When I became a Christian some of my habits and desires dropped away as I quit drugs, smoking, swearing and a few other things. I expected my sexual urges to likewise fall in step with my other departing habits, but they never did leave.
So after some time I began to compare my habits and sexual urges to Israel's conquering the Promised Land. They took one city after another until one day they quit with Canaanite villages left to conquer. Judges 2 says that God left these nations to keep testing Israel. So I figured sexual desires were left in my life to test my faith over and over again.
As the years passed I came to realize that there are different types of habits; some are artificial and created from outside forces; such as drugs and cigarettes. Others are tied to a part of our DNA. Sexual desire begins from something within. We are born with it and it comes to the surface during puberty. Habits that develop from the sexual urge are different than habits that arise from outside influence in that one comes from within and the other comes from without. I don't know if this is scientifically proven or even tested; but it just made sense to me.
In my limited experience I have concluded that the habits we build from the inner sexual desires are not the same as other habits that come from without, and they are much harder to get rid of. I quit a 4 year smoking habit and never looked back. I did not regret it or desire to have a cigarette since November 1971. But I know others have quit cigarettes and struggle for months afterward. I think drinking and drugs are the same. I just know in my life every habit born from without was kicked and out of my life within weeks of becoming Christian. And I know that issues surrounding sex have been different.
Like Israel with the Canaanites, I had to struggle with those things that were born from within even after taking the Promised Land.
Am I saying that sexual feelings are evil? Not by any means. Sexual urges are a part of our DNA, created by God for the continuance of the human race. But our desires can surface in strange or different ways that do not fit in with what society or even our own judgments deem acceptable:
Homosexuality
Pornography
Fantasies
Pedophilia
Sex Addiction
Erotic Asphyxiation
Exhibitionism
Fetishism
Masochism
Sadism
Voyeurism
And dozens of other directions desires take us or rather that we fall into.
One of my students told me that he knew someone who was delivered from sexual feelings for children (Pedophilia). Others would have us to believe that feelings for the same sex are taken away by a miracle of God. Is this possible?
I tend to think this would be like the Israelites in the days of the Judges saying to each other, "There are no Canaanites among us," when in fact, there are droves of them still there, just waiting for the right time to surface and take what they consider to be rightfully theirs. The people of God may be tricked into thinking there are no Canaanites because the Canaanites are not presently stirring up trouble. They may believe there are no Canaanites because they don't want them to be there; but the truth is, they are there and they will surface in their own time and if the Israelites would not prepare for that day, they would certainly face terrible consequences.
When Satan left Jesus after temptation in the desert, he only left him only for awhile until the time was more convenient (Luke 4:13). Temptation will come to all of us and we need to prepare for the day of temptation rather than let it hit us by surprise.
No comments:
Post a Comment