Why do you think that masturbation is so secretive? Why is it something that many people do but no one will ever admit they do, or talk about it? Why is it that in the rare occasion a movie will allude to someone masturbating, if you are watching it with other people, is it so uncomfortable to watch? That is if it’s not pornographic in nature. The very nature of its hiddeness and secretiveness is a red flag that maybe it’s not as much of a healthy sexual expression as culture teaches us.
People will talk about their secret eating disorders, their secret porn addictions, their secret affairs, their secret shoplifting addiction in a safe place but rarely masturbation. It doesn’t come up in the locker room amongst men and it doesn’t come up in conversations with two best friends. If someone where ever to get caught doing it… it’s completely humiliating. There are not very many people who admit to masturbating and if they do it’s often underplayed. In the rare occasion that someone does admit they masturbate regularly we find ourselves shocked by the disclosure. Why does something so normal, so common have such a stigma? I think we would be shocked to know the truth about our friends, husbands and wives, but don’t bother asking because you probably won’t get the whole truth anyways.
Pornography and Masturbation promise us a satisfying sexual experience and although in that moment it may feel like it delivers in the long run we end up in a place we never intended to go in the first place. It’s like the stress eater who stops by McDonalds on her way home from work. Her Big Mac or Mc Chicken delivers her something satisfying to her mouth in the moment but a year later when she looks in the mirror she sees someone she never intended to be.
Pornography, Lust, Masturbation, fornication, adultery and many other sins promise something they cannot deliver. Jesus never promises anything He cannot deliver. His ways come with blessings that are pressed, down shaken together and running over and complete freedom from the weight of sin. All of these temptations entice us with satisfaction and fulfillment and often what we get instead is a habitual and insatiable hunger for something that will eventually destroy us.
Masturbation charts us on a course that will stand in the way of what we were longing for in the first place. It’s a substitution, filler, a counterfeit to the kind of satisfaction and fulfillment that Jesus has for us. When we believe that God’s word is truth we, we can take Him at His word and allow Him to fully satisfy the longing and desires of our hearts.
Tomorrow I will share a Scripture to help keep your Spirit from being over taken by your flesh.
This is way too good.
For somebody has been delivered from that, it is great to see how God works to be put into words.
Bless you.
I know all about keeping secrets, lots of secrets. What I’ve learned is that whether we keep a secret out of shame or because it’s not “acceptable” behaviour – every time we do it we reinforce our belief that we’re bad. I haven’t had sex in 8 years … with anyone or alone – there is more to life that a 2 or 3 second experience. It can’t be compared to lasting joy. I remember suffering from bulimia and then anexoria. Total opposites; the cycle it followed was addictive. I was to self-focussed. Whether it’s sex, toys, food, relationships – anything that keeps us focussed inwardly in sinful – especially if the aspect of secrecy is involved.
I read this latest entry earlier day, and wanted to think on it before commenting. I’m not sure if masturbation is sinful or not, but even if it isn’t – in God’s eyes – why are we engaging in masturbation? To relieve tension and become unfocused -usually.
Look at football, baseball and basketball players who abstain from sexual activity to stay more focused before “The Big Game.”
Don’t we have an even bigger “game” to stay focused on? Sinful or not… maybe it’s something to abstain from anyhow.. Hmmm… Food for thought.