Taming the Tantrum

It doesn’t seem to matter if they are 3, 13, or 23; kids know how to push their parents’ buttons. Don’t they? In my 30 plus years of being a parent, I have never felt like I was going to lose my mind or my hair more than in a parenting situation with one or more of my five children. I remember more than once backing out of my driveway with children in the backseat and slamming on the brakes so firmly trying to grab their attention and jerk a knot in their chain. Yes, that’s right! We hadn’t even gotten out of the driveway yet. I thought for sure I would need brake pads a lot sooner than normal because of it.

Tantrums-Natural Part of Development
This week on Rock Solid Radio, we add some more tools to our Rock Solid Tool Box as we unpack TANTRUMS in our kids. As we described on this week’s Rock Solid Radio podcast, tantrums are a natural part of a child’s development as they test and then develop their emotional regulation. They are learning how to express and manage their feelings, and that’s where we as parents come in. As parents, our job is to help our children navigate their feelings in a healthy, age-appropriate way, so they learn to self regulate and manage their emotions as they grow older.

If Not Handled Now, Then When?
A huge problem in our homes today is that more and more parents are not handling the tantrum when the child is young. For whatever reason, the child has grown up with the notion that a tantrum gets them what they want. So why not throw a fit if eventually you can wear down mom or dad and get your way? Some parents have given in to the tantrum because they feel overwhelmed themselves with the stresses of life and can not handle one more battle. For other parents, emotional self regulation wasn’t something they saw growing up, and they themselves struggle with keeping their emotions under control. So that’s what their kids have seen modeled in the home and imitate themselves.

Stuck In The “Terrible Twos”
As a result, we are seeing a generation of teen and young adult children who are not emotionally prepared for the real world. They are stuck in the “terrible twos” where they want their way and will throw a fit until they get it whether it be at home, in school, on the field, in a mall, or for some, even at a job! As we discussed in this week’s show, what may be a normal and natural reaction for a 3 yr old is not so normal and healthy for a 16 yr old.

When It Gets Out Of Control
Every week at Rock Solid Families, we have parents coming in with difficult stories of their teen and adult children throwing tantrums. Parents are dealing with older children and even adults throwing child-like “tantrums” that include yelling, cussing, slapping, punching, throwing things, and even more serious threats to self or others. If you are a parent and this is your current situation, please don’t keep kicking the can down the road. Now is the time to get some help.

Learn Tools For The Tantrum Now
Ignoring the problem or brushing it under the rug isn’t going to make it go away. As a matter of fact, giving in to a tantrum sends the message that your son or daughter’s immature response is ok, and it will get them what they want. If you are a parent of a toddler or smaller child, take the time to listen to this week’s episode of Rock Solid Radio. Learn the tools today to help your child grow and develop in an emotionally healthy way. Our society desperately needs more strong and healthy parents willing to deal with the tantrum TODAY, so that we don’t create more problems for our world tomorrow. Check out Rock Solid Radio Episode 146 Temper Tantrums to learn some practical tools to do just that.

Click HERE to watch the Rock Solid Radio episode 146 Tool Box Series-Temper Tantrums

Click HERE to listen to the Rock Solid Radio episode 146 Tool Box Series-Temper Tantrums

Stop the Nagging!

It has been said that nagging can be as harmful to marriage as adultery. If none of us likes to be nagged, why does it continue to happen?   Wouldn’t the whole family just be happier if all the nagging went away?  The simple answer is, YES!  

Feeling Invisible
So where do we begin?   In a nutshell, nagging comes from when we try to control what we see as important in our lives.  This need for control can be rooted in fear, insecurity, anger, mistrust…you name it. The person nagging may feel dismissed, invisible or misunderstood, but the way they go about resolving the problem isn’t very effective. It’s like using a sledge hammer for a project that needs a screwdriver. Instead of solving the problem, nagging tends to do more harm than good and can damage a relationship beyond repair.

