Dear friends,
Every man in Joshua Fellowship has their own story and goals, but we like to joke that there is one thing we all have in common: pornography. This widespread addiction both fuels into and develops out of our sexual brokenness, fostering a destructive negative cycle. As a ministry group, we take a regular part of our rhythm to focus on addiction recovery. This has been our focus for the spring semester. Pornography can be a discouraging topic; most men have been fighting against porn all of their lives with little success. By the time they reach Joshua Fellowship, they are exhausted from a long battle with the scars to show it.
I’ve found that most of our men share a common experience with the church that has shaped their view of this struggle. Well-intentioned sermons have taught them to “take captive every thought” (2 Cor 10:5) because “nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh” (Romans 7:18). They come into our doors viewing recovery as a war against themselves, where their body is the enemy. While this lens might be effective against the spiritual idolatry of addiction, it fails to address the deep physical and emotional roots. Not only does this set us up for failure—where we face relapse, shame, and isolation—but it creates a rift between us and our bodies. Our response to addiction, this “disembodiment,” can become a root for insecurity, body dysmorphia, gender dysphoria, anxiety, and emotional dysregulation.
When we take a step back from these clipped verses, we see a larger theology of the body expressed through scripture. In Genesis, God created us to be physical (and sexual) beings in a physical world. In Revelation, God restores a new earth for us to dwell in, separate from the new heavens. We were given, and will continue to have, physical bodies. And God made them, in His image, to be good. In the face of addiction, while our bodies have been affected by sin, we must distinguish that they are not the source of our sin. Our fight is not against our bodies. If we want to live within the will of the Spirit and find freedom in God’s transformative work, we cannot deny our affected bodies. Rather, we must embrace them as part of our restoration.
In Joshua Fellowship, we often talk about “getting into the body.” During the Summer Intensive, we encourage the men to exercise and care for their bodies, to serve and volunteer with their physical strength, and to go outside to connect with God. These simple practices help us restore a relationship with our bodies. We learn to listen to them and offer them grace. They can become our partners as we work through the entangled physical, emotional, and spiritual roots of addiction.
Building a healthy relationship with our body can take time; By starting the work ourselves, we can become a model to support others. I encourage you to try getting into your own body. Take five minutes a day to practice a breathing exercise or breathing prayer. Find a way to use your body in an act of stewarding your health, serving others, or worshipping God. Then, prayerfully write a letter to your own body. How have you treated your body? Do you need to forgive your body or ask for forgiveness? As we learn to accept grace for our own bodies, we are able to offer it to others in deeper measure.
I pray that as you grow in this grace toward your body, you would experience and fulfill Paul’s words in 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24: “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”
Amen.
The Joshua Fellowship Summer Intensive runs from June 2 to August 18, every Monday from 6-9pm. We invite you, or any men in your life, to join us as we restore our relationships with ourselves, with others, and with God. Contact the office to get connected.
