home :: network :: newslettersJanuary 2008 E-News: Overcoming the Power of Distraction
January 2008 | Issue I
January 2008
| Issue I
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EMB Announcements
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Gateway to Freedom
Announcement
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Purity Spotlight: Overcoming the Power
of
Distraction
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Resource Spotlight: The Lies We
Believe
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Real
Answers to Real Questions
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Pure
Sex Radio Announcements
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If you have questions about
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Every Man's Battle Workshop, led
by
Jonathan Daugherty, coming to
Learn more at
www.everymansbattle.com.
Gateway to Freedom Workshop, open to men
in south Texas, is scheduled for:
Learn more about Gateway to Freedom at
www.gatewaymen.com.
Overcoming the Power of
Distraction
by Jonathan Daugherty
I
think we can all agree that life is full of
distractions. And even if we can't agree that it
is "full" of them, we can certainly agree that they are
present in everyone's lives (to varying degrees).
For those brave few who have ventured into the
wilderness of pursuing sexual purity, the term full
more than accurately describes the degree to which
distractions exist. There are countless "other
things" that are grabbing for our attention as we take
each step toward a life of greater purity.
How
are we to deal effectively in overcoming the powerful
pull of these many distractions? Is there hope for
being free, truly free, from the daily barrage of
internal and external distractions? If so, what
does it take to live consistently in such a place of
freedom and peace? These are the questions that
swirl around in our heads, yet we find it difficult to
know their answers. I will attempt to answer these
as best I know how, fully aware that I do not, in fact,
have all the answers. But, here goes.
I
think we must first define what our distractions are
that pull us away from the goal of sexual purity.
There are two primary categories in which we can
describe all distractions: internal and external.
Internal distractions would be the thoughts, memories,
or temptations that spring up in our minds. These
ideas or images pop into our heads and attempt to pull
us away from the good work of thinking pure thoughts.
External distractions would be anything outside of us
that seeks to similarly pull us away from the path of
purity. These distractions may be obvious, such as
a racy billboard, suggestive television show, or an overtly
flirtatious co-worker. But external distractions
may also be subtle, such as working too much,
unwillingness to say no to people, or even over
involvement in ministry. These distractions,
whether internal or external, set us on a course away
from purity and peace.
The
first step in overcoming the power of distraction is to
recognize that you are being distracted. You have
to admit that you are regularly losing focus on what is
important in your pursuit of purity (click
here to learn about the 4 Pillars of Purity,
fundamental elements to a life of purity).
We all get distracted on our journey, but we must be
willing to admit when these distractions are winning the
battle for our attention. Being distracted, or
even tempted, is not a sin; it's part of life. But
when those distractions increase and begin to overtake
your thoughts, it shortens the distance to unhealthy, or
even sinful, behavior.
Once
you admit that you are out of balance, surrendering much
of your attention to these internal or external
distractions, you then must determine what is most often
distracting you. For instance, a couple of the
internal distractions that bother me from time to time
are memories of past sexual sin and periodic shaming
thoughts (i.e. "You're a loser," "You can't really be a
Christian if you think that thought!", etc.).
By becoming more aware of the specific distractions, you
are better prepared for the final step in overcoming
them: redirection and refocus.
If
you read through much of the New Testament you will find
a general theme that underlies much of what the
spiritual life is all about: redirection. Because
of the sin nature we carry in our flesh, we are
naturally prone to drift toward that which is sinful,
opposed to God. Therefore, in order to live in a
manner that pleases God, we must redirect our will into
submission to the lordship of Jesus Christ. There
are many passages that tell of behaviors associated with
our sin nature (lust, greed, envy, strife, etc.) and
then redirect us to what our new disposition needs to be
based on our faith relationship with God (purity,
selflessness, unity, love, etc.). The internal and
external distractions we face in life, while not all of
them are immoral or "of the devil," they often serve the
purpose of ever so slightly shifting our attention off
of our new man and instead focusing it on our old man,
or sinful nature. However subtle this may be, its
effect is destructive to our pursuit of purity.
The
final piece of the puzzle in overcoming the power of
distraction, which fits well with redirection, is
refocus. When you gaze at a painting, your eyes
focus on the color and texture of that painting.
When you turn your head to look at something else,
anything else, the motion of turning your head
(redirection) only provides the opportunity for your
eyes to refocus on the new object. This principle
is also true in overcoming distractions. Just because
you "turn your head" away from any internal or external
distraction doesn't automatically ensure that your focus
has shifted. Redirection and refocus, combined
together, create the one-two punch that knocks out the
power of distraction to keep you from attaining the
desired goal of sexual purity.
The key to refocus,
however, is what you are refocusing on! God
desires us to focus on the truth, so a great place to
start would be learning Philippians 4:8: "Finally,
brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever
is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever
is admirable—if anything is excellent or
praiseworthy—think about such things." Whenever
you find yourself distracted from pursuing purity,
redirect your heart and mind to that verse, allowing the
truth within it to point you again in the direction of
purity and peace.
This article is
certainly not a comprehensive study in overcoming the
power of distraction, but I pray it will serve as a
starting place for you in your journey to greater sexual
purity. You don't have to allow the common
distractions of life to keep you from being the man or
woman God created you to be; free, pure, and a lover of
God. May God increase your faith as you turn away
from the distractions of this world, and instead turn
toward Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith.
The Lies We Believe
by Dr. Chris Thurman
The lies you believe are destroying you.
Every day lies you've learned from parents, friends, church,
and society play like a broken record in your head. Some of
the lies may be "I must have everyone's love and approval"
or "A good Christian doesn't feel angry or depressed." In
The Lies We Believe, Dr. Chris Thurman helps you
understand what lies you are believing, how they are
damaging your life, and what to do about them.
Price: $11.99 plus S&H
Click here for ordering info
Real Question:
How far should a person go to "guard one's
heart?" Where is the biblical backup for this ideal?
Real Answer:
According to the Bible, the length that
one should go to in order to "guard one's heart" is
ABOVE ALL ELSE. Proverbs 4:23 states, " Above all else,
guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
Your heart is immeasurably valuable. Guard it above all
other possessions you have, for out of it will flow your
very life. If you hand your heart to just anyone, or
everyone, you will surely stain it with many painful
memories. Guard it, and hand it only to those who will
care for it as the precious treasure it is.
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Do you have a real
question you need answered? If so, email it to us at
questions@bebroken.com.
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We have added another affiliate
station that carries the Pure Sex Radio broadcast.
KDRY AM 1100 in San Antonio, Texas now airs our
broadcast Sunday evenings at 7:30 pm. Learn
more about KDRY at
www.kdry.com. For a listing of all the
ways to listen to Pure Sex,
click here.
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Upcoming January Shows
5th - You Were Not Born Gay!
12th - Necessary Confessions of a Sex
Addict (Part 1 of 2)
19th - Necessary Confessions of a Sex
Addict (Part 2 of 2)
26th - Old Thinking vs. New Thinking
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Spread the Word! If you like
what we're doing, educating people about living a
life of sexual purity, then contact your local
Christian talk radio station and tell them about
the Pure Sex Radio broadcast. Then, email us
at tellastation@puresexradio.com and give us the
call letters, city, and state of the station you
contacted. We will follow up with the station
manager to see about adding our program to their
schedule.
Also, email and call your friends and
family to tell them about our program. Even if
they don't live in an area where we are broadcast on
a traditional radio station, they can listen to the
broadcast online through our FREE podcast.
Learn more about our podcast at
http://www.puresexradio.com/psr/radio/podcast.shtml.
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