The Difference Between Desire and Will
Dallas Willard spoke at Biola on spiritual formation and pornography.
With pornography available at the click of a mouse and marketing campaigns surrounding sexual images, it is no wonder why most of the American population struggles with pornography.
The United States is the largest producer of adult films making it a $12 billion industry, $57 billion worldwide. The industry moved into mobile pornography, which became a $778 million industry this year in the United States.
At a Promise Keepers conference in 2006, the audience was polled and 53 percent of the men attending said they had consumed pornography within the previous week. Fifty-seven percent of pastors said pornography is the most sexually damaging issue in their congregations.
Before recently, most churches have not addresssed this topic.
Dallas Willard, a speaker, author and philosophy professor at University of Southern California, said the church is not about pornography.
“Churches aren’t about this. Until you establish discipleship in the church, they are going nowhere. Make disciples and change what we are about in church,” said Willard at the Spiritual Formation and Soul Care conference on Tuesday evening, Sept. 23, held at Biola University.
Apparently, the church is moving in that direction. Evangelical Free Fullerton began a marriage series that addresses pornography last Sunday. Many churches have begun specific Bible studies and recovery groups such as Rock Harbor church in Costa Mesa who has weekly meetings for men and women in sexual recovery and healing. Many churches such as Whittier Area Community Church, Mosaic church in Los Angeles, and Saddleback Church in Lake Forest have “celebrate recovery” groups for those struggling with different issues.
Pornography is not a new issue, however, it is easier to access than ever before and often sent to unassuming individuals in email or internet “pop-up” advertisements. Although, as Willard said, the church has not been about this, the church increasingly needs to be about assisting and loving those who are struggling with pornography.
At the lecture, the beginning of a six-week spiritual formation series, Willard discussed pornography and spiritual formation. Willard focused on how a person’s spiritual formation shapes them, including certain addictions such as pornography.
Willard explained the difference between will and desire. He emphasized that desire itself is a good thing, including sexual desire. Desire motivates people and makes people feel alive. The problem occurs when people become obsessed with sexual desire and their will becomes subordinate to their desire.
“We have to think deeply about the role of desire in human life, it is not bad itself, but if we