“He was helping you as well when you prayed,” I said. “But at the moment of severe temptation, quoting the right Bible verses is our highest power move... You know what. You are going to be a great Christian leader. Abruptly his sad face changed.

“Thank you,” he says. You are a great brother.”


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The next morning I found this verse: Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. James 1:22 That verse quickly led to this verse: Acts 1:8 ESV But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And this verse: Galatians 6:9 ESV And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

I rushed into Mikey's room and showed him the verses. “How in the world are we going to do these things,” I asked.

“I am spending a lot of time in prayer to focus on fulfilling my purpose,” he said. “But I was just about to look up some verses on courage because... I am nothing like the disciples were. Here is one.” Proverbs 28:1 ESV The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion. “Seems like righteousness leads to courage.” Psalm 16:8 ESV “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.”

“It seems important to always set the Lord before us,” I said.

“Exactly, because then this verse will be true for us: 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

“I think that I will memorize that verse. It's good for helping others, quitting P, and increasing in love,” I said.

“Yeah, and it is very inspirational for planning a bit of extra time to be more filled with the Spirit. I want everything that the verse says.”

“Me too,” I said.

 

The next day Mikey comes into my room. “My temptation level is up again,” he said.

“Today I was studying temperance, which is a “habitual moderation in the indulgence of the appetites or passions, I said.” It is one of the fruits of the Spirit.”

“Habitual,” Mikey commented, “That is interesting. God wants us to always be moderate in eating, drinking, gaming, in well... everything related to our appetites or passions.”

“If we actually do that we will be healthier and happier,” I said.

He paused, deep in thought, then said, “Today I am going to pray about temperance in gaming, eating, and watching TV. An added benefit is that it will be a lot easier to get in my Bible study and prayer.”

“What is your strategy?”

“I am going to pray 5 times today: “Father, help me to be moderate in eating.”

Five times: “Father, take away this spirit of lust and help me to have better control over my TV watching.”

Five times: “Father, show me what You want me to do instead of gaming so much.”

“Great ideas,” I said. “My issues are different than yours, but I am going to pray 5 times about each of my issues as well. Do you think this will work?”

“It will help. Temperance starts to improve self-control. If we also think about the benefits to doing these things, I think it will work pretty well.”

“I like it. Temperance; a great thing to work on.”



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The next day Mikey comes into my room. "I started slipping up again," he said.
"Oh-oh."
"Yeah, I was watching TV and I kept staring at something that was a bit past borderline."
"Was it a clean show," I asked?
"Sort of, maybe."
"I tell myself all the time - there is a lot of clean stuff out there, but satan is very tricky."
"So, I did catch myself. I repented of it quickly. But then, later that day I was watching a clean show, and I was
staring incessantly at the wrong things. She was fully clothed, but my mind got changed by that one slip."
"I have been there. We let the darkness in for 2 seconds, and it stays with us until we fight with everything we have to get it out again. How did you get it out? I asked.
"I had to fight and fight to turn from lust. I kept turning fast from anything even remotely bad. I also started praising God during the show. It took awhile, but then I finally felt the peace of God with me again. I am not sure why this happened? he said."
"What was your goal for this month," I asked.
"Raise the standards of turning from lust every day, because when I get lazy, the slipping begins. That was not what I did."
"But that was the past," I said.
"Now it will be what I do," he said with a smile.