In 2010, Bob Rice put together a list of six tips – six things you can work at – when you’re fighting the battle for sexual purity (something many of us have to do). Bob is a former youth minister and currently a professor of Catechetics at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He spoke at the Holy Trinity Parish Youth Rally in 2011, and this six-part series is his advice on how to live up to God’s goal of purity. It’s still good advice, so I want you to read it and live it. I’ve also put together some further tips meant to encourage you in the battle against porn addiction, which you can read at www.mikeisthird.com/apersonfirst. Bob’s tips are:
This is part two of the series: “Flee”.
When St. Paul talked about sexual immorality, he gave one simple piece of advice:
Run away.
Check this out:
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. (1 Corinthians 6:18)
Running away might sound cowardly to some, but it’s pretty stupid to fight you know you can’t win.
The sexual act is something that is both natural and supernatural. It involves our bodies and our souls. Sexual temptation is also both natural and supernatural. So it makes sense that we will need to face this temptation using natural and supernatural means.
The supernatural means is through prayer, being open to the grace God is pouring out upon us to free us from sin and keep us from impurity. But that supernatural grace compels us to natural actions. What’s a natural action? Literally, it means I get up and walk away.
If you’re in a situation with your boyfriend or girlfriend and things are starting to get out of control, get up and walk away. I’m not kidding. The only other option is sin. Don’t just lie on the couch together. Get up and go for a walk around the block. If you’re sitting at your computer and are tempted to look at pornography, turn off the computer, get up and walk away. I mean, it’s really difficult to look at pornography on your computer when you computer is turned off and you are in another room.
You have to ask God for the strength to do this. In those moments, it can feel like everything in you will fight against such a simple action as standing up and walking away. But don’t forget that God is in you, too. And like St. Paul said, we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.
Next Blog: Avoid!
(Copyright 2010 www.bob-rice.com)