by Rick Warren

Based on a recent survey at Pastors.com, a significant number of ministers say they’ve viewed online pornography.

I want to thank those who answered the survey. Even in a confidential poll, it’s often difficult to be completely honest. But I also want to encourage you to take the next step and get some help. It may be embarrassing at first, but that’s minor compared to the importance of you and your ministry.

The Good News is that God has already forgiven you for your sexual sin, and He wants to see you healed. I do too! And if you have absolutely nobody else you can turn to, then I want you to email our Saddleback Celebrate Recovery team at .

In the meantime, here are some steps to take toward maintaining moral integrity in ministry:

Be honest when you’re fatigued and take a rest

When you’re tired, you are vulnerable to a lot of things – discouragement, depression, and TEMPTATION. The Bible says six days you labor, and the seventh day you rest. If you’re not taking a day off every week, you’re breaking the Fourth Commandment. Take a day off.

It’s particularly important to take some time off after a spiritual and emotional high. No doubt you’re familiar with the story of Elijah in 1 Kings 18, where he had a big God contest with the prophets on Mt. Carmel. Right after that, he’s in the desert saying, “God, I want to die. Take my life.” Fatigue is a hazard of being in the ministry, and it lowers our resistance to temptation.

Don’t believe your own PR

In ministry, you’re put on a pedestal with lots of people admiring you. Do you remember when Jimmy Swaggart fell into sexual sin about a decade ago? William Martin, in People magazine, said, “I’ve seen [Swaggart] change over the years. He seems to have been seduced by the power and the fame, and I think this happens to this kind of person. He says, ‘If I have an idea to build a Bible College or mission, it must have come from God.’ Next, he starts to say, ‘God told me this . God told me that ..’ Next, the tendency is to say, ‘I think what God meant to say was ..'”

Swaggart himself said, “I forgot that I was human. I thought I was more than human.” Never forget that you are human and just as susceptible to sexual temptation as anyone else. There, but for the grace of God, go I.

1 Corinthians 10:12 (Living Bible) says, “So be careful if you think, ‘I’d never behave like that.’ Let this be a warning to you, for you, too, may fall into sin. Let him who stands take heed lest he fall.” The morning I start saying, I’ve conquered that problem, is the morning I’m openly vulnerable to temptation.

Keep a close watch on your spiritual temperature

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else guard your heart for it is the well spring of life.” When I am tempted, I remind myself of God’s omniscience and omnipresence. God sees everything in my life, and He is always with me. The devil says, “No one will ever know.” If God is always with me, and He sees everything, that is my motivation to practice His presence in the midst of temptation.

Continually guard your mind

Science reports that there is no difference between when you imagine something or if it actually happens – they both have the same effect on your mind. Neurologically, there’s absolutely no difference. The battle for sin always begins in your mind. If you lose the battle in your mind, then you’ ve already lost the battle.

 · James 1:14-15 – “Sin begins with the desire and then when it has conceived it brings forth sin and when that is finished it brings forth death.”

 · 1 Peter 1:13 – “Prepare your mind for action, be self controlled.”

 · 2 Corinthians 10:5 – “We take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.”

 · Romans 13:14 – “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of your sinful nature.”

 · Matthew 5:28 Jesus said – “Anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Remind yourself regularly of the damaging consequences of moral failure.

When you are tempted, think like this: minimize the pleasure and maximize the consequences. Hebrews 11:25 says, There is pleasure in sin for a season. Of course, sin is fun. Nobody would do it if it weren’t fun. You wouldn’t be tempted if there wasn’t some kind of pleasure in it.

The writer Randy Alcorn says, “Whenever I feel particularly vulnerable to sexual temptation, I find it helpful to review what effects my action could have:

 · Grieving the Lord who redeemed me.

 · Dragging His sacred name through the mud.

 · One day having to look at Jesus, the righteous judge in the face, and give an account of my actions.

 · Following the footsteps of people whose immorality forfeited their ministries and caused me to shudder.

 · Losing my wife’s respect and trust.

 · Hurting my daughters.

 · Destroying my example and credibility with my children.

 · Causing shame to my family.

 · Losing self-respect.

 · Forming memories and flashbacks that could plague future intimacy with my wife.

 · Wasting years of ministry training.

 · Undermining the faithful example and hard work of other Christians in our community.

 · On and on.”

Take the necessary precautions to protect yourself.

In Matthew 26:41, Jesus says, Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the body is weak. It’s interesting that he doesn’t say, “Watch and pray so you will not fall into sin.” He says, Watch and pray that you don’t even fall into temptation. He’s saying don’t even put yourself in a situation where you can be tempted.

1 Peter 5:8 (Living Bible) – Be careful, watch out for the attacks from Satan your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion looking for some victim to tear apart.

Let me be clear on this – most sexual temptation in the ministry will not be from some brightly painted vamp. It will come from someone you genuinely care about, from someone you love!

We need to pray for each other and support each other. We need to remember that the moment we think we’re beyond sexual temptation, that’s when we’re MOST vulnerable.

Lord, I pray that You will give us a real protection in our lives and our ministry and in our families. I pray for those of us who are married, that our marriages will be strong. And I pray for those of us who are single, that You will give us the will to live for You and to be pure before Your eyes. We give our weakness and humanity to You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Until next week,

This article is based upon my Leadership Lifter, Maintaining Moral Purity in Ministry.

http://www.pastors.com/RWMT/default.asp?id=49&artid=1648&expand=1