M*sturbation is not directly mentioned in the Bible.  People today have different opinions about if it's a sin or if it's an appropriate for a Christian to do.  I can only say that it is difficult to masturbate and not entertain adulterous thoughts and images.  Adultery in the mind, the Bible says is Adultery! 

 

I am a 45-year-old male who came to know the Lord when I was 12.  At age 14 I was molested by an older cousin, which was my introduction to m*sturbation.  It didn't take long for me to connect visual images of women I had seen and entertain them as I "Acted Out".  I knew this was wrong, and countless times prayed, and begged for God to take this thing away from me.  Because my prayers were not answered, I felt I was a failure as a Christian and never developed the relationship I wanted with the Lord.  I also became socially inept as I grew into an adult and my view of women was as an object (objectification), than that of a breathing creation of God.  It evolved into an addiction with p@rnography, which only fed the m*sturbation, which again fed the p@rnography.  The WEB didn't help either. 

Many times I tried to talk to the other men in my accountability group, but I was too afraid to.  I didn't know the secrecy of my sin was Satan's stronghold on me.  I thought that when I got married I would have a s¥xual outlet that would replace m*sturbation.  Instead, m*sturbation kept true intimacy with my wife out of our reach.  The sin kept me from realizing the truth was that I was now stealing intimacy from her and although I never had a physical affair with another, I was having an affair of the mind.  

It was after hearing our youth pastor speak at a men's retreat about how p@rnography was tearing apart the church and destroying the lives of Christians and non-Christians that I knew I had to talk to him.  He told a story of a man who was married and confessed to him that he was addicted to p@rnography and m*sturbation.  This man had taken the first and possibly hardest step in getting his sin under control.  I would eventually go and talk to the youth pastor, but not until my sin was exposed to my wife and I was kicked out of the home and away from my two children.  The youth pastor showed tremendous compassion and understanding as I told him my life story.  I left nothing out.  He explained that I was not alone and that many were struggling like I was.  He helped me find other men to be accountable to.  I joined a Christian group for healing from inappropriate s¥xual behavior.  For the last 8 months, by the grace of God, I have easily been able to restrain from m*sturbation and p@rnography.  I don't objectify women or daydream of affairs with other women.  My relationship with the Lord is growing and my prayer life actually has "Life" to it.  I'm not totally cured or completely healed yet, but the Lord is carrying me along that path.  God has been so faithful to me these last 8 months.  I always knew God could heal me, I just didn't believe that he really would do it for me.  He is also healing my marriage.  I'm back home, my wife and I talk more openly about things than before and we talk about my problem and how well my healing is going.

Why am I telling you this?  There are people out there in large numbers that are struggling with some type of inappropriate behavior.  Don't let the world or weak Christians let you believe that it's okay.  If the Holy Spirit is telling you that it's wrong, IT WRONG!  Find someone to be accountable to.  Go and talk to a leader in your church.  I recommend a book called "Every Mans Battle".  I don't enjoy reading, but I read this book in less than 2 days and it has provided a lot of insight and tools for me in the early days of my recovery.

I mentioned a men's retreat earlier.  Two years later (last March) I spoke about my problem and recovery at our annual menss retreat to 75 men, some High School age.  Many men and came up to me later and talked to me about current behaviors they were dealing with, or about the recovery they were going through.  Many men saw parallels with other issues they were dealing with.  Men were talking openly about the thing we Christians don't want to admit to. 

As one guy put it.  God made women BEAUTIFUL!  And they are an absolute joy for men to look at.  But the devil is right there looking for any way he can find to make us stray from being the men of God we need to be.  He also told me that I was not the Lone Ranger.  I really believe this now.  God can and will heal you, if you allow him to.  We're soldiers in a battle and we need other solders beside us for all of us to win the battle.

Ken

These might interest you: "How Masturbation pollutes your mind"

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