The Triggered Pastor

     I knew one industry would benefit from the Coronavirus, the porn industry. When people are isolated,  antsy and anxious, they want an escape from the pain and stress of their reality, pastors included. Those in the ministry are my clientele. I work with them Monday through Friday. I've seen pastors scrambling these last couple of weeks trying to get their streaming services working because of social distancing. I've heard of some worried about finances. Several are anxious about caring for their congregation in these unprecedented times, and many are turning to porn. Trust me, I know how this works. I used to do the same thing. 
     Isolation, anxiety, fear, stress, etc. is going to mean an uptick in porn use. And after the experience, there's guilt, shame, despair, and more fear of being found out. It's no fun to feel those things, so why not retreat yet again to fantasy land, forget your troubles momentarily... you can see the cycle. 
     We use an acronym called HALTS to help identify triggers: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired, Sad, Stressed, Sick, Shame... (there are a lot of S's). If a client has relapsed, I'll ask "What were you feeling? What was your trigger?" I can imagine lots of pastors feeling angry, lonely, tired, sad, or stressed these days. And porn is there to comfort, to appease, but it also erodes integrity. It blocks authenticity. It betrays a marriage covenant. It hurts a spouse. It breaks God's laws and His heart, and mostly because a good father doesn't like to see his children struggling and enslaved in sin. 
     I am so thankful for the GOOD use of technology. Because of it, we are able to stay connected to those we help through Telehealth sessions. We are here for you. In 2019, we worked with over 100 pastors, spouses, family members and missionaries, supporting them, equipping them, encouraging them, and offering them hope.
     Pastor, are your triggers leading you to porn? It's time for your healing to begin. Give me a call in confidence at 408-890-6306 or email me at m2mmissions@gmail.com. Let's connect. I know you're scared, but authenticity and integrity feel way better than anything found in fantasy land. I'll be waiting.