Our Stories

The Everyman's Battle book opens with a couple of stories from the authors on how they knew they were struggling with sexual temptation.

Steve Arterburn tells the story about how he got into a car accident because he was watching a girl jogging...she was 200 hundred yards away! (But we all know that we can see that stuff from quite the distance.) The worst part was that he had to tell his wife about it. Like most of us, he made up a story. When we get wrapped up in sexual sin, our instinct is to cover it up...lie. Steve admits: "Actually, my young marriage was hurt - because I was cheating Sandy [his wife] out of my full devotion, though I didn't know it at the time. Nor was I aware that although I'd vowed to commit my life to Sandy, I hadn't totally committed my eyes to her. I continued in the darkness for another ten years before realizing I needed to make dramatic changes in the way I looked at women."

Fred Stoeker shares how he looked at pornography, had a penchant for sexual jokes, and had roving eyes; as he describes them: "[My eyes] were ravenous heat-seekers searching the horizon, locking on any target with sensual heat. Young mothers leaning over in shorts to pull children out of car seats. Soloist with silky shirts...."

Fred also connects his lust to his relationship with his father. He makes a connection between his sinful behavior and his perception that he was not worthy in his father's eyes. Interesting. Of course, our relationships affect us, especially close ones. But are the things that people do to us ultimately the causes of our behavior? Something to think about.

They both admit that God has delivered them. They end the chapter with this: "If there's even a hint of sexual immorality in your life, He will work with you as well."