Just a warning to parents and teachers that the content in today’s Bible Verse and Devotion does talk about pornography. Please preview the devotion to ensure that it’s appropriate for your student.
Today we’re going to talk about porn. Why? Because we all have access to devices that can access the internet at any time or place. That opens up a huge opportunity for porn to become a part of your life.
When I was a young teenager, I was curious about the opposite sex. I had lots of questions about sex, sexuality, and those types of things, and it was so handy to have the internet to look up any questions I had. The problem with the easy access to the internet is that I also was able to find many images and videos of people that I shouldn’t have been viewing. And before I knew it, I wanted more and more of those images.
Now, since then, God has dealt with my heart, and I have been set free, but with the availability of the internet, it’s very easy to secretly be looking at things that are not godly. Porn like what I experienced is addictive. It’s like a drug, and if you’re not careful, you can become ensnared to it.
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. – Matthew 5:28 (NIV)
When we look at the images online, it’s easy to think, I’m not hurting anyone, so this is ok. This is fantasy and not reality. However, if we look at today’s verse, that’s not the truth. By simply looking at someone in a lustful way, we are committing adultery with them in our hearts.
God doesn’t want anything to come between us and Him. And it’s easy to let those images become all we can think about. He also wants you to have a successful marriage one day, and if you are enslaved to porn, that makes future relationships more difficult.
Porn isn’t harmless. It is something that will enslave you. So if you’re tempted in this area, begin to put good boundaries in place.
Here are a few boundaries that you should consider.
- Get a phone that doesn’t have internet. These types of phone are out there, get one if you struggle in this area.
- Use your computer or devices only in public areas. If you’re at home, use it in the kitchen or living room. Go to the library or a public place when you need to access the internet. Knowing that someone can look over your shoulder at any time can help you avoid temptation.
- Ask your parents to keep your devices overnight.
Sometimes the best prevention for porn is simply removing the opportunity to access it. Set up good boundaries in your life and ask for God’s help to set you free from porn if you’ve already become addicted.
Work hard now as a teenager to set up good rules and boundaries. This will help you in the future when you get married. You might think that you won’t struggle with it when you’re married, but that’s not the truth. You still will, so now is the time to work hard, and with God’s help you can be freed from the addiction of porn.