{"id":3802,"date":"2014-03-25T00:42:08","date_gmt":"2014-03-24T22:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/?p=3802"},"modified":"2014-10-02T10:17:37","modified_gmt":"2014-10-02T07:17:37","slug":"worry-vs-pornography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/worry-vs-pornography\/","title":{"rendered":"Worry vs Pornography"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some people like to read or knit and others like to ruminate on\u00a0<\/span>theoretic\u00a0situations\u00a0that might someday ruin their lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Worry is sin but we don’t often see it that way, it’s not uncommon to hear people make passing remarks such as, \u201cOh I\u2019m just a worry wart!\u201d or \u201cI can\u2019t help it, I like to worry.\u201d They admit their problem but immediately pass it off as no big deal.<\/p>\n

\n

Special note: This post is an\u00a0excerpt from my new book\u00a0\u201cWhat If\u2026 How to Kill Worry and Anxiety Before They Kill You\u201d<\/a><\/span>\u00a0You can order it now on\u00a0Amazon<\/a>.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"worry<\/h4>\n

Worry vs Pornography<\/h4>\n

Imagine if we applied these statements to other sins. What if you were browsing for movies with a friend and you came across a pornographic film. To your surprise your friend suggested that you buy it and when you ask why he simply laughs and says, \u201cOh I just can\u2019t help it, I\u2019m a sexual pervert!\u201d<\/p>\n

Even if he were a sexual pervert, he probably wouldn’t admit it because that\u2019s a sin and he\u2019d be ashamed if you found out. Yet viewing pornography is really not that different from worry.<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Both are sins of the mind.<\/li>\n
  • Both fantasize about something that is not real.<\/li>\n
  • Both are patterns of wrong thinking that develop deep thought habits which can be difficult to overcome.<\/li>\n
  • Both cripple their victims by invading and distracting the mind throughout the day.<\/li>\n
  • Both can lead to real physical problems.<\/li>\n
  • Both will lead to relationship problems.<\/li>\n
  • Both will keep us from pursuing God\u2019s will in our life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    It’s no big deal<\/h4>\n

    Rather than viewing worry as a sin of the heart which must be uprooted and destroyed by Jesus many see it almost as if it were a hobby, a\u00a0<\/span>pastime\u00a0or just part of their personality.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    To a degree we enjoy worrying. It gives the mind something to do. At first it might even feel like we are solving problems, like we are staying in front of things or like we are caring for our loved ones. But then we get carried away and soon find that worry has gripped our minds with an uneasy sense of apprehension and doubt that grows with our fixation upon the problem.<\/p>\n

    Worry creates real problems<\/h4>\n

    The problems around which worry brews are\u00a0<\/span>theoretical\u00a0and most likely will never come to reality, however, the problems that worry creates\u00a0are very real! Rarely will we attempt to do anything about worry until the problems which it creates in our life begin to bother us.<\/span><\/p>\n

    What do most people do when these very real complications appear? The first reaction isn\u2019t to run to God\u2019s Word for help but rather to treat the outward and physical symptoms. So if you can\u2019t sleep you\u2019ll find a whole shelf full of sleep aids at your local pharmacy. If that doesn’t work many turn to alcohol, excessive TV watching or many other ways of forcing the mind to forget its worries.<\/p>\n

    Medicating the symptoms<\/h4>\n

    Then there are the narcotics given to us by the medical establishment as a way to slow the mind and dull the senses. Drugs like Prozac, Zoloft, Luvox, Xanx and Paxil are used by tens of millions of Americans as means to cope on a daily basis with crippling anxiety, worry, stress, anger and depression.<\/p>\n

    We know that these medications affect the processes of the mind and body and that they also have a lot of side effects! What is debatable is whether these medications actually help patients get to the root of the problem.\u00a0By blaming chemical imbalances and treating only the physical results the idea that the underlying cause might be sin is often lost.<\/p>\n

    Worry is sin<\/h4>\n

    The Bible clearly teaches that worry is sin and gives us guidance on how we should deal with it.<\/p>\n

    “Never worry about anything. Instead, in every situation let your petitions be made known to God through prayers and requests, with thanksgiving.\u00a0<\/span>Then God’s peace, which goes far beyond anything we can imagine, will guard your hearts and minds in union with the Messiah Jesus.”\u00a0Php 4:6-7<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Unfortunately many people are led to believe that their problem is purely a chemical imbalance that can be corrected by ingesting other chemicals which will bring their brain and body into harmony again.<\/p>\n

