It started with a father’s heart for his son. The darkness of pornography had enveloped the young man and he was crying out for help. The family went to church and Sunday school where the kids were active in the youth programs. How could this happen?
With some research, the dad realized how prolific the issue of pornography was with boys. The statistics are sobering: the average age of first time exposure for kids today is eleven; 93% of boys and 62% of girls are exposed to Internet pornography before the age of 18; and 70% of boys have spent more than 30 consecutive minutes looking at online pornography on at least one occasion. He shared this and more info with a group of dads and the Light shown through. The group had a time of confession & repentance for personal struggles with pornography and for passivity toward the issue. All agreed to pray about what action could be initiated to shine His Light on the issue and to invite youth directors to a follow up meeting.
Reflect the Light: “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the Light of life.” – John 8:12. Darkness is the natural state of the world so we should not be surprised by the aggressive tactics the pornography industry uses to attract kids. What we men have to take responsibility for is the passivity that has allowed this scheme to distract us. Viewing pornography is seen as infidelity in women’s eyes and infidelity is one of the leading causes of divorce. Driving a wedge in the marriage relationship has been the devil’s scheme since the beginning. With pornography, he is notching up more victories than ever and is now at work to deceive the younger generation’s perspective on healthy relationships as a whole.
At the follow up meeting, the youth directors provided a heavy dose of reality for the dads on the broad scope of challenges and issues kids face today on this front. The dads and youth directors locked arms to rebuke this scheme. Six months later, 50 dads attended an early morning session as a “Primer for parenting through the porn problem.” They in turn took the word back to their respective churches and two months later, 600 parents from 75 churches attended an evening session called, “Let’s Talk about Porn – Parenting through the porn problem.” In the sanctuary of Chapelwood United Methodist Church the Light blasted through, encouraging and equipping parents to boldly take this movement forward in the home, church and community.
Prayer guide: Lord, thank You for the Light that You have shown in my life. Thank You for the Light You have shown on this scheme utilizing a group of dads that stepped forward on the battlefront. Thank You for the insight provided by youth and parent ministry that joined the team and for the resources granted by a number of churches. You have provided a glimpse of what the Body, the Church can do as we focus on You. Grant us clarity and boldness as we reflect Your Light to rebuke this scheme for good. Amen.
A faithful father reflects the Light to rebuke the devil’s schemes.
