I was in elementary school—just a child—when I began masturbating. By junior high, I had added pornography to the mix. In high school, I was deeply engrossed in sexual addiction. Those were dark days for me. I wasn’t a Christian, but even then, I knew I was in bondage to something dark. I was controlled by a lust I couldn’t find freedom from, no matter how hard I tried to free myself from its grips.
Without context from the Bible, there was still something inside me that knew masturbation and porn were perverse. And I wanted to be free from it. When I gave my heart to Jesus at the age of 16, those struggles didn’t miraculously disappear. However, within two years, God gave me the freedom from both I had always desired. By His grace alone was I able to step into the light, free from the bondage that had entangled me for so long.
The thing about my journey is that I had no one to talk to about it. Culture was open to a man’s struggle with it, but not a woman’s. And for a long time, I thought there was something wrong with me; that no one would understand my struggle because I was the only one. But I’m here to tell every woman out there wrestling with masturbation, porn, and other sexual addiction that you are not alone. It’s not just a man’s problem; you can talk about it—in fact, you should.
Is Masturbation a Sin?
Before we go any further, I think it’s essential to address masturbation as a sin. As I’ve shared my struggle with it, I’ve had people ask if it’s a sin or share that they don’t think it is. So, let’s talk about that. Is it a sin? Yes, it is. Even though the Bible doesn’t explicitly call out masturbation, there are verses supporting that it is.
First, we must define lust to find its connection to masturbation. A good definition of lust would be to take something you desire and remove God and respect for others from the equation. It’s often associated with sexual desires but can be something you crave that excludes God and others.
Masturbation, in almost all forms, includes … read more