Relationship Tools
So how do we stop the nagging and bring peace back to the marriage? Well, we need some different tools in our tool box. The first is the tool of Active Listening  That means we’re not just talking about the events of the day, but rather talking about how others are doing or feeling through the course of the day.  Through active listening we learn to physically observe and notice how are partner is doing.  Not just by the words they say, but how they say it. Do they seem tired, agitated, angry or frustrated?  If so, it is a great time to give them a little first aid by showing them that you notice their mood and then offer to help.  In order to do this we must implement the tool of Empathy. In other words, try imagining how it would feel to “walk a mile in their shoes”?   We do this not to feel sorry for them, but to try and understand why they may be feeling what they are feeling. Using these two tools help us to move toward fulfilling our wedding vows of for better or for worse.

Time to Step Back
Whether you are nagging or being nagged, it is important to use the tool of Emotional Awareness.  This simply means to take a step back and recognize your emotions before others recognize them for you.  If you are yelling and screaming and don’t have an understanding of your emotional state, you are likely to say and do things you regret.  Take some time today to practice reading your emotions and the people around you.  When you recognize a heightened negative emotional state in yourself or someone else, step back, take a break and allow the emotions to calm down.  This is the tool of Time Out

No More Under the Rug
One tool that we recommend is the Tool of Assertiveness. Many times the nagging is taking place because one or both partners from the very beginning did not “mean what they say and say what they mean”. They’ve maybe brushed things under the rug or made assumptions.  For example, if your partner is telling you they want to play golf next weekend and you agree to it, then you are best to stick with your agreement.  On the other hand, if you see the outing conflicting with the family’s schedule, then you need to be honest up front with your spouse and work together for a compromise or solution. Be assertive with your thoughts and words in a loving and respectful way, and you will have no reason to nag. 

When We Blow It
Let’s face it, sometimes we just blow it! Our emotions get the best of us and as we feel overwhelmed we say and do things that aren’t always helpful.  When this happens (and it will), the most powerful tool we have in our toolbox is the tool of Apology. Yes, I said it, APOLOGY! Holding back the apology fans the flame of anger and stress in the marriage and creates a greater disconnect as a couple.  The faster we learn to authentically apologize for our negative attitude, words, or nagging, the faster we will bring peace back to the relationship. Even if we feel like we are only 5% in the wrong, apologize for that 5%. Don’t let your self-righteousness and insecurity keep you from dropping your defenses and healing the wound before it destroys your marriage.

Click HERE to watch the Rock Solid Radio episode 145-Stop the Nagging\

Click HERE to listen the Rock Solid Radio episode 145-Stop the Nagging

Finding Hope in the Grief

I’m not even sure how she was able to walk in my office the first night we met. When I asked her weeks later to describe the weight of her despair, she gave it a 10+ out of 10. Debby felt buried by the pain. What in the world could make someone feel so overwhelmed by grief? In this week’s episode of Rock Solid Radio, Finding Hope in the Grief, Debby shares the Readers Digest version of her story and how she found hope in the midst of her grief. During our interview with Debby, it was tough to fight back the tears, but let me say this.  In my 30 plus years of working with individuals, couples, and families, I have personally never worked with someone who has experienced such grief and tragic loss.

Life or Death
As we talked about with Debby on this week’s podcast, being buried and being planted feel the same way. One symbolizes death and the other, the beginning of new life. That new life comes when we lay our pain at the Lord’s feet and allow HIM to carry the weight of it all. The apostle Paul reminds us of this.

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 1 Thess 4: 13-14

Running on Empty
We’re reminded in God’s Word NOT to grieve like those who have no HOPE. Our hope is not in our own understanding or our own strength. On her own, Debby was running on empty when it came to either one.  On May 30, 2021, however, Debby experienced the death and burial of her old life and the beginning of a new life in Christ through the waters of baptism. It didn’t immediately take the pain away nor erase the memories of the past, but it did help Debby find HOPE in the middle of the storm, in the midst of her pain. 

Let Go and Let God
Whatever we focus on gets bigger in our lives. Debby chose to live out the psalmist when he wrote…

But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death. Psalm 141:8.

