I think there is.

Masturbation is a topic that carries a lot of weight for people. Believers especially. Mainly because it’s considered sex and is supposed to be condemned, but does that mean we are condemned simply for being in touch with a natural part of our sexuality, something inherent in our being, something that stalks us and has to be fed like our natural need for dinner?

I’d say yes and no. Like food, all things sexual should be regulated—all things in moderation. And if we’ve truly accepted Christ into our lives, we must understand the importance of this, because we are both human and divine, and the divine must lead at all times.

Mainly because our human part is fraught with ways to fall into the blog of sin and never wants to see us be free, keeping us in spiritual trouble that robs us of the peace and freedom of God. For this reason, we must understand that God knows and cares about the human side of our being better than anyone, far more than we give Him credit for. As it says in I Corinthians 10:13 …there hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it. KJV 

 God is available to help us with temptation. He will make a way to escape.

How that help is given is different for each person. Some may immediately step out from under temptation’s power, which is how many think it should be. “You can’t keep doing it!” they like to yell.

If you’re like me, you don’t want to keep doing it, but I’ve learned that there are some things I know I will do again. And because I know this, because I can feel the hold this thing has within my foundational structure, I turn my temptations and failings over to God, leaving it all to His control and mercy, and I do not feel the least bit condemned, because I have made God my way to escape.

As Jesus said, I am the vine, you are the branches …without me you can do nothing (John 15:5), especially outwit the devil, who delivers bags of temptation to your door, daily.  We must plead the Blood of Jesus over our temptations, and let the power of God send the devil and his bags of hell back to the pits from whence he comes.

To rely on God and know that he is helping when we’ve returned to the well of temptation yet again, we must strive daily to keep our divine spirit healthy and strong. We do this by walking away from our bad moments, which some may call failures, telling no one but God, and thanking Him for the help we have already prayed for, confidently waiting for its arrival. This allows us to keep our heavenly peace here on earth when the devil tries to make you feel like you should be prostrate with guilt.

And because Jesus says without Him, we can do nothing, we are to pray and honestly ask for help. While waiting for God’s help, we want to keep His peace in our hearts, because we know he is going to help us. He will not give you a serpent when you’ve asked for a fish. And the peace of patience makes the difference between living as a limited human trying to do good and constantly coming up short, or as a divine creature, one that is forgiven and waiting to live in eternity.

God’s Mercy is new every day. When we ask for forgiveness, He will not give us a serpent. He will give us the good gift of His love and understanding. He will also give us the gift of conviction. I always feel convicted when my porn watching gets out of control. But that isn’t because I am being condemned. It’s a reminder that I want to do better—something to be constantly aware of when masturbating.

The world of chaste living wants us to think that any sexual act or thought is an automatic death sentence. God sees what we are doing when it comes to our sexuality. And He understands why we do it.  Believe me, if anyone is having the type of sex life that can send them to hell, they can have forgiveness if they ask, but they’re not too worried about forgiveness. They feel no need to repent to a God who will only get in the way. They will not be reading this article.

But if you have a love for Christ and the need for masturbation arises in your life because of being single, married to someone whose libido does not equal your own, or, sometimes, just wanting to enjoy yourself alone, to keep your body healthy, to live as a fully functioning adult, something masturbation helps with in the design of our bodies, and you don’t want to feel any guilt about having to do something you have prayed and prayed about, then stay close to God. Sex is only seen as bad because we put our lustful selves before our spiritual selves, and that pulls us further and further from God.

For God to help us with something as simple as masturbation, we must put Him first in all things, asking for help in the name of Jesus and expecting to get it. The way we can conduct ourselves until that help comes along is:

Pray each morning with thanksgiving before our feet ever hit the floor, or before we do anything else. Go before the Lord with thanks before getting too far into our morning routine.

Study our Bible often. Every day does not hurt, although feeling oversaturated with anything does.

Thank God for his goodness at any interval during your day. We want to go through our days being thankful, especially during difficult times within that day. We want to always pray for peace. The best way to receive it is to thank Jesus for all that you have and expect from Him. Raise your hands in praise from time to time as you walk around the privacy of your life, doing chores, or just being peacefully at home. Always ask for forgiveness and help, especially right after you have failed. Thank God that He’s still with you, and don’t worry about how many times you have to do this in your day or your life. Just remember, God has heard your prayer. All you have to do is be a human, staying in touch with the divine.

This chases the devil away from the peace and joy God wants us to have. And never be afraid to say the Blood of Jesus out loud if you have to. The Blood of Jesus covers us from all sins and gives us the strength to rebuke the devils of depression, strife, confusion, and lust. Pleading the Blood also works well with arms raised to the Lord.

God loves it when we ask for help. He may not help us completely stop any overly indulgent habit right away, because there could be aspects of our behavior that we probably need to learn more about. But know that if your prayers are earnest, and you want to stop, mainly because you truly desire to do what is pleasing to God, you’ll one day find yourself free. That is a given.

As long as I read God’s word, memorized and contemplated it throughout the day, “Blessed is the man whose mind is stayed on thee”, I had fun living my life as best I could in the power and might of the Lord. I never worried about how much I did anything that people say we shouldn’t do. And I never let myself feel so guilty that I stopped asking God for help. When your behavior makes you feel guilty, that’s the time to thank God the loudest. And believe me, talking to God and only to God is usually safer than asking someone to pray for you and then explaining why. Pick and choose what you share. And walk in faith that your prayer is answered, cause when we ask God for help, help may not come when you want it, but it’s always there when we need it the most.

Walk in the spirit and you will stay close to the peace and love God wants us to feel and have while we are on Earth. And when you’ve done all to stand, know that sexuality is about our human part. It ain’t gonna leave us alone when we get invited into the Kingdom, where we get to live in the divine, forever.