I once heard a preacher say, “A man is as sick as his secrets.” I believe that is true, but I would add, “A man is as emotionally, spiritually, relationally, and mentally healthy as he is honest.” If you show me a man who’s hiding from the truth (about himself), I’ll show you a man who’s not only hurting emotionally, but he’s also hurting those who are in relationship with him. On the practical side, here are two ways we can guard and protect our hearts from sexual sin: Get Honestįirst, we have to get honest: honest with God, ourselves, and others. ![]() True intimacy can only be found in Jesus Christ, then others. Sexual sin becomes attractive to us because it offers us “intimacy” that is free from commitment, rejection, disappointment, or vulnerability – but it’s a false intimacy. However, because of past trauma and unresolved hurt, we’ve often chosen to seek intimacy in all the wrong places. God created us for intimacy he made us, so he could delight in us as we delight in him. Third, we have to pursue true intimacy – that’s the act of being truly known and loved unconditionally. We believe Jesus indeed gave us victory over all sins, except the sexual ones. Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” As born-again believers, we have that power right now however, most of us don’t exercise that authority when it comes to sexual temptation. ![]() The authority you and I possess is the power of the Holy Spirit that God gave us through his Son, Jesus Christ. Second, we have to accept the authority God has given us. It’s the difference between identifying yourself as a sex addict or identifying yourself as a child of God saved by grace. Because a man will always act in a way that’s consistent with who he thinks he is, whether that identity is true or not. Because if he can get you to doubt who you are (in Christ), then he can predict what you will do (in the flesh).Ĭontrary to what we believe about sexual addictions and lustful temptations, we are not what we do, but rather who we believe we are. That’s why Satan, our enemy, tries to attack, question, and get us to doubt our identity first. Why identity? Because our identity determines our destiny. If we want to guard and protect our hearts from sexual sin, we have to focus on three spiritual things: Know Your Identityįirst, we have to accept our identity in Christ. So, is it even possible to protect ourselves as men? I say, “Yes,” but it must be done on two levels: on a spiritual as well as a practical level. ![]() We’re relentlessly bombarded with sexual images seemingly wherever we turn. This scripture implies that whatever we allow to enter our hearts, if not examined and evaluated properly, will undoubtedly be expressed in our lives and our actions – in positive or negative ways.īut guarding and protecting our hearts from sexual sin is becoming increasingly challenging. Whatever is inside the heart, is what will spill out.Proverbs 4:23 says we should guard our heart with all diligence because from out of it flows the issues of life. A heart filled with anger, bitterness and ingratitude will respond another. Whatever is inside the heart, is what will spill out.Ī heart filled with grace, joy and gratitude will respond one way. The person in front of us in the grocery store line is causing a tremendous delay. Whatever is inside the heart, is what will spill out. Whatever is inside the heart, is what will spill out.Ī co-worker gets the recognition for the work that we did. Whatever is inside the heart, is what will spill out.Ī schoolmate makes fun of us. Whatever is inside the heart, is what will spill out.Ī driver cuts us off in traffic. In most situations, we have only a few seconds to decide how we will react, and how we react will be determined by what’s in our heart. Most of us would manage fairly well if we could be given a situation and we had an hour to think about how we should handle it.īut rarely do we have that luxury. This is important because so much of what we do is the reaction of the moment. Solomon said in Proverbs 4:23 (NIV), “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”Īnd Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Matthew 12:34). I believe that’s true, and it’s such an important principle. Whatever is inside the cup, is what will spill out. Had there been tea in the cup, you would have spilled tea. You spilled the coffee because there was coffee in your cup. “Well because someone bumped into me, of course!” ![]() You are holding a cup of coffee when someone comes along and bumps into you or shakes your arm, making you spill your coffee everywhere. I heard this analogy recently, and I absolutely love it:
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