The Life Foundations
Nexus
WHAT IS STRONGER
THAN SEX?
What is stronger than
sex? There are a number of places we
can look to answer this question? We
will start with the most unusual one, the concentration camps of Hitler Germany
during World War II. Medical studies
conducted after the concentration camps were liberated provide abundant
evidence of a very simple truth: as the
innocent victims of the Hitler madness progressed through various stages of
starvation, there was less and less sexual interest until there was no sexual
interest at all. Modern studies of
famine and starvation in Africa reveal the same simple truth.
The mechanism behind the
loss of sexual interest is this: God
has created human beings with INSTINCTS.
Here is Webster’s entry for the word “instinct” (don’t worry, right
after the definitions, we will be providing a simple explanation of what
instinct is):
in•stinct
\"in-'sting(k)t\ noun [ME, fr. L instinctus impulse, fr. instinguere to
incite; akin to L instigare to instigate] (15c)
1: a natural or inherent aptitude, impulse, or
capacity <had an instinct for the right word>
2a: a largely inheritable and unalterable
tendency of an organism to make a complex and specific response to
environmental stimuli without involving reason
b: behavior that is mediated by reactions below the conscious level
in•stinc•tu•al
\in-"sting(k)-che-wel, -chel, -shwel\ adjective
in•stinc•tu•al•ly adverb
To put it simply, an instinct
is “like a person that tries to force you do a certain thing.” For example, there is the instinct for food,
which moves you to hunt down something to eat and is accompanied by hunger. There is the instinct for breathable air,
which moves you to open a window when the air in a room is stuffy. There is the instinct for sleep, which is
accompanied by feelings of tiredness or exhaustion. There are many other instincts.
Of course, the instinct we are talking about here is the SEXUAL
INSTINCT.
Notice that an instinct
does NOT force you to do anything.
An instinct only TRIES to force you to do something. In other words, God has created us with
CONTROL over our instincts. HOWEVER,
in abnormal personalities instinct can have more power than it has in normal
people AND A NORMAL PERSON MIGHT HAVE A HARD TIME KEEPING A SPECIFIC
INSTINCT UNDER CONTROL.
There is something else
you should know about instincts. God
has given each instinct a certain amount of power. One instinct is more powerful than another. In a normal, mentally healthy person, the
instinct for survival, which moves you to get food and water and shelter, is
STRONGER than the instinct for sex, which moves you to procreate.
SO, THE ANSWER TO OUR
QUESTION “WHAT IS STRONGER THAN SEX?” IS THIS:
SURVIVAL IS STRONGER THAN SEX.
Now, how can we use this
knowledge in our daily lives? Well, for
one thing, studies have shown that people who are having a difficult time
refraining from improperly satisfying their sexual appetite (an appetite is a desire
that tells you that an instinct is at work)…these people…have an easier time
when they cut back on their food intake and so allow the survival instinct to
assert itself more. (Note that we are
not suggesting that you starve yourself in order to have an easier time
controlling your sexual impulses. In
fact, God in his wisdom has built in a “counterforce mechanism” that temporarily
INCREASES sexual interest once you begin to starve. The subject of “counterforce mechanisms” is a complex one, which
we shall discuss at another time.)
Probably the most
important thing we can tell you is that there are a number of PHYSICAL steps
you can take to eliminate EVIL sexual appetite. Please note that there are some who look for any excuse to twist
our words, so we must emphasize that WE DID NOT SAY THAT SEX WAS EVIL. WE SAID, “SEXUAL APPETITE CAN BE EVIL.” For example, if you experience sexual
appetite for another person’s wife or husband, THAT sexual appetite is
evil. (Note that the word “evil” means
“something that encourages you to sin.”
Evil is not itself sin.)
Now, for the meticulous
(detail-oriented) among us, WE EMPHASIZE THAT WE ARE ONLY TALKING ABOUT
ELIMINATING EVIL
SEXUAL APPETITE. There is much more
that needs to be said. For now, we
refer you to our two articles How
to Find a Husband and How
to Find a Wife. To the married, we
bring the following Scripture passage to your attention (1 Corinthians 7:3-5):
Let the husband render
unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the
husband. The wife hath not power of her
own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his
own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not
one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give
yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you
not for your incontinency.
Here is the same passage
from the InterClued KJV
Bible:
Let [there is no room for
debate here] the [a] husband render [give] unto [to] the [his] wife due
benevolence [the satisfaction of sexual appetite]: and likewise also the wife
[a wife must provide the satisfaction of the sexual appetite] unto [of] the
[her] husband. The wife hath [has] not
power [authority (but this is NOT an absolute lack of authority and authority
is NOT PHYSICAL CONTROL. Authority is
simply a right. A right is an
idea. A right is not an act. A right is not a physical act. Of course, a right may be demonstrated in an
act, including a physical act.)] of [over] her own body, but the husband [but
the husband has a degree of authority (see preceding clue) over her
body]: and likewise also the husband hath [has] not power [authority (see
earlier clue)] of (over) his own body, but the wife [but the wife has a
degree of authority (see earlier clue) over his body]. Defraud ye not [Do not cheat (out of
satisfaction of sexual appetite)] one the other [one another], except it be
with consent [except you agree to do so (that is, agree not to have sexual
relations)] for a time [temporarily], that ye [you] may give yourselves to
[devote yourselves to (do nothing other than to engage in)] fasting [abstaining
(refraining {holding oneself back}) from the satisfaction of ALL PHYSICAL
APPETITES (this is not simply refraining from eating and from sexual
relations)] and prayer; and come together again [and resume sexual relations
later], that Satan tempt you not [does not test (cause you pain {mentally and,
specifically, pain in the form of feelings of anxiety, guilt, and mental
anguish})] for [because of] your incontinency [lack of self-control (in trying
to totally suppress your normal, God-given sexual appetites)].