Young People Ask . . .

How Can I Fight the Habit of Masturbation?

“THE way I am directing my blows is so as not to be striking the air,” wrote the Christian apostle Paul. (1 Corinthians 9:26) He compared the struggle to control his desires to being in a boxing match. A boxer whose blows hit only air will soon lose the fight. Therefore, to fight successfully against the habit of masturbation, a person must know how properly to direct his efforts, or “blows.”a

“Prepare Your Minds for Action”

The battle against masturbation is fought in our mind. Hence, the Bible recommends: “Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled.” (1 Peter 1:13, New International Version) For instance, we may happen to notice something that is sexually stimulating. The mind is inclined to dwell on such thoughts and let passion develop. (Matthew 5:28) When that occurs, our bodies tend toward sexual activity. The longer our minds dwell on the wrong thought, the more this physical process escalates to higher phases of excitement. Eventually, the level of arousal may lead to masturbation. But the mind must exert itself and reject the immoral thought. If it does so, then the arousal soon dies down and any discomfort because of body tension fades.

Rejecting bad thoughts, though, is difficult, especially when one is alone at night. A 17-year-old youth thus explains what steps he takes: “First of all, I try to ‘change the subject’ so as to get my mind off the thoughts that cause the stimulation. Also, realizing that the urge is going to go away eventually makes it easier.” “Changing the subject” may require more than just mental effort. One young woman adds: “The best thing to do is get right out of bed and get busy with some type of work, or maybe have a little snack, so that your mind turns to other things.” Yes, force yourself to ‘continue considering whatever things are of serious concern, righteous, chaste, lovable, well spoken of, virtuous, and praiseworthy.’​—Philippians 4:8.

When you have difficulty falling asleep, endeavor to imitate faithful King David, who wrote: “When I have remembered you [God] upon my lounge, during the night watches I meditate on you.” (Psalm 63:6) Forcing our minds to ponder on God and his qualities will often break the spell. “You lovers of Jehovah, hate what is bad,” wrote the psalmist. (Psalm 97:10) It is not easy to hate a practice that brings such momentary fleshly pleasure, but keep thinking of how God views this unclean habit. However, you must also . . .

“Prepare Your Minds for Action”

The battle against masturbation is fought in our mind. Hence, the Bible recommends: “Prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled.” (1 Peter 1:13, New International Version) For instance, we may happen to notice something that is sexually stimulating. The mind is inclined to dwell on such thoughts and let passion develop. (Matthew 5:28) When that occurs, our bodies tend toward sexual activity. The longer our minds dwell on the wrong thought, the more this physical process escalates to higher phases of excitement. Eventually, the level of arousal may lead to masturbation. But the mind must exert itself and reject the immoral thought. If it does so, then the arousal soon dies down and any discomfort because of body tension fades.

Rejecting bad thoughts, though, is difficult, especially when one is alone at night. A 17-year-old youth thus explains what steps he takes: “First of all, I try to ‘change the subject’ so as to get my mind off the thoughts that cause the stimulation. Also, realizing that the urge is going to go away eventually makes it easier.” “Changing the subject” may require more than just mental effort. One young woman adds: “The best thing to do is get right out of bed and get busy with some type of work, or maybe have a little snack, so that your mind turns to other things.” Yes, force yourself to ‘continue considering whatever things are of serious concern, righteous, chaste, lovable, well spoken of, virtuous, and praiseworthy.’​—Philippians 4:8.

When you have difficulty falling asleep, endeavor to imitate faithful King David, who wrote: “When I have remembered you [God] upon my lounge, during the night watches I meditate on you.” (Psalm 63:6) Forcing our minds to ponder on God and his qualities will often break the spell. “You lovers of Jehovah, hate what is bad,” wrote the psalmist. (Psalm 97:10) It is not easy to hate a practice that brings such momentary fleshly pleasure, but keep thinking of how God views this unclean habit.