Idolatry (What do you Idolize?)

Think it's safe to say if you're here you idolize porn and/or your phone.

Meant to be a liberating, self-examinating type discussion.

"A man only becomes wise when he begins to calculate the approximate depth of his ignorance." -Gien Carlo Menotti

 

Our hearts naturally cling to and worship the things that falsely offer life, the things that promise a taste of euphoria in our otherwise bland existence. Pornography offers a sensual and sensory detonation, which science tells us can—if indulged in frequently and long enough—rewire the brain itself. Little wonder that, for many men, our compulsions or addictions become our illicit playground, the place we escape to, seeking some semblance of emotional “okay-ness.” In that sense, it’s like a drug.

The temptation to look to other things for life came first to Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:6). They had to decide if they would follow and obey God or if they would seek the “something else” that seemed to promise life. Now, if our first parents fell into unbelief and sin in an environment that had all the peace, security, and provision God could offer, then how much more vulnerable are we to our fallen and warped passions!

A household idol can be anything we turn to that makes us feel alive in some sense. If we are honest, we have to admit that a counterfeit thing can offer temporary comfort and distraction. Our version of household idols is often our “Plan B” for when God doesn’t show up, seems far away or unavailable, or just doesn’t seem to be coming through for us. They can be the things we turn to when life is confusing, scary, difficult, or overwhelming—because the payoff is pretty immediate.

In the lives of many men, the household idol of misused sex in its many forms is the surface idol, the thing seen most clearly. But the surface idols (pornography, masturbation, sexual fantasies, chat rooms, cyber-sex, etc.) point to deeper, hidden idols of the heart that many men don’t see at all. These deeper idols help to make the sexual behaviors compulsive and addictive. That is, men vainly attempt to stop only the surface idols, but apart from digging down deeper to the hidden idols and uncovering them—understanding their power and control over the heart—the struggler can’t break free.

 

Focus on the last paragraph of my last post

 

Common between every human being nowadays, you aren't alond, but you acknowledge it so it now becomes your decision to change..

I know that was tough for you to do, but I commend your tenacity toward your family and ultimately toward bettering yourself..

No one deserves to idolize items they've created, that's backwards and destructive