The prophet Isaiah gives a gut-wrenching announcement to the people of Israel in chapter 51. Through the prophet, God is calling His people to repentance and back to the relationship He once had with them.
In chapter 51, God urges the men to wake up and stand because there is no one to guide the people. Devastation and destruction, famine and sword have come to the city of Jerusalem, and among all the sons she raised, none of them can take her hand and comfort her. Why?
Because, as the prophet put it, they lay bound at the head of the streets like wild bulls caught in nets.
We live in a day and age when Christian communities are experiencing turmoil of all different types. We continue to hear about various types of abuse that take place. Churches split over differing political views. Young people face doubts and questions that lead them away from the faith.
Where are the men who stand against the evil one and fight for the people in their community?
Where are the men who nurture and care for their families well?
Sadly, many of them are caught in the net of pornography and lust. They lay bound, unable to fight for their families or communities because they, like the sons of Jerusalem, had compromised with the enemy.
This is what happens when Christian communities do not have an effective way of dealing with the epidemic of pornography.
Have you ever wished men around you would take more initiative and be willing to properly care for and lead people? We often excuse it as a difference between men and women (women are the relational ones; men get things done!).
But what if there’s more to it?
What if part of the problem is that too many men have things to hide?
If you are reading this, you are likely someone who (a) has dealt with pornography yourself and desire to help others or (b) have someone in your life who you wish to help. You want your community to be a community of people who don’t view porn, people who are sexually free.
But a lot of young men in your life are struggling with unwanted sexual behavior of some kind and you don’t know how to help them.
You ache for them, have maybe even been hurt by them. But you’re not sure what to do. You feel like giving up, but also feel this twisting in your spirit because Christians shouldn’t be struggling in this way. We shouldn’t be dealing with pornography in our midst — not a people filled with the Spirit of Yahweh!
But we are. People all around live with constant guilt and shame.
And our local communities face brokenness of various kinds. Men have shallow relationships, are generally disengaged from their families and from ministry.
Too often we view freedom as the absence of bad behavior. But did you know that just because someone is not actively looking at porn doesn’t mean they are free to lead their families or communities well.
The problem goes much deeper then the choice to view porn. We’re dealing with something that touches the core of men. It’s what causes men to be passive, apathetic, unable to provide direction and lead with spiritual authority.
It’s led to a bondage that traps even the energy of a wild bull. As long as we brush it aside and neglect to address it head-on, we will perpetually produce communities of people stuck in the cycle of porn. We will continue experiencing sexual misconduct and communities in turmoil.
But what if the path to freedom lay right in front of us?
What if there was a way to wake up the men the lay bound at the head of the streets and get them to cut the nets and stand?
I’ll share more on that in my next post.
Until then, if you haven’t had a chance to read 6 Avoidable Reasons Accountability Groups Fail Men (and what to do about them), I invite you to do that now. This free ebook helps you create a setting where men feel safe to share the things they’re hiding and find lasting freedom from porn.
This relatively quick (7.5 min) and easy read goes over the six most common reasons these types of groups fail to help men find lasting freedom.
But it doesn’t end there.
It goes on to show how you could avoid these mistakes and build accountability groups that work.
Click the button below and fill out the form to download your own copy today!
Question: Why do you think guys have a hard time acknowledging they need help when it comes to sexual sin? You can share in the comments below.
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