We’ve all seen the pictures. Don’t skip leg day!
Guys in the free weight section of the gym love to work on
upper body but leg day isn’t as fun.
However, it’s important to work out your whole body so nothing is out of proportion . . . at least so I’ve heard.
The reason many of us guys fail when it comes to lust & pornography is because it’s easy to only focus on one area of discipline. We want to abstain from a certain thing and focus on being stronger in that one area.
We fail to work out our whole body and things can’t sustain that way. Instead, there are three areas of discipline which need to receive attention to truly become free of pornography & lust.
- Physical Exercise
- Mental Exercise
- Spiritual Exercise
PHYSICAL EXERCISE: Your goal should be 40 minutes of physical exercise per day, 5-6 days a week. Physical exercise is defined by whatever that means to you. For some, that could be going for a walk while for others that means intense weightlifting. Also, most will need to work up to this level of frequent exercise. However, know that there is a connection when you discipline your body and get up early to go to the gym. Telling your body, “No, you don’t get what you want” in this area, will translate more easily to others.
MENTAL EXERCISE: There are several non-fiction books & podcasts out there to stimulate your mind in a healthy way. Sudoku, crossword puzzles, and other similar games work as well. Whatever works for you works for you. But make sure you are regularly (at least 2-3 times weekly) consuming something that requires your mental focus. Doing this will prevent your mind from wandering toward places it shouldn’t (consider being mindful of the timing of when you mentally exercise – distraction can be good & help you resist temptation).
SPIRITUAL EXERCISE: Prayer, serving, tithing, Bible reading, frequent church attendance, small groups, relationships, sermons, podcasts, etc. The list goes on and on of different things you can do to develop broad, diverse, and well-rounded spiritual habits. You need to regularly work on your spiritual self. Try different things and always seek to grow into new healthy spiritual habits.
Again, the point of this is to work on becoming a better Christian, not just stronger at abstaining from pornography.
And don’t skip leg day.
Thoughts to Pray/Journal:
- What needs to happen for frequent physical exercise? What do you need to account for schedule-wise? What about where you go to exercise? (Be mindful of your environment)
- How can you include more healthy mental stimulation? How can you prompt yourself toward something healthy when your mind wanders toward something unhealthy?
- List some spiritual disciplines you don’t feel strong at and set a goal to develop.
Reading: