‘Reckless Love’ Writer Cory Asbury Found Freedom From Porn by ‘Running to God’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Worship leader and songwriter Cory Asbury opened up about his struggles with porn addiction and how he overcome it after becoming exposed to it at a young age.
“[P]ornography was one of the ugly parts of my life for many years, even into my 20s after I had become a full-time worship leader,” Asbury said who wrote worship songs such as “Reckless Love” and “The Father’s House.”
The singer shares that even though he was “profoundly happy” in his marriage, his secret would eventually hurt both his wife Anna and God.
“Unfortunately, I quickly found out that’s not the way it works. Getting married doesn’t magically fix all the problems in your life, especially the ones entrenched through years of habitual sin,” Asbury said.
As a form of coping, he would put himself in what he called “spiritual time-out” and “flog” himself with harsh and judgmental thoughts.
“In this spiritual time-out, I would, like the reverend in the The Scarlet Letter, flog myself continuously. However, my flogging wasn’t with whips; it was with thoughts of self-hatred and condemnation. ‘How could you do this? Again?! You’re the most repulsive human on the planet. God is disgusted with you,’” Asbury recounts.
He realized that this would only help for a while and that cycle of addiction would continue. What brought a breakthrough in his life was reading about the life of King David in the Bible—in particular after David committed adultery with Bathsheba.
“But I noticed something peculiar about David. After David became aware of his sin, he didn’t force himself to endure months of self-flagellation. He didn’t attempt to claw his way back into God’s good graces through self-sacrifice and religious penitence.” Asbury said. “No, he threw himself wholly on the mercy of God, knowing that God wasn’t after sacrifice and offering, but a broken and contrite heart.”
The worship leader encouraged others to respond to sin in their lives like David did.
“I know it’s counterintuitive. It makes no sense that the way to get rid of guilt and shame and sin is to run to the very One you offended—God. The natural human response is to hide like what Adam and Eve did. But freedom comes from running to God instead,” he stated.
As Asbury’s story shows, porn addiction is not just an issue in the secular world, but within the church as well. According to Barna Group and Covenant Eyes research 68% of Christian men and 50% of pastors regularly watch porn.
Movieguide® has previously reported on the negative effects of pornography:
Social scientists, clinical psychologists, and biologists have begun to clarify some of the social and psychological effects, and neurologists are beginning to delineate the biological mechanisms through which pornography produces its powerful negative effects.
Key Findings on the Effects of Pornography
The Family and Pornography
· Married men who are involved in pornography feel less satisfied with their conjugal relations and less emotionally attached to their wives. Wives notice and are upset by the difference.
· Pornography use is a pathway to infidelity and divorce, and is frequently a major factor in these family disasters.
· Among couples affected by one spouse’s addiction, two-thirds experience a loss of interest in sexual intercourse.
· Both spouses perceive pornography viewing as tantamount to infidelity.
· Pornography viewing leads to a loss of interest in good family relations.
The Individual and Pornography
·Pornography is addictive, and neuroscientists are beginning to map the biological substrate of this addiction.
· Users tend to become desensitized to the type of pornorgraphy they use, become bored with it, and then seek more perverse forms of pornography.
· Men who view pornography regularly have a higher tolerance for abnormal sexuality, including rape, sexual aggression, and sexual promiscuity.
·Prolonged consumption of pornography by men produces stronger notions of women as commodities or as “sex objects.”
· Pornography engenders greater sexual permissiveness, which in turn leads to a greater risk of out-of-wedlock births and STDs. These, in turn, lead to still more weaknesses and debilities.
· Child-sex offenders are more likely to view pornography regularly or to be involved in its distribution.
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Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.
What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.
You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.
Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.
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