Accounting for your personal purity during the quarantine.

9

Of the top 10 visited websites in Kenya, two are porn sites. About 3 are betting/gambling sites. This means that more than half of our golden Internet time as Kenyans is dedicated to addiction. During this quarantine season, more people are online than before. And without the monitoring systems of work and HR, it is not unusual to hear that porn sites have experienced spikes of viewership.

These may be non-issues for the world. But for the born-again Christian, this can be a make or break for your devotion and personal purity.

If your faith is failing in these times because of online addiction, befriend wisdom. Wisdom states that the perfect environment for pornography consumption is threefold- purposelessness, secrecy and anonymity.

Combat purposelessness by giving yourself some targets to do some meaningful self-improvement work during this quarantine. I have been doing the following:

  1. Waking up at 5am for Quiet Times. At least one chapter a day of the scriptures and a minimum of half an hour in private prayer time. Our spirits must be refreshed in and out of season. I have avoided walking up late and sleeping late. Quarantine is not the holidays. I must still be productive.
  2. Reading three chapters of soul and spirit nourishing books each day. We need to read more than ever. No serious believer should imbibe more movies than books in this season of quarantine if he or she wants to avoid the traps of porn and lust. Less TV time and more book time. The reading is not limited to spiritual books. I have got some great novels and informative books as well. Train your mind to be a citizen of the world during this quarantine. Also, I get to achieve my 2020 book reading resolution.
  3. Weekly calls or chats with mentors or accountable friends. At least once a week during this season. God created the human being as a relational person (Genesis 2:18). It ought to be obvious that bad company isn’t anywhere near your radar (1 Corinthians 15:33). Intentionally connect with meaningful relationships that spur you on.
  4. Physical fitness workouts. At least thrice a week. Our home gym has been closed so I have been forced to have indoor workouts. And when I cannot commit, I reduce my meals for the day. We seldom repent of having eaten too little. Also, quarantine means a more sedentary lifestyle. More movements in the house and short walks around the compound are helpful.
  5. Limit social media hours to a max of 2 per day. Spend more time in silence and talking to family members with phones away. Silence is the bane of our existence. But perhaps God can finally get our attention.

Combat secrecy and anonymity by walking in the light.

  1. Have your accountability partners ask you to account for the productivity of your day.
  2. Surf the web in open spaces like the living room.
  3. Remember the Gospel. The ultimate cure for a heart that is hiding and living in sin is exposure to the Gospel. We must remember the holiness of God, His judgements and wraths. We must see His compassion in having His Son take our place of punishment on that cross. We must see the grace available through the blood, the cross and the name of Jesus Christ. We must rejoice at being spared. We must worship Him for it. We mustn’t do it out of obligation, but out of heart compulsion. A believer’s heart that frequently basks in the Gospel will obey without reservation because the love of Christ compels him (2 Corinthians 5:14). But a heart that loves sin will dispute the very fundamental truths of the Gospel that are bound to save it from the very sin that enslaves it. Listen to Gospel-centred sermons. Start here (www.gospelinlife.com)

The fire for God won’t burn simply because it was once lit; it must be stoked and fanned into flame. In this quarantine season, the fire of God can be lulled by laziness/slothulness, carnal entertainment and complacency because of being out of a usual working environment. Your usual routine may be on quarantine but your faith is free; exercise it.

Comments

Ernest is a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband, and a father. He has been married to Waturi since September 2012. They have three children- Thandiwe, Ivanna, and Theo. He is also the author of four books. The Wamboyes are passionate to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ clearly taught and understood in our post-modern world. They are champions of biblical discipleship and furthering the Kingdom of God by transforming one person at a time. They are the founders of The Relationship Centre Ltd (TRC), an organisation that aims to promote biblical family values in contemporary urban communities.

Discussion9 Comments

  1. This is true. Without a plan for this time, one will fail. It reminds me of the hymn Come thou fount, particularly the 3rd verse:

    Oh to grace how great a debtor,
    Daily I’m contrained to be.
    Let Thy goodness like a fetter (chain),
    Bind mine wand’ring heart to Thee.
    Prone to wander, Lord I feel it,
    Prone to leave the God I love.
    Here’s my heart, Lord, take and seal it,
    Seal it for Thy courts above.

  2. This is great stuff, imbibing the word and the practical exercises are worth the time. Thank you very much Ernest.

  3. I thank the Lord for you. More Grace to you. This is very timely. Though I am seeing it now. Instead of beating myself up on what I did, I should seek clarity in God first 😭😭

  4. Grateful to God for this. Thank you. What advise would you give those working online?. Can’t help but look at a screen when in IT or design or film careers.

    • Great question! Time management and mind management. If you have a solid time management plan and have daily goals, this won’t be a problem. You will work hard to finish what you need to do so that you can attend to necessary ofline goals that have a daily checklist e.g. read a chapter of a book, study a new language, practice a certain skill etc

Leave A Reply