Debby’s motto in life is now “Let Go and Let God”. She has found hope in the midst of her grief. She now knows that God did not cause her pain, but he doesn’t want to waste it either. Every tear, every sleepless night, every heartache-God wants to redeem. How about you? Are you being buried or planted?  Will you let God bring beauty out of ashes and hope even in the midst of your pain?

Click HERE to LISTEN to Episode 144 of Rock Solid Radio, Finding Hope in the Grief

Click HERE to WATCH Episode 144 of Rock Solid Radio, Finding Hope in the Grief.

Guilty Parenting

Over our 30 plus years of working with families in the school and church worlds, we have seen our share of guilty parenting. What do we mean by the term guilty parenting? We would say it’s making decisions for our children (sometimes very unhealthy ones) out of a pervasive feeling of not measuring up or doing enough. It’s very common today to find parents comparing their children and their family to those they see on the internet, next door, or in their ex-spouse’s home and making decisions out of the wrong motives. We see parents every day making decisions in order to help their child or family “measure up” or “beat out” someone or something. 

On our podcast this week, we address one of the major causes of guilty parenting, divorce. We see this every day in our office as a divorced mom or dad, unknowingly and unintentionally, plays a bad game of tug of war against their ex-spouse with the heart of their child. They make moves to “win” the heart of their child that they normally would not make if there wasn’t someone else to beat out. They compromise and justify their actions to others by saying things like “Everyone is doing it.” Or “I don’t want my child to feel left out”. 

You don’t have to have divorce in your home to be tempted by guilty parenting. Just open your phone or turn on the TV. We are bombarded by messages all around us telling us we need to buy our child “this” or take them to do “that” or enroll them in all of these activities because otherwise, they will be “left behind”. If you have teens like we do, they want their lives to be “Instagram worthy”. They want it to be cool enough to snap, post, or share. 

One of the greatest sources of guilty parenting we see walking in our office is the decision around phones and our kids. We work with so many parents who out of guilt or obligation gave their child a phone way before the child was emotionally ready to handle one. I can not tell you how many times I have heard a parent in our office say, “I didn’t want them to be the only one in their class without a phone”.  The pressure between divorced parents exacerbates the situation even worse. You know what I mean. A 10 yr old child of divorce asks mom for a phone, and she says NO not yet. I don’t think you need one yet or are ready to handle the responsibility. So what does the 10 yr old do next? She goes and asks dad.  With a bat of those baby blue eyes and a pretty please to boot, he feels the pressure to grant her wish. After all, he only sees her every other weekend. He doesn’t want to make her mad or crush her dreams of that brand new Iphone. Not to mention she’s been telling all her friends that her daddy is going to buy her a new phone for her birthday because he loves her so much.

Does that sound familiar? It has happened in our home too. Not the divorce part, but the pressure from our kids to give or do because that would somehow make us the “cool mom” or the “fun dad”. Let’s face it. Our kids are master manipulators. They learn it very early when they start to notice that their cry gets them a cookie or a piggy back ride. That’s when we as parents have to step in and help them understand. YOU are the child, and I am the parent.  If we don’t nip this master manipulation in the bud early on with our kids and in our parenting, we create what we lovingly call a “monster”. 

Take the time this week to tune in to our podcast, Divorce and Guilty Parenting. It’s a great show for any parent trying to keep those monsters from invading and taking over their home. 

To WATCH the entire episode of Divorce and Guilty Parenting on Rock Solid Radio, click HERE

To LISTEN the entire episode of Divorce and Guilty Parenting on Rock Solid Radio, click HERE

Making Memories

It was only seven miles down the road but to our youngest, it was the “coolest place ever”. Recently, our family was invited to a friends house for a day of swimming, eating, and fireworks. It was such a fun day filled with lots of memory making moments. Little kids and big “kids” alike spent the day playing volleyball, cornhole, and swimming in our friend’s pond. Some brave souls including our 13 yr old were even jumping off a high diving platform doing dives and flips into the water. Then there were a few crazy kids like our son who dared to climb up on the “BLOB” and wait for someone to catapult him high up in the air and into the pond below. They even had homemade ice cream you could help churn (and then eat of course) before settling down to a great fireworks show. It was such a fun day with lots of new experiences and memories made.