    What Jesus said<\/span><\/h4>\n

    Do you remember Jesus\u2019 famous \u201cSermon on the Mount\u201d? (Matthew 5-7)<\/p>\n

    If you read through it you will find that Jesus speaks about lust in three verses. (Matthew 5:27-29) However, Jesus spends 10 verses addressing the problem of worry! (Matthew 6:24-34) That\u2019s a good sign that worry really is something we should approach with a serious attitude.<\/p>\n

    Jesus simply said it like this:<\/p>\n

    \u201c…stop worrying about your life\u2014what you will eat or what you will drink\u2014or about your body\u2014what you will wear. Life is more than food, isn’t it, and the body more than clothing?\u201d Matthew 6:25<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Next time you are tempted to brush off worry as an insignificant character trait you need to stop yourself in your tracks and remind yourself that worry is a sin and if left unchecked worry can destroy you just like any sin can.<\/p>\n

    Question: In what areas do you struggle with worry? What methods have you found effective for dealing with worry in your life?<\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Some people like to read or knit and others like to ruminate on\u00a0theoretic\u00a0situations\u00a0that might someday ruin their lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[31],"tags":[327,293],"class_list":["post-3802","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-writing","tag-anxiety","tag-worry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/03\/worry.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3izZc-Zk","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":12565,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/what-if-chapter-4-concern-vs-worry\/","url_meta":{"origin":3802,"position":0},"title":"“What if…” Chapter 4, Concern vs Worry","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"September 2, 2020","format":"audio","excerpt":"As with any sin, worry is a perversion of something that was originally good. So how do you know when your planning has crossed the line into worry, or when your concern for safety has gone overboard and turned into an unhealthy fear? Friends many people are struggling with worry,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Gospel Today"","block_context":{"text":"The Gospel Today","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/podcast\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Untitled-design-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Untitled-design-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Untitled-design-5.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Untitled-design-5.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Untitled-design-5.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12512,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/what-if-chapter-3-what-is-worry\/","url_meta":{"origin":3802,"position":1},"title":"“What if…” Chapter 3, What Is Worry?","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"August 21, 2020","format":"audio","excerpt":"Worry and anxiety are the weeds of the mind and spirit. Do nothing and they will grow! Leave them alone hoping that they will go away, and when you come back, they will be bigger and stronger than before. Eventually they crowd out everything else and do real damage to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Gospel Today"","block_context":{"text":"The Gospel Today","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/podcast\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Untitled-design-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Untitled-design-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Untitled-design-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Untitled-design-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Untitled-design-2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":12385,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/what-if-chapter-2-how-we-start\/","url_meta":{"origin":3802,"position":2},"title":"“What if…” Chapter 1, How We Start","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"April 9, 2020","format":"audio","excerpt":"Friends many people are struggling with worry, fear and anxiety during these unusual times. I decided to record a few chapters from by book \"What if... How to Kill Worry and Anxiety Before They Kill You.\" I hope this recording will help calm your worries and anxieties. I hope you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Gospel Today"","block_context":{"text":"The Gospel Today","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/podcast\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/AdobeStock_331681082.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/AdobeStock_331681082.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/AdobeStock_331681082.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/AdobeStock_331681082.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/AdobeStock_331681082.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4086,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/33-the-churchs-acceptable-sins\/","url_meta":{"origin":3802,"position":3},"title":"#33 The Church’s Acceptable Sins","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"June 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Every time and every culture has certain sins that it excuses, ignores or tries to justify. We are no exception to the rule! American churches are hiding some pretty big sins simply because they don't think they're so bad. In this episode of Now is the Time\u00a0I talk about the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ministry"","block_context":{"text":"Ministry","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/DSC07138-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/DSC07138-001.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/06\/DSC07138-001.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4696,"url":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/thank-you-from-the-sukos\/","url_meta":{"origin":3802,"position":4},"title":"Thank You From the Sukos!","author":"Caleb Suko","date":"November 28, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Today Christina and I want to take a few moments to simply say \"Thank you!\" We've already finished our Thanksgiving dinner here in Ukraine. Guests have gone home and the house is quiet. 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It had a nice laid back feel and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ministry"","block_context":{"text":"Ministry","link":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/category\/ministry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/dont-worry-be-happy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/dont-worry-be-happy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sukofamily.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/dont-worry-be-happy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3802","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3802"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3802\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4473,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3802\/revisions\/4473"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3802"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3802"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sukofamily.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3802"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}