This week, the blog is sponsored by Ever Accountable– simple, affordable software that helps readers and their families get free (or stay free) from pornography. This article is written by David Rhyne.
You’ve heard the story before (and perhaps experienced it.) A child or teen sneaks lingerie ads somewhere private to pour over. With time and increasing access to the internet, that child’s struggle escalates to watching pornography and masturbation.
I, like hundreds of millions alive today, was that child, eventually fully addicted to porn. I knew it was wrong and hated the sin (especially the heavy burden of shame my young mind bore) but was too scared and ashamed to ask for help.
As the years dragged on, pornography became a part of most days, no matter how hard I tried to stop. My shame and guilt never let up (which I’m now grateful for) and I prayed thousands of times that the Lord would set me free. I tried everything but continued to flounder. For more than a decade, I was losing the battle to impurity, but worse, I genuinely believed I would never win it. I knew technically that this defeatist attitude wasn’t Biblical, but deep down I held a sincere, subconscious belief that I would never be free. Perhaps you can relate.
Today, however, my purity is in a state I truly wouldn’t have believed possible, and I know you and your loved ones can have the same victory. By God’s grace, I took two steps that – when combined prayerfully and diligently – will be a tremendous aid to your battle for purity.
1. Ever Accountable’s Anti-Porn Software (Without Blocking!)
First, you need to get sin out into the light where it rapidly loses its grip. Ever Accountable helps you do just that. It’s scientifically- and Biblically-backed software that addresses the core issue of pornography access: its secrecy. Blockers or filters don’t understand sites like Instagram or YouTube, but Ever Accountable doesn’t block anything (unless you want it to.) Instead, it simply shares your browsing and app activity with a trusted accountability partner (such as a sibling, close friend, pastor, parent, etc.) so that you have transparency and accountability with them. This means that your online activity is no longer hidden and is finally in the light! Put simply: you’re far, far less likely to look at pornography if you know that someone else will be informed if you do!
Ever Accountable’s success rates are staggering. 95% of Ever Accountable users indicate drastically reduced porn usage within one month, and 68% report zero porn usage after just one month. That’s an almost unheard-of success rate!
The software for me was literally life-changing, which is why I eventually joined the company full time. Online transparency makes you think twice about pornography or other unwanted sexual content, and allows your heart and mind a fighting chance in resisting sin. (And, shameless plug: there’s a 14-day free trial and a money-back guarantee, so you have nothing to lose and no excuses to stop you from signing up today. No, seriously – today is the day to start your journey to freedom!)
If you or someone you love is struggling (and someone you love is struggling with pornography, whether you know it or not) I can honestly tell you: get accountable today. Not tomorrow; today. This minuscule effort is absolutely worth it for the sake of your soul and your family.
2. Give It Teeth
There’s another element to winning this battle, and I call it “giving it teeth.” This simply means making sure there are appropriate, wise consequences for violating principles or guardrails. The intent is not self-punishment or ascetic penance, but to give your mind and heart a fairer fight against sexual impurity. Consequences create a helpful calculus: instead of just thinking how pleasurable sin might be, your brain also thinks about how disagreeable the accompanying consequence will be!
As an example, “giving it teeth” for a child might mean losing PlayStation privileges for a week if they don’t do their homework. For an adult struggling with impurity, “giving it teeth” might mean committing to using a dumbphone for a month if one gives in to inappropriate sexual desires. Mortifying the flesh means giving accountability some nice, sharp teeth!
It must be stated that prayer and partaking in the means of grace are essential in our growth in sanctification. But being accountable to someone you trust and having logical consequences for relapses means you have a killer one-two punch to wage war against this sin that so easily besets us. These steps literally changed my life, and I’m confident they’ll change yours.
We’ll never be perfect in this world. The world and our flesh will always fight back. But by living in the light with Ever Accountable and by setting up Christ-honoring consequences, you can gain freedom, by God’s grace. If I can do it, anyone can. Sign up today (not tomorrow!) at everaccountable.com