Reflecting Back
When we reflect back on our childhood, often times, some of the best memories we have come from holidays and vacations spent with family and friends. The value and importance of those fun times and special memories can not be denied.  It’s easier living out the day to day grind when we can reflect back and remember those special times of the past.  We strive to recreate that good feeling again and again by dreaming about and planning for future trips and get togethers. 

A Book Full of Memories
Take vacations for example. The experiences, adventures, sights, and even mishaps can turn an average week into an incredible book of memories. Traveling to different places and getting out of the normal routine help these experiences become more deeply entrenched memories.   These memories are like having game film to go back to and review over and over again. (And if you’re anything like my wife, it usually involves lots and lots of pictures just in case she forgets.)  These new and different experiences help us cling to what is good and inspire us to create more positive memories for the future.  We start to see these special times as valuable and crave them even more. As parents, we can often get wrapped up in the busyness of life and lose sight of the value of new experiences and spending time together.  Vacations, family celebrations, and summer fun give us opportunities to create new memories that give us hope for the future.

Not on the Itinerary
If we’re being totally honest, however, many of our best memories have come from things NOT on the itinerary. They were things that we didn’t intentionally plan for or think about. You know things like getting caught in a rain shower while hiking on a trail.  A sudden rainstorm wasn’t in the plan, but the memory of that day is definitely etched in our minds as we all jumped and splashed in the mud puddles like little kids. Or how about going camping and waking up to a family of raccoons eating our morning breakfast.  Our little visitors were NOT on the agenda that weekend, but it definitely made that year’s camping trip quite a memorable one. I’ll never forget the constant belly laughs coming from our children as they got knocked over by the ocean waves over and over again. It’s like they couldn’t get enough.

Plant the Seeds
We can’t always plan when they’ll happen, but we can plant the seeds. You know, provide opportunities for memories to be made. When was the last time you took a break from the routine? When was the last time you lived in the moment with family and friends and enjoyed what God has blessed you with?  This is where the fun and memories are made.   

Time to Rethink
If you have brushed off the importance of taking a vacation or doing something different with your family, maybe it’s time to rethink it.  You and your children will never have a shortage of difficult times in life.  One of the best ways we can drive through challenging times is to be able to reflect on the good memories of the past.  Don’t let another season go by without adding a little more JOY to your family. Go out and make some memories!

What Breaks Your Heart?

Years ago, God laid these two questions on my heart.  The first was “Linda, what breaks your heart?”, and the second was “how are you going to use that to glorify me?” My husband, Merrill, and I would pray and pray over these questions for years. We both felt God calling us to work with individuals, couples, and families who needed HELP and who have lost HOPE, but we weren’t exactly sure how.

Leaps of Faith
Those two questions prompted Merrill and I to take leaps of faith WAY out of our comfort zone including a new ministry position and church home years ago. Answering that question led to Merrill and I adding to our family and adopting three more children who were students in my husband’s school building. Three years ago, Merrill and I took another giant leap of faith leaving our full-time jobs in the school and church world to start a new faith-based coaching organization called Rock Solid Families. All of those moves were a result of answering those two questions: “What breaks your heart?” and “How are you going to use that to glorify me?”

Mama Scar
For our special guest on this week’s Rock Solid Radio podcast, Scarlet Hudson, answering those two questions for herself meant quitting her full time job in the corporate world to fight the ugly world of sex trafficking and bringing the HOPE of Christ to the marginalized women on the streets of Cincinnati. Scarlet Hudson may be the CEO and founder of the faith based non-profit Women of Alabaster, but to the women she ministers to, she’s “Mama Scar”. She spends her days feeding, housing, and loving on women who struggle to even love themselves. Don’t miss this week’s episode of Rock Solid Radio as Scarlet shares how God broke her heart for what breaks his. Put yourself in Scarlet’s shoes. Would you be ready to answer the call like Scarlet did?

