Guilt is incapable of setting you free from sin!

I have a sensitive conscience. I used to embrace guilt every time I felt I deserved to feel it. I expected to see freedom when I felt guilty.

Yet, it didn't make things better.

No matter how guilty I felt, I still fell for the wrong action. Then I felt more guilt and yet I sinned again. I was caught in an unending cycle of sin and guilt. Only when I started challenging guilt, I started to see improvement in my ability to say "no" to temptations. Turned out that guilt was not helping me to walk in freedom. It was doing the opposite!

Guilt is not your friend when it comes to fighting pornography addiction.

Understanding guilt and its effects will help you start seeing victories over the unending cycle of sin.

Here's the cycle explained:

Guilt points at the wrongdoing. The primary function of guilt is to point out that you made a wrong action. Its agenda is not to set you free but to make you feel bad about something you shouldn't have done. If you take the guilt far enough, the sense of condemnation will make you wish to harm yourself as a form of self-inflicted punishment.
Guilt produces shame. Guilt makes you feel shame, regret and disappointment in yourself. Due to its condemning nature, guilt leads you to look down on yourself and identify as a failure.
Shame reminds you of the failure. Whatever you do, you cannot get rid of the sense of failure and shame. It becomes a strong attachment to your image of self constantly reminding you of the action you regret.
You turn to pornography to help you forget the shame and failure. You feel so bad that anything promising to help you forget the sense of shame and guilt becomes a temptation. Pornography is a strong coping mechanism that in the moment your brain gets distracted by pleasure. The brain releases the chemicals that make you feel a sense of accomplishment, satisfaction and joy.

Here's how you break the cycle:

Acknowledge the feeling of guilt. Guilt is not inherently bad. It is pointing to you what you did wrong. It becomes bad when you decide to live with it. When you feel a sense of guilt acknowledge what action was wrong.
Ask for forgiveness. When you know you did something wrong, ask God for forgiveness for that specific thing. Jesus asked us to forgive seventy times seven when someone wrongs us. Jesus wouldn't ask us to do something He is not willing to do it Himself. If we ask for forgiveness, if we confess our sins, He forgives. End of story.
Forgive yourself. Realize you failed. It's not okay but you can't undo the action. If God forgives you, you can also forgive yourself.
Actively let go of the guilt every time. This will be the hardest step. You have to push the guilt away! No matter what it says, no matter what reasons it presents for you to accept it and its condemnation. If you feel like you cannot speak to someone because you just watched pornography, do the opposite and speak to the person as soon as you can. If you feel like you cannot share about Jesus because you're guilty, do the opposite and share about Him. Live your day as if didn't watch pornography.

Here's the bottom line: you're allowed to reject guilt and its power because your goal is freedom from pornography. You felt guilty all these years and the guilt didn't move you closer to freedom.

You're still stuck in the cycle and I tell you that guilt is a big reason why you're stuck.

What to expect from now on?

Here's what's going to happen when you follow the steps.

The first sign that you're on the right path will be a temptation that comes sooner than usual. Say "no" to it and pursue freedom. It will not be difficult to reject the temptation at this point. The victory of rejecting it will help you feel victorious and boost your confidence.

The early temptation is a sign you have moved on from guilt.

The last guilt tactic that it will use against you is blackmail you. It will make you think you're getting rid of the guilt so you can have the freedom to sin without feeling bad about it. Is this your end goal? The fact that you're reading this, you're looking for freedom from sin. You might have to tell yourself that you're not looking for a license to sin but strength to overcome sin once and for all.

If you fall for temptation again, repeat the steps to overcome guilt again. Don't get discouraged if you don't see the results right away. Remember, pornography addiction is a real addiction so it's going to take time to rewire your brain to overcome it fully.

Thank you for taking the time to read this! It means a lot to me!

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Why Guilt for Watching Pornography Guarantees You'll Fall For It Again - Here's How You Stop the Cycle

How to overcome pornography addiction throught dealing with guilt.

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