Today’s post is for my Christian brothers in the Porn Reboot group. Unfortunately, difficulties often arise whenever I bring up faith because some take any commentary on faith as a personal attack. I want to be clear that I’m not here to cast judgment or encourage anyone to abandon their religion. What I’m talking about today is crucial, though, so I hope you stick with me for it.

One of our brothers asked a question about a coping strategy in the group the other day. The first response was along the lines of, “Jesus will help you.” I see this from men of faith when they first join the group because they’re used to the idea that their faith will help them through anything. 

I’m here to argue with your faith but I am going to push back against the use of Jesus or faith as an exemption from personal responsibility. If you’re a man struggling with pornography addiction and compulsive sexual behavior, blind faith is not an effective tactic. You can’t sit back and expect Jesus to remove your out of control behavior without any effort on your part.

You might think, “J.K. you’re cherry-picking right now. You’re looking at a certain type of person.” The problem is that this certain type of person is actually a lot of people. I work with men all the time who think like this when they first find our group. They believe their faith will cure their addiction. By the time you arrive at Porn Reboot, though, you’re at the point where faith alone isn’t enough.

Jesus is Not a Catch-All

There’s nothing wrong with having faith. Faith and religion give purpose and reason to millions of people around the world. Problems arise when you use them as an excuse to avoid personal responsibility and accountability, though. You can’t pray your difficulties away without taking any action to support those prayers.

It’s easy to say, “God is going to lead me to the right woman,” when you can’t get a date because you won’t take care of your looks, have no goals, or are socially awkward. Too many people say, “God is testing me,” when they have money problems, never mind they went bankrupt because of their gambling problem. 

Then there’s, “I don’t need help with my porn or sex addiction, I only need Jesus.”

Jesus is not a catch-all. You can’t use Jesus as a scapegoat for handling the situation that your choices got you into. Unless you start making different choices and backing them up with changed behavior, you’re going to stay stuck in the cycle of addiction. But maintaining the belief that Jesus is going to absolve you of your behaviors without any input on your part is blocking your recovery.

Personal Responsibility and Faith

The Porn Reboot system and your faith don’t have to be mutually exclusive things. Though the system is supported by science, you’ll find nothing in it that negates your religion. If anything, incorporating the Porn Reboot system in your life will likely lead you to a stronger faith and connection with God.

Pornography addiction and compulsive sexual behavior block you from God. How many times have you sat in church with your family but thought about porn or masturbation throughout the service? What’s the last thing you do before you go to bed – spend time in prayer or jerk off until you fall asleep?

There are thousands of faithful men who struggle with pornography addiction, pastors included. If you’re a man of faith you’ve likely prayed for this problem to go away already. Maybe you’ve prayed for months or years but found it’s still not working. You’re fooling yourself if you’re still sitting there spinning in circles, thinking that Jesus alone is going to solve your problem.

You need to take responsibility for your life and do something about your pornography addiction. Accepting your personal responsibility doesn’t mean that you’re turning on your faith. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. God doesn’t want you to spend your life distracted and disheveled by your compulsive sexual behavior. Why shouldn’t you seek out a system that supports your recovery?

Supporting Your Faith with Your Reboot

Implementing the Porn Reboot system is going to strengthen your faith, not take away from it. The system is made up of coping strategies and life skills that help you become a better man. It’s developing the productive, positive actions it takes to keep you engaged in your life and away from the detriments of pornography addiction.

I’ve worked with hundreds of pastors over the years who came to me when they found they couldn’t stop on their own. They put the system to work in their lives and overcame their addictions. Only after they removed porn and other sexual behaviors did they realize just how distant they were from their faith and their congregation. Porn Reboot reconnected them with their religion and with God.

Using Porn Reboot doesn’t mean you’re denying Jesus or turning against religion. It clears the channel that you’ve bogged down with porn, masturbation, and other out-of-control behaviors. If you’re still insisting that Jesus is going to solve your porn problem but you’re also here reading this, it might be time to give a new approach a try. Join us today, brother.