“My Father Gave Me Porn….at Twelve”
Recently, a reader generously shared the following story as a comment. In it, he explains how he was introduced to pornography at a young age and the damage that this caused in his life.
My father gave me pornography at the age of 12 and told me that it would show me all I needed to know about sex.
Read how—by God’s grace—he has been able to overcome lust in his life:
Jim,
Thanks for your work on the book and the blog. I had always agreed with the notion that my sexual desire was normal for men and I had no control over it. Until I discovered that lust was the issue, not sexual desire. I had been choosing lust since I was 12 years old, it was such an automatic response that it only seemed like I had no choice. But I have found that lust is a choice, one I do not need to choose. I can, and now do, choose to enjoy my God given gift of sexuality with my wife only and no longer need to choose to seek my own self-gratification. Your book was a big help in the process of my finding victory over lust.
My father gave me pornography at the age of 12 and told me that it would show me all I needed to know about sex. I don’t blame him anymore, but this set up lust as a major influence in my life, which almost destroyed my marriage and family. My wife and I were separated for a while over this issue. I have now been walking in victory over lust for about a year, and in that time God has restored my marriage. Victory can be found and lives can be restored. Thank you God, and thank you Jim for the work you are doing here.
There is a message here for you whether you are:
1. Struggling intensely with or being overwhelmed by lust….
Your experience with lust may be as desperate as it once was for the above writer. God wants you to know that victory over lust is possible for you. You too can learn how to gain victory and to realize that lust is not an automatic, uncontrollable response.
2. or, living in victory over lust
Good for you if you are living in victory over lust—with lust never having or no longer holding a powerful grip on your life. If this is you, the story above should make you want to reach out to anyone you encounter who is struggling with lust and share how God is working in your life. Throw a lifeline to those who are drowning!
You may not have had porn pushed on you when you were twelve years old. However, all of us are forced to face this sin. All of us are called to overcome lust.
Reading the story above makes clear again that the liberating message of overcoming lust is powerful and effective. It is a transforming message that needs to be heard.
Praise God that there is not only hope—there is victory for those who follow Christ.
As powerfully shared above—“Victory can be found and lives can be restored.”
