1 John 5:18, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 6:6

Andre von Mollendorff tackles the issue of compartmentalisation and the harm pornography does.

Andre von Mollendorff

We live in a fast-paced, action-packed time in history that is constantly 'on the go'. In order for us to manage this high-pressured environment, we sometimes divide our lives into more manageable compartments. These areas may include our work, friends, family, hobbies, spiritual lives and many others.

Within my field of work, I counsel many college-aged students. Some time ago, after speaking with a student about his holiday, his comments highlighted the fact that he was indeed dividing his life into different compartments.

"My holiday was great," he said. "I could switch off from all the 'church stuff' and just watch movies and hang out with my friends." This got me thinking, how possible is it that we can switch off from God? There's nothing wrong with movies and friends, but is God not part of EVERY area of our life?

Another student I counseled, who incidentally has battled with pornography, said this, "Every now and then, I mess up and watch a bit of porn, but I really don't think it's having a serious impact on the rest of my life". Puzzled by this answer, I was left with this question: Does the ability to separate my life into different compartments mean that the one compartment has no affect on the others?

There are many areas we could discuss, but since pornography is such a challenge at the moment with this generation, let's take a brief look at it.

When watching pornography, one may not see the consequences right away, but there are definite, subliminal effects across the rest of your life:

• Socially, throughout your daily life, you may have to resist the thoughts and images in your mind, making it hard to interact with other people without having lustful thoughts. Pornography also drives certain social ideals about physical appearances, which can cause both men and women to feel very self-conscious, resulting in feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.


• Physically, your body and hormones may be unnaturally aroused and certain chemicals released, which could lead to habitual masturbation or addiction (another topic for another day).


• Spiritually, if you are born again, then you will feel conviction after watching porn. Why? Simply because the Holy Spirit is IN you and the Spirit of God doesn't appreciate sin. (If you don't feel convicted when you sin, then I suggest that you get born again. 1 John 5:18) Also, when trying to focus on God or worship, the devil may harass you with condemnation, making it hard for you to cultivate a healthy spiritual life because of feelings of shame and unworthiness.

So, can you see how this 'little' bit of pornography is affecting the rest of your life?

EVERYTHING AFFECTS EVERYTHING!

There is hope and I've seen many young people completely set free and delivered from whatever is holding them captive. Here are some pointers to help you overcome:

1. Recognize that you cannot conquer sin in your life by ignoring it, or by pretending it doesn't affect you, or by trying to push it into a separate compartment.
2. Find someone who is spiritually mature that you can talk to.
3. Acknowledge that you need a deeper revelation of the Word.

"I need to know that He has made me righteous. My focus should not be on how sinful I am, but on discovering who I am in Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
"I need to understand the grace of God, and I need to know the power of Christ who has crucified my sinful nature." (Romans 6:6)