Is Pornography Cheating?

The simple answer is, yes.

Let me explain.

Pornography is cheating on your family, cheating on your spouse (or future spouse), and ultimately cheating on YOURSELF.

It is the drug of this generation. We are all wounded by it in some way or another, whether it be through our own struggle with it or a friend and family member’s struggle with it. Some people are mildly affected while other marriages and families have been torn apart over it.

Pornography is inherently shameful, because no matter who you are you know that you are taking something beautiful and personal and turning it into entertainment. Think about it: you don’t hide and glance around before you pick up a copy of southern living magazine, you don’t clear your browser history after spending too much time online shopping. Deep down there is a reason for being ashamed of viewing pornography. Our phones, our computer screen, etc become a mirror that reveals our our failure to be faithful: faithful to our family, our spouse, ourselves, and God.

We as a society are all too familiar with the excuses.

“Nobody gets hurt” — really? What about your husband or wife? They wouldn’t be hurt if they saw this? If you are single what about your future husband or wife? What about your own self?

“It is healthy for me” — once again really? Any form of addiction rewires the pleasure center of the brain causing an increased need for an ever decreasing pleasure. Meaning you need more and more of the same thing and become less and less satisfied with it.

“He/she isn’t a real person” — Y’all that is a real person on the other side of the screen. A person with thoughts, feelings, fears. A person with a family and friends. A person who may not have even asked for this lifestyle.

We live in a twisted world where viewing pornography is seen as “healthy” and can “spice things up”. You walk down any checkout line at the store and that is what magazine headlines are telling everyone.

An authentic relationship is about sacrifice and responsibility and how ironic that those are just two of the many things that pornography robs us of. It robs us of the ability to sacrifice ourselves to others. It leads us into a cycle of instant gratification. It teaches us that our responsibility is to ourselves and ourselves alone. It puts us in a place where we are constantly concerned about our own satisfaction before the satisfaction of others.

The tough reality is that pornography is just as addictive as heroin (this is a proven study). If it is something that you are struggling with it can seem nearly impossible to escape.

Here is my advice:

1. Get over yourself and get outside of yourself. Channel the negative energy into something positive and do something for someone else when you are tempted.
2. Hold yourself accountable. Be honest with yourself and be honest with others. Don’t be afraid to admit you are struggling.
3. Pray: pray in the good times, pray in the bad times, pray in the easy times, and pray in the hard time.

You were made for real love and real greatness. Don’t cheat yourself.