From @BldgCatholicMen on Twitter:
A few tips for men struggling with Pornography.
I am no expert and these are not necessarily exhaustive or systematic.
That said, this is a road i’ve traveled and a battle i’ve fought, and here are some ideas for moving forward:
1. Pause & Receive the Peace of Christ — If you are struggling with Pornography, pause right now, just for a moment and ask Christ for peace and strength.
Listen: The devil, first and foremost, wants you to despair. That is the ultimate end-game of all temptation.
If he can’t get you to despair because of your sin, he’ll try to get you to double-down on passionate, anxious, and ultimately prideful effort at self-mastery — to lean more heavily than ever on your own wit and strength, rather than on God.
In either case — despair or reactive pride — you are becoming more a man controlled by your passions.
Step one is to set aside your passions for a moment. In humility, acknowledge some simple truths:
God is the Lord.
He created and loves me.
I am weak and broken-hearted.
He is merciful and will be my strength in this fight.
2. Focus & Take Courage — In the case of pornography or other such addictions, it is easy for all of your attention to be on the negative — i.e. not doing x.
But this leaves the focus on x.
It’s like trying to tell someone to not think of a bird. … Read the rest