Lesson 39

He didn’t control his thoughts; now how do I control mine?

One frustration wives have about pornography is that the husbands did not control their thoughts. Every mind is controlled by either the flesh or the Spirit. Many men find victory as they learn to lean on the Holy Spirit to transform their minds.

As wives, how do we measure up in terms of controlling our thoughts by the power of the Holy Spirit? Our struggles may not be the same as our husbands’ battles with the mind, but we struggle just the same. Some battles of the mind are worrying, desires for pleasure, the need for various kinds of security, control, manipulation, expectations, and rebellion. As we mature in the Spirit and stay in His Word, our desire to live in the Spirit increases, resulting in life-giving blessings in this life and in the next.

Kristi said that during their journey through discovery, struggles, and victory over pornography and infidelity, controlling her mind was one of the most difficult challenges. “Based on past work experiences, I thought I could solve the problems with my clever approaches to the issues at hand. However, the usual solutions didn’t work and for a long time it felt like my ideas only made things worse. It was through studying God’s Word that I realized I had to turn over the resolution to the Lord. When I did, He comforted me while His plans unfolded in my husband’s life. When my husband finally turned his life over to Christ, we were both headed together toward the same goals with the Lord’s help.”