Bill and Susan—not their real names—are foreign missionaries out in the field.
Prior to this, Bill ministered as a pastor in the US. Married for 12 years and with 4 children, their work has been thriving and included the planting of a new church. However….
Last year, things took a turn for the worse—both in their marriage and ministry. Needing help, they contacted my friend Pastor Pat Kenney for some long distance counseling. Pat is part of Shepherd’s Staff Missions Facilitators and though Bill is not with them, Pat stepped up to help, as is his way.
After about four Skype sessions, the underlying problems spilled out. Bill had a problem with lust and sexual sin. It was tearing apart his marriage and giving cause for Bill and his wife to give up on their missionary ministry.
To help, Pat offered to take Bill through the book, Overcoming Lust . Pat wrote the Foreword to this book and helped get it off the ground. He used Overcoming Lust because this book was written:
- To convey a Biblical understanding of lust and how to deal with it.
- To challenge those struggling to do all that is required to gain victory.
- To provide encouragement and hope.
There are twenty chapters, each followed by discussion questions. For Bill this meant working through twenty sessions of accountability, discussion and prayer. Having completed this process, he reports that this has all been “hugely helpful.” In fact along the way he began ministering to an elder in his church using the same process. Such “teaching what you’ve learned” is tremendously beneficial to both the teacher and the taught.
Why should it all take so long?
Here is why Bill could not get this done in just a few weeks:
- All who enter this struggle quickly realize that gaining victory so that lust is no longer a dominant sin in one’s life takes time. Having allowed sin to enslave us, it will not—as a rule—release its hold easily.
- There is no end game. Walking in the Spirit and being conformed to what Christ desires in us is a lifelong assignment. As we gain victory, all of our other sins reveal themselves. We are still a long way from where we need to be. In fact, we are always a long way from where need to be.
Will you join me in praying for Bill and others who are in the process of overcoming lust? Are you or someone you know in need of this?
You can do this. Whether you are the one in need or the one who can help, you can team up to bring victory in lives that are crumbling.
