Overcoming Lust as a Buddhist A goal of Buddhism is to “renounce” or overcome lust. So much so, that the most fervent Buddhists live as celibate monks. Their hope is to eventually enter Nirvana, a state where they expect to “extinguish all desires”—not just lust. My quotes in this post come from a wonderfully insightful [...]
Those seeking to overcome lust face a unique problem. Not only must they resist new temptations that come their way, but they must also deal with things in the past that they have seen and done. Years ago, a pastor at a men’s retreat called this his “drawer full of memories.” He bemoaned things he [...]
The image above is borrowed from the ad campaign “This is Your Brain on Drugs” that is indelibly etched in most of our minds. Piggy-backing on this, the phrase “Your Brain on Porn,” has gained popularity. Google that phrase and you will bring up a multitude of websites and videos from Christian and non-Christian sources. [...]
Talking with your children about masturbation is a tough assignment. The subject is so private and embarrassing that most parents avoid it—what good can come from it? I would go further and contend that it does little good to pound away at the related problem of pornography use either. When we concentrate on all the [...]
Masturbation is a confusing, controversial subject for Christians. Recently, seven different Christian writers were invited to weigh in on the subject. The responses were all over the map. Some spoke against it and some thought it was OK. Our problem right now is that we can no longer dismiss masturbation as a somewhat harmless activity. [...]
A Contrarian Optimist This is another post relating to George Gilder’s encouraging explanation of how economies work–described as “A New Economics.” I will try to show how his positive ideas about economics suggest a helpful way to look at overcoming lust as well. I suppose that makes me a contrarian optimist as well. Gilder’s Insight [...]
Technological knowledge is increasing I am reading George Gilder’s latest book, Knowledge and Power: the Information Theory of Capitalism and How It Is Revolutionizing our World. It is a challenging and important book. I would start with this review if you want to learn more about it. Gilder’s work is an antidote for the economic [...]
The Greatest Enemy “Partial obedience is the greatest enemy of obedience.” Charles Stanley made this comment in a sermon recently, flashing this phrase on the television screen, so it could be remembered. God is not asking you to do the impossible. You may not think that this truth—when it comes to lust—applies to you, especially if [...]
Are you teaching your children how to overcome lust? Shouldn’t every young person be equipped to do this? Sadly, as a child, I did not receive such training. Even worse, I did not provide such instruction to my children either. Though modeling and prayer are great—they are not enough. Some time ago, I was challenged [...]
Lust and joy do not go together. Although lust provides pleasure “for a season,” (Hebrews 11:25), it never leads to joy. If you are not experiencing joy in your life, you need to find out where you are not being obedient to Jesus. Joy is not the same as pleasure or happiness that we generate. It [...]
