As a Man THINKS, So is He

Today's Three-minute Bible Study
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Title: As a Man THINKS, So is He
Keywords: “temptation” “think”
Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation.

Passage: Philippians 4:8-9*

8. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things.

9. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.

Questions

1. How might thinking about true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, reputable and praiseworthy things help you to stand when you are tempted to view pornographic images or engage in sexually oriented conversations on the Internet?

 

2. Often times, surfing for porn is a sign of a mind that refuses to focus on the real problem in one's life. Are you avoiding something by escaping into fantasy?

 

Practical help

The person you want to be is preceded by the thoughts you choose to think.

Something really good happens when we fix our minds on life-giving truth. That "really good something " is that our appetite for lesser things dissipates. The verses today are not glib. To gain benefit from them requires that you stop and reflect deeply on them.

To help you do just this, may I suggest you take out a piece of paper and designate two columns. In the first column. Write down ten things that come to your mind that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, reputable and praiseworthy. Next, take time to thank God for each item you have listed.

Next, write down ten things that are not true, not honorable, not right, not pure, not lovely, not reputable and not praiseworthy. Note how your feelings change as you list them. For every tinge of guilt or feeling of shame, talk to God. Ask Him to cleanse you. Then by faith thank Him that He is true to His promises.

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool.

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*"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."