I'm a Pastor and I Use Porn

 

 

The words “porn” and “pastor” don’t belong together. Of course neither do “XXX” and “church” but as many of you know, XXXChurch has been used to help many people come out of sexual addiction. XXXChurch is just one example of a group of people willing to speak up about a topic that no one likes to talk about. It’s a good reminder to all of us, because sometimes when we’ve dealt with something as heavy as a sexual addiction, we don’t want to think about it, much less talk about it. It needs to be talked about, though. What many people don’t understand is that the struggles and the issues you’ve been through can be used to help others overcome it too.

 

This is just one of the many benefits of serving a God who can redeem any event we've been through in the past to help us help others. He never wanted me to look at porn, but since I did, He can use it today.

 

Isn’t it good to know that God is big enough to use your screw-ups for His purposes? Let me give you a few examples of how He does this…

 

 

In middle school, when I looked at porn, I never dreamed that one day I would counsel middle schoolers who were hooked on porn.

 

In high school, when I was hooked on porn, I never dreamed of one day addressing hundreds of high school students about my struggle with sexual temptation and calling them to stand against it.

 

In high school, when I was addicted to porn, I never dreamed that years later I'd sit in a room with a 16 year old girl and her mom as the girl, with tears streaming down her face, admitted to her mom that she'd lost her virginity to another kid in the youth group.

 

As a senior in high school, I never dreamed of one day addressing hundreds of college students about living in sexual sin vs. living in purity. I've experienced both sides now. I can speak from experience...but I never thought I would.

 

 

Porn is a trap. A deadly one. It destroys marriages, friendships, and careers. It plunges people into a world of loneliness and addiction. It's hard to climb out of and it's a daily battle once you do. You can never give up fighting it.

 

I always thought the temptation would get easier when I got married. WRONG.

 

I always thought the temptation would get easier when I became a pastor. WRONG.

 

It's always there and must be fought. People need to understand this. Use what you've been through to help others understand they're not alone. They're not the only ones fighting this and victory IS possible. If someone would have told me that, I wonder how much easier it would have been to give up porn.

 

It's no accident that you are where you are. God has given you a unique position and surrounded you with a unique group of people with a unique set of needs. You are where you are for a reason and God can use the issues you’ve dealt with in the past. Embrace it. Talk about it. Help others overcome.

 

 

I'm a pastor; and I use my past with porn to help others put porn in their past.

How are you using your past to help others?

Any practical suggestions on how to help people with their sexual addictions?

What helped you the most?