Men. Intelligent.™

 

Challenge #16

Don’t start before completing Challenge #15.
If you want to join the IntelliMen Project, start from Challenge #1.

 

Challenge: Make a pact with your eyes and promise not to lust after women.

Explanation: Ok, perhaps this is the hardest challenge yet. Much harder than Challenge #11 — two times harder. The issue is that men’s eyes are drawn to women, especially young and beautiful women. But that’s not the problem. There are good reasons for God creating us this way. Men might never pursue women if they were not attracted to them, and that would mean no marriage and no children. The human race would be doomed to extinction. So, this attraction has a natural reason for existing. The problem lies in the lack of self control and discipline.

When a man looks at a woman who is not his wife, with desire or lust, he make life more complicated for himself:

• His attention is distracted from more important activities (drivers can confirm this)
• He gives in to impure thoughts
• He begins to view women as mere objects of pleasure
• He shows disrespect for that woman
• He triggers jealousy in his wife or girlfriend
• He is a bad example to his children and to those who look up to him
• He triggers bad habits like masturbation and pornography

This problem is so serious that the Lord Jesus himself saw the need to address it directly:

But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.   Matthew 5:28 (NLT)

But even before Jesus said this, Job, who had a wife and daughters, determined the following solution to overcome this problem:

I made a covenant with my eyes not to let them lust after any girl.   Job 31:1 (CJB version)

As you can see this problem is ancient. Note that in that age women were covered from head to toe in tunics which practically covered everything. The way that women dress now-a-days makes it almost impossible not to look. (If any women are reading this – yes, I know there are women spying on our tasks… lol, no worries, you may continue – if possible cooperate and don’t make things worst for poor Christian men… Do your best to dress discreetly. This is just a request.)

“Almost impossible” doesn’t mean impossible. You can train your eyes to look away, like when a ball hits the goal post and bounces back. A goal is almost scored, but the ball bounces off the metal post. In other words, you may notice that you have looked at a woman, but as soon as you realize it, look at something else. It requires a certain amount of practice, but it works.

So, this is your task for this week. Can you do it? For at least a week? Make a pact!

Notebook: Jot down the verses above in your notebook. Also read Genesis chapter 39 in your Bible, and take notes of what you read.

Official Partner: Speak to your partner about this task, man to man. Talk about this problem and how you both have been dealing with it.

Deadline: You may begin this task immediately. Complete it in a week and then start Challenge #17.

Post: After – and only after – you have completed the challenge, post your comments – on the IntelliMenWorld Facebook or Twitter page, (not on your own page) and write the following:

IntelliMen Challenge #16 done: This experience was… (Add your thoughts and conclusions taken from this challenge.)

Links:
www.facebook.com/IntelliMenWorld
www.twitter.com/intellimenworld (when tweeting, use @intelliMenworld)

 

Verification checklist

☐ I made a pact with my eyes: I will not look at or lust after women
☐ I read Genesis 37 and added my thoughts to my Notebook
☐ I spoke to my partner about the challenge
☐ I posted my comments on Facebook/Twitter