my friend i was once a teenager like you. I know your struggles
too.
Let me share to you my experience:
LIke any other teenager i too struggled with the problem from my
early teens. But the thing that checked it was when i began to fear
the Lord. I so feared the Lord that i don't even want to sin in my
thoughts even a slightest bit.
i guarded my thought life with a sole purpose: not to sin against
the Lord. my hatred against lust began to grew more and more to the
point that i could even CONTROL MY DREAMS!!!!!
Even when those dreams come, because of my fear of the Lord, i
could control it. I was amazed at that time what the fear of the
Lord could do in my life. Those words in Psalms and Proverbs about
the fear of the Lord became living principles in my life.
And I always thought that to control this thing is impossible. But
i got mistaken.
MY sole passion was the Lord. Every morning when i wake up,
spontaneously and naturally, the first thought that came into me is
: "the Lord...the Lord...i must submit to Him..the Lord."
And through my changed attitude and fear of the Lord i was able to
check and contain my sinful sensual desires. I became strong in
this area as time passed on. I realized that the more you resist it
the more you become stronger agaisnt it.
The antidote my friend is the fear of the Lord. If you fear the
Lord, you would do anything to prevent yourself from going into the
paths of sin. First, through it you would want and desire to stay
clean from it from the inside--i guarded my thought life.
And i realized that everything starts from there. What you think,
is most probably what you would feel and desire, what youi would
feel, is most probably what you will do.
I was newly regenerated back then. I still did not know much about
the Bible. But later i realized when looking back through all that,
i realized i was unwittingly and unknowlingly doing Romans 12:2 and
2 Corinthians 10:5
Ro 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may
prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God.
2Co 10:5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts
itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought
into captivity to the obedience of Christ
Fear the Lord my friend. pray for God to give you this, or if you
already have it, pray that He will increase it. And when you have
prayed believe that He has given it [for He will surely give it]
and act on it.
Do not wait for the feeling of awe and reverence to come, act on it
inspite of your feelings. Often times the Lord answers
through you.
