Editor’s note: This is part of our “Porn Makes Me” series; this story is contributed as today’s subject: Porn makes me a bad example to my kid.

Can you imagine yourself saying that? Can you imagine it happening? You’re on your laptop late one night, and as you’re surfing the web you start to wander into areas you know you shouldn’t.

You eventually succumb to the temptation and start viewing porn. You’re so sucked in that you don’t notice your 9-year-old daughter come up behind you. It takes you a moment to realize someone is there. You turn and you see a look on her face you have never seen. You close your laptop quickly, but you know it’s to late.

She runs from the room and you try to process what you’ve just done. What are the long-term ramifications? How do you explain yourself? You try to rewind what she saw on your screen. It’s bad. Very, very bad. Twisted even. The more you think about it, the more you can’t believe you were even watching it…that you even liked it. What one earth were you thinking? You weren’t.

The questions. They keep coming. Your mind is reeling. She is your little girl, and what have you done to her? What poison have you unleashed? You have scarred her. And if she is scarred from being exposed for just a short period of time, how horribly scarred are you? Scarred? That word doesn’t fit the way you feel. You are way beyond scarred. Your wounds are many and they are deep. 

How do you undo what you’ve done? How do you erase this whole episode? HOW? You can’t. Porn has reached into your home and snatched the innocence of your little girl and you delivered the blow. You are to blame. You will come back to this moment for the rest of your life. Every poor decision your daughter makes growing up will make you question if this moment is why. You screwed up royally and you can’t take it back.

Be thankful this is just a story and not your real life. If you have kids and you want to roll the dice and watch porn then read this story again. It may become your reality.

Note: If you, your spouse or your son or daughter are struggling with a porn addiction, know that you aren’t alone, and we, at XXXchurch.com are here to help.  We have a number of resources available on this site, along with an online workshop resource for those struggling called X3Pure.  We hope this will be the year that you decide to walk in freedom from pornography addiction.