New year, new you, right? If you’re browsing our site or reading this blog, I can almost guarantee you don’t want to bring your old porn habit into the new year. Whether you’ve been struggling with porn since youth, or it’s something you watch from time to time, you are here because you want help. The good news is, we are here to help!
Why Is Porn a Problem Anyway?
Most people watch porn because they want to escape something. Anything that we use as an escape is a problem because we aren’t dealing with our issues, we are running from them. Some people shop, others eat. Some people use drugs or alcohol. You happen to use porn. There’s no shame in that. We have all encountered brokenness, but until we find healing, we will all find something to mask our pain. Your mask isn’t “better” than the one your co-worker, friend, or cousin might be wearing, and theirs isn’t better than yours. There is no such thing as a good mask, and a mask isn’t an effective coping mechanism. If you want to stop watching porn in 2020, then you need to take off your mask, face your fears, and deal with your problems, not run from them.
What Are You Trying to Escape?
Before you watch porn, what emotions are you feeling? Are you stressed? Anxious? Lonely? When you can identify the root, then you can deal with it, rather than masking it or running from it. Have you ever seen weeds? I am going to assume the answer is yes. Do you know what happens if you pull out a weed, but leave the root? The weed will grow back. The same is true for porn habits and addictions. If you pull out the weed (porn) but leave the root (stress, fear, anxiety, loneliness, etc.) eventually, the weed will grow back. You can’t kick your porn problem until you’re willing to deal with the root issue.
How to Deal With the Root Issue:
First, you must identify the issue and acknowledge that you want you to want to heal that place of pain. Once you’ve done that you can seek healing and find better coping mechanisms. Therapy is a great tool for healing and following the steps below will help you stop watching porn in 2020.
Write The Vision.
Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Habakkuk 2:2 (ESV) says, “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets {on paper; on a vision board}, so he may run who reads it. It is almost the new year, if you want to stop watching porn in 2020, then write out your vision. Why do you want to quit watching porn? Make your answer a part of your vision. You can do this!
Designate Your Accountability Partner.
If you want stability in life, then you need accountability. Don’t be afraid to tell someone you watch porn. Whether you watch it often or from time-to-time, it is what it is. If you don’t ask for help, you won’t receive help. We have an accountability software called X3watch that will help you succeed by sending browsing history reports to your trusted friend. This is a great way to stay 100% accountable. No shame! Just honesty and accountability.
Connect With Your Creator.
We are a Christian ministry, and we believe that Jesus has the power to set us free from anything that has a hold upon us. 2 Corinthians 3:17 (NIV) says, “Now the Lord is Spirit, and where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” John 8:36 says, “If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” According to the Bible, the spirit of the Lord brings freedom, and once you encounter freedom, you will be free indeed!
I was in the porn industry for seven years. I was heavily addicted to drugs and diagnosed with five kinds of mental illnesses. I had hit rock bottom and had nowhere to look but up. It was then I started seeking the Lord, and once He set me free, I was free indeed! It’s been nearly eight years since I left porn, drugs, and all of my mental health medications behind. A personal relationship with Christ will catapult you into healing and freedom! My relationship with the Lord began by going to church, reading the Bible, praying, and singing worship music. God first transformed my mind through His Word, and then my life followed that transformation.
Invest In YOU.
You are the most significant thing that you could ever invest in. You can’t give others your best if you’re not at your best. Your spouse, your children, your friends, and YOU deserve the best version of you. You can stop watching porn in 2020 by investing in you!
We partnered up with our good friend Carl at Live Free! Live Free is a private online community for men seeking freedom from porn and lust. With the Live Free App, you’ll experience authentic community, find real accountability, and gain access to exclusive content offering practical teaching – all in one place. If you’ve felt alone and without hope, the Live Free app might be the very thing you to change the game and bring freedom to your life.
Encourage Yourself.
Recovery isn’t easy, but you can do it. Breaking a habit isn’t easy, but you can do it! Words of encouragement will bring you the courage to fight when things get hard.
Psychology Today says, “Self-encouragement is about building yourself up instead of tearing yourself down. It is like being a loving parent to yourself, a parent who sees her child’s potential and wants to nurture it, a parent who feels proud of her child when he achieves his goals instead of feeling envy or resentment because she never achieved her own.” You can achieve your goals! You can stop watching porn in 2020. This is your year! Encourage yourself daily! You are more than a conqueror.
Give Yourself Grace.
“If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again. Don’t give up too easily; persistence pays off in the end.” – Thomas H Palmer
It can be hard to break a habit, and when life gets hard, we might resort back to that habit. If this happens, give yourself grace. Don’t give up on trying because you haven’t succeeded yet. Life happens, but so does success. Try again. One day the road to try will emerge with the path to success, and you’ll look back and be glad you tried again.