How about You?
How would you personally answer those two questions today? Not everyone is called to adopt three children or serve in the prostitution ministry, but the Lord IS calling ALL of us to do something. So take some time to really ponder and pray over these two questions. “What breaks your heart?” and “How are you going to use that to glorify Him?” But be careful what you pray for. Chances are the Lord wants you out of your comfort zone too!

Click HERE to WATCH the full episode of Rock Solid Radio- Sex Trafficking with Special Guest Scarlet Hudson-Episode 141

Click HERE to LISTEN to the full episode of Rock Solid Radio- Sex Trafficking with Special Guest Scarlet Hudson-Episode 141

A New Man With a New Plan

In March of 2021, I received a phone call from a young man who was a couple years into his marriage.  He claimed he wanted help becoming a better man and husband.  My initial thought was that the marriage was in trouble, and he was desperately seeking to save it. We set up our first appointment and we began to talk.  I asked him to describe his marriage and its overall health.  He said without hesitation, “Oh, my marriage is great!”. I responded with a little bewilderment in my voice saying, “Well then, what can I help you with?”   He said, “I need help learning how to stand up for my wife and myself”. 

Intimidated by Dad
Meet Zach and Emily, a young couple in love who truly enjoy being together and dreaming about the future.  But, as I began to work with Zach, I recognized how timid he was.  As we talked, he would sink in his chair; when he didn’t know what to say, he would just go silent.  He did give me a clue to the problem when he started talking about his authoritarian father and how no one wanted to challenge his authority.  When challenged, his dad would quickly escalate his voice to a roar and begin intimidating everyone in the house.  As a boy, Zach was intimidated by his father and would never even dream of challenging or disagreeing with him.

Out of the Line of Fire
As Zach got older, he began to disagree with how his father acted and reacted in the house, but the disagreement remained in his head.  Partly out of respect and partly out of fear, he would cower down to his dad and never challenge him on anything. That actually seemed to work very well most of the time.  Zach remained out of the line of fire, and his dad remained on the throne.  Zach’s behavior soon settled in to be his character.  Whether in the house or out of the house, he was timid - afraid to stand up for himself, his values, or his faith.  He became very unsure of himself as he was worried about making the wrong decision and disappointing people in his life.  His habit was to sit back and just let everyone else tell him what to do.  

Making all the Decisions
As a young married couple, make no mistake about it, Emily loves Zach.  She loves his gentleness, caring, attention, and willingness to take care of her, but soon into the marriage, she began to feel like she was carrying making all the decisions.  Everything from when the garbage needs to go out to how they should manage their money.  Zach was not being defiant; he was just waiting for his orders.  Emily did not want to be in a position of giving orders. She wanted Zach to lead.

Becoming the Man She Needs
Everything came to a head when Zach’s father began to weigh in on Zach and Emily’s life as a married couple.  He would make comments that demoralized  Zach as a man. He would question why they did the things they did.  On the other hand, he would never take input from anyone else.  Emily began to recognize that she did not appreciate how Zach’s dad was treating him or them as a couple.  She began to challenge Zach by questioning him as to why he doesn’t stand up to his father.  Why doesn't he take initiative with running his own home?  Zach started to realize that he was not being the man or husband God called him to be.

Getting Help
This realization is what brought Zach to Rock Solid Families.  He had enough insight to recognize that something needed to change; he just didn’t know where to begin. That’s when we began to educate him on his upbringing, and how he was responding.  We began to have conversations about how his dad behaved and how Zach responded. We talked about how the pattern of timidity began to grow and become more and more entrenched into Zach’s being.  Once we were able to isolate the cause and effect connection, we were able to begin a new way forward.  

Working Together Toward a Solution
Emily began to attend sessions with Zach.  She was a critical component to helping Zach see a clear picture of what she needed as his wife. She in turn learned how to help and encourage him at home. Zach came in session after session willing and eager to learn knowing he had something better in him as a man.  Each week, Zach and Emily would practice new assertive actions in the home and when they were out together.  Zach did what may seem like simple things like take out the garbage or cut the grass without Emily’s prompting or second guessing himself. Emily learned that if she wanted these new habits to stick she had to encourage and praise not criticize Zach through his timidity.  

Practicing Fire Drills
The big test of Zach’s new found strength was going to come when he had to interact with his father.  Admittedly, Zach was nervous and concerned that he would just fall right back to his old self and allow his father to dismiss him as a man.  Zach and Emily learned how to establish and communicate healthy boundaries as a couple. In session, they practiced “fire drills”  where the two of them would run through potential hypotheticals to see when and how they would respond.  The more Zach and Emily practiced this, the greater their confidence became.  They actually began to be believe in themselves as a couple and that their marriage was theirs to protect.  This was empowering and even exciting.

 The Day of Reckoning with Dad
The day of reckoning finally came with a family get together.  Zach and Emily were confident and ready to respectfully respond to any snide remarks or disrespectful behaviors from Zach’s dad.  Zach’s dad came to the outing that day and quickly noticed that Zach had a certain confidence about him.  Zach did not respond to his father’s inappropriate remarks that day. He ignored them and refused to let his dad get in his head.  By not giving his father’s remarks any attention and energy, Zach noticed his dad backing down from his typical authoritarian persona.  On the other hand, Zach was starting to carry himself with greater confidence and strength than ever before.  It reaffirmed how he wanted to be as a husband and man of God. 

A New Man with a New Plan
Not only did this new confidence help in his relationship with his dad, but with his wife as well. Emily loves the man Zach is now.  She feels greater confidence in their relationship and less stress, because she now knows she’s not carrying the load alone.  Zach is truly a new man with a new plan.  He is now walking with his shoulders back and finding his confidence in who Christ made him to be.  He is learning to give himself grace when he makes mistakes, but continues to get back up.  Zach now looks forward to being a better husband, son, brother, neighbor and someday, a father.  He has much to give and now is ready to do so, all because he has uncovered the man God created him to be.

Don’t Settle for Less Than God’s Best
Zach and Emily’s story is one of new hope and life.  God created us in His image, but we often blame him for who we are. When, in fact, we have just allowed life to mold us into someone less than who God intended us to be.  Before you give up on yourself or someone else, understand that God gives us the ability to change. Your upbringing and environment can truly shape you for the good and bad.  When you want to see a better version of yourself, begin by praying to God and recognizing that you do not have to be a victim of your environment.  

Instant Gratification and Money - Are you sure you “WANT IT NOW”?

Money! Money! Money! “It seems like all we do is argue about MONEY!”  Is this the case in your marriage?  If so, you’re not alone.  When considering the top subjects that couples argue about, money usually makes the top 5 list.  Why is this the case when we live in such a wealthy country?  It turns out, it is not about the money, but about what money represents to people.  A big stack of money in and of itself is just a stack of paper.  But, when you realize what that stack of paper has the power to do, now that’s a different story. 

Money is linked to so many different but powerful emotions.  To many, money may mean security. To others, it may represent freedom and enjoyment. For some, money is a symbol of status or power. Therefore, a lack of money or lack of control over money can create the opposite feelings of fear, punishment, bondage, stress, and powerlessness.  These different emotions and meanings of money is where the conflict and stress can occur.

As human beings, our bodies and minds are drawn toward pleasure. We tend to avoid painful or stressful situations. Many of us have used money as a way of providing pleasure and avoiding pain.    The desire to have a good feeling in the moment is incredibly powerful.  “I WANT IT NOW!”  Instant gratification is real and powerful. How many of us have ever bought something we knew we didn’t need or couldn’t afford, because it felt good in the moment? I can’t be the only one. However, it doesn’t take long to realize that in life, all things come at a price.  The question is whether we are seeking long term satisfaction or instant gratification.  You may be able to have it now, but at what expense? What are you willing to sacrifice?  What level of pain will you receive?  What is the long term and short term cost vs reward?  These are all the questions that mature individuals need to start asking themselves.  

Since we know that so many couples argue about money, then it is likely that they do not agree on money’s cost vs reward.   Financial expert, Dave Ramsey, has developed an entire business and process to help you put this argument to rest. He has given millions of families a new process and way of thinking to help them better understand money and how to use it.  Below is a list of Ramsey’s financial baby steps. Implementing these steps as a couple can greatly reduce the stress and money differences in your marriage.  Also, listen to our recent Rock Solid Radio show in which Merrill and special guest Zac Strobl tackle the subject of money and give excellent useful tools to bring peace to your marriage. Click the links below for more.

DAVE RAMSEY’S SEVEN BABY STEPS

1. Baby Step 1: Save $1,000 for Your Starter Emergency Fund.

2. Baby Step 2: Pay Off All Debt. (Except the House) Using the Debt Snowball.

3. Baby Step 3: Save 3–6 Months of Expenses in a Fully Funded Emergency Fund

4. Baby Step 4: Invest 15% of Your Income for Retirement

5. Baby Step 5: Save for Your Children’s College Education

6. Baby Step 6: Pay Off Your Home Early.

7. Baby Step 7: Build Wealth and Give.

 To WATCH the full episode of Rock Solid Radio click HERE

To LISTEN to the full episode of Rock Solid Radio click HERE

For more information on getting your finances under control check out: https://www.ramseysolutions.com/

Rejecting Pornography - Prudent or Prudish?

“It’s what men do.” “What’s the big deal, at least I’m not with another woman.” “It’s my business and it isn’t hurting anyone else.”  These are just a few of the types of statements we hear people using when it comes to pornography use.  As much as I realize that I too am a man, and I too would like to believe the statements above.  The reality is that we see firsthand pornography destroying individuals, marriages, and families.  Yes, I too would like to believe the lies I have told myself about pornography use. But, the harsh reality is that pornography is dangerous and harmful to our culture.  Check out these statistics just to get a glimpse of what is actually going on in this industry. 

Stats or Research - •

• 30 percent of all data transferred across the Internet is porn. 

• The sex industry is the largest, most profitable business in the world

• The porn industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, with a net worth of nearly $100 billion, with the U.S. coming in at over $10 billion.

• Larger revenue than Google, Apple, Yahoo, Netflix, Amazon, Microsoft, and eBay combined.

• The porn industry makes more money than the NFL, NBA, and MLB combined. More than ABC, CBS, and NBC combined.

• Every second of the day there are over 30 million unique visitors viewing porn. EVERY SECOND!

• Over 300,000 underaged girls are currently being sold for sex just in the United States. 

• People who admitted to having an extramarital affair were also 300% more likely to admit to consuming porn than those who did not have an affair.

• The average age a child is introduced to porn is now 11 years old. 

• It’s not just a men’s issue anymore. “76% of 18 to 30-year-old American women report that they watch porn at least once a month.

• The female-targeted erotica novel series, Fifty Shades of Grey, grossed over $1.3 billion alone. Pornography isn’t just a man’s issue. 

Pornography is dangerous and destructive on multiple levels.  It is addictive as it stimulates dopamine production that makes us feel good or aroused.  The more we get, the more we want.  This starts the dangerous cycle of addiction.  

Due to the addictive nature of pornography, people are willing to pay large amounts of money to feed their fleshly desire.  This creates the market for making money.  The problem is not that money is being made, but that money is being made at the expense of others.  Such terms as human trafficking, sex slaves, and prostitution, have exploded out of this industry.  All coming at the expense of those unable to recognize or stop the problem.  Women, children, and even babies fall victim to this industry.  All for the sake of making money by feeding a fleshly human desire.  

Satan loves this industry.  It literally tears people and families apart.  It breaks down God’s perfect design for our society by breaking individuals and families.  The next time you consider giving a nod of approval to the pornography industry, ask yourself if you would be happy with your child being enslaved to an industry that exploits her for her body with no care of her overall mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. 

When we let the facts speak, we see that the truth is that a rejection of pornography no longer needs to be considered a prudish action, but rather a prudent one.  Help to save your marriage, children, and yourself by taking an active stance against pornography.

Click HERE to LISTEN to our podcast on Rock Solid Radio episode 139, Instant Gratification-Sex and Porn.

Click HERE to WATCH our podcast on Rock Solid Radio episode 139, Instant Gratification-Sex and Porn.