In light of the recent human trafficking investigation- leading to hundreds of arrests and thousands affected community-wide in Florida-I wanted to provide a resource blog to prevent the buying and demand side of human trafficking. I have been providing online sex addiction support groups with xxxchurch.com over the past 5 years which is a great resource for online support groups dealing with sex addiction. They have a multitude of resources including podcasts, electronic filters, books and online support.
If you are not sure if you have an addiction to sex or you don’t associate the word sex with addiction feel free to take the online test to find out if you have a sex addiction at xxx.church.com. If you are have been arrested for soliciting sex or for a sex related crime let’s take a deep look at how you got there and how it got to that point; the problems it has caused in your home life, work life, personal life, and community. A sex related arrest can lead to a loss of employment and career, family, spousal and parent-child conflict, community rejection and jeopardizing your future. If you have not been arrested but are engaging in solicitation of sex, ask yourself why losing everything would be worth it and if it’s not an addiction how has it escalated to purchasing sex and does it outweigh the cost? Has it only not affected these areas of life because it is hidden and if it is not wrong illegally, ethically and morally why is it something that IS hidden? Does your behavior or decision making cause guilt, shame or fear with the thought of it being brought to light? These are just a few reflective questions to think about when determining a sex addiction. The first step in preventing a sex addiction from causing problems is prevention and restoration. Seeking help at the early stages whether that is viewing pornography, infidelity, living a life of lust or causing harm to others due to your actions regarding sex. Seek outside counsel whether that is a therapist, an accountability partner, or a local or online support group. Creating accountability and personal boundaries is preventative for sexual immorality and illegal sexual behavior.
A book was recently released by Devon Franklin “The Truth About Men”. In his book, he speaks about the sexual discipline of a man and the need for sexual discipline to prevent relationship conflict, acting out of lust, basing decisions on lust and hurting others through a lack of sexual discipline. Without sexual discipline lust and sexual desire can lead to a long road of hurt and unfulfillment, leaving you wanting more sexual gratification but never reaching the point of satisfaction. Talk to your current/future spouses about sexual discipline, your children, teenagers, mentors and leaders to create open communication about sexual discipline. When we learn of a lack of sexual discipline from others we love or respect in the community and are shocked, lets open up the doors of growth in conversation and prevention in the future instead of creating more isolation, condemnation and exclusion. Sexual exploitation, a lack of sexual discipline, sexual immorality or illegal sexual activity did not happen in an instance or an isolated experience- it grew from childhood, years of sexual addiction or lack of sexual discipline. Lets talk about it!
Another great book is “Every Mans Battle “ by Stephen Arterburn and “Every Woman’s Battle” by Shannon Ethridge which focuses on winning the war against sexual temptation one victory at a time. I recommend these books for everyone to read regardless if sexual temptation is an issue for you or not. Both of these books address sexual integrity. Many individuals arrested for purchasing sex or caught in public sexual scandals are always shocking to the community because they are viewed with high integrity in the other areas of their life whether that is their status in the community, church, financial or career status but they lack sexual integrity. Sexual integrity and discipline are words that are usually not discussed together because we only talk about integrity when it comes to work or financial decisions or discipline when it comes to going to the gym or eating healthy. Part of disciplining your physical body includes sexual discipline without exploiting yourself or others. | | |
