Selfish Gain Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Selfish Gain------------------------- Date: 11/10/2002 Keywords: "healthy relationships" "self-esteem" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Psalm 119:33-40* 33. Teach me, O LORD , to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. 34. Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. 35. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. 36. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. 37. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word. 38. Fulfill your promise to your servant, so that you may be feared. 39. Take away the disgrace I dread, for your laws are good. 40. How I long for your precepts! Preserve my life in your righteousness. Question What is selfish about porn?   Practical help What do people gain from smut? Thrills, guilt, shame. And if you're a porn producer, money. Lots of it. And no matter who gains, the gain is selfish. How? Because it cheats people of things they shouldn't have to give up — like self-esteem and healthy relationships with other people. But such gain is hard to give up. And if you've been into porn for some time, the gain is probably addictive. No wonder the writer of the passage above asks God for help in turning away from selfish gain (verse 36). The psalmist knew he couldn't say no to it on his own. This is good news for us porn strugglers who are having a hard time saying no to smut. We have someone we can ask for help — the great Lord God. So let's ask. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2002 by eXXit *Scriptures are from The Holy Bible: New International Version, © Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. All rights reserved. --