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Lifestyle as a lid

December 5, 2009 No Comments

Why do we talk about the importance of a healthy lifestyle? Because we are “bought with a price”? But is it only about honouring God–important though that is? As Adventists we are proud to say that our diet enables us to live much longer than the average. But is it just about living longer? Or being happier because we exercise or have good habits?

I would like to suggest that the primary reason for a healthy lifestyle is so we may be better equipped to deal with sin. Whether we like it or not, our spiritual lives are wrapped inside our lifestyles. That means that our lifestyles become a lid on our spiritual health, and our spiritual strength determines whether we overcome sin–or not.

Think about a sin you are struggling with that just won’t go away. There’s a good chance that you have been saying to yourself, I need to pray harder and do more Bible reading. While that might be true, there is a tendency in that moment to forget the shape of our lifestyle that is impacting our time with God–the amount of sleep I get, the time I leave for work, the stress I take on, what I watch for entertainment, and so on… all these things as a package are impacting the extent that I am able to operate as “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1). And only when I come to that point of living in a state of sacrifice and emptiness before God, is Holy Spirit able to find the space in my hearts to baptise us with his power.

So here’s a question: in what ways is your present lifestyle acting as a lid on your spiritual growth?

All the best for the Journey, Gavin.

Quote of the day

December 4, 2009 , No Comments

Holiness is not a condition

into which we drift.

John Stott

“All men watch porn” scientists find

December 3, 2009 , No Comments

In today’s Daily Telegraph, Jonathan Liew reports on some research at the University of Montreal on porn. As I posted about some time ago, I think such findings have serious implications for parents and poses challenges for the discipling of our church members.

By Jonathan Liew

Researchers were conducting a study comparing the views of men in their 20s who had never been exposed to pornography with regular users.

But their project stumbled at the first hurdle when they failed to find a single man who had not been seen it.

“We started our research seeking men in their 20s who had never consumed pornography,” said Professor Simon Louis Lajeunesse. “We couldn’t find any.”

Although hampered in its original aim, the study did examined the habits of those young men who used pornography – which would appear to be all of them.

Prof Lajeunesse interviewed 20 heterosexual male university students who consumed pornography, and found on average, they first watched pornography when they were 10 years old.

Around 90 per cent of consumption was on the internet, while 10 per cent of material came from video stores.

Single men watched pornography for an average of 40 minutes, three times a week, while those in relationships watched it 1.7 times a week for around 20 minutes.

The study found that men watched pornography that matched their own image of sexuality, and quickly discarded material they found offensive or distasteful.

Prof Lajeunesse said pornography did not have a negative effect on men’s sexuality.

“Not one subject had a pathological sexuality,” he said. “In fact, all of their sexual practices were quite conventional.

“Pornography hasn’t changed their perception of women or their relationship, which they all want to be as harmonious and fulfilling as possible,” he added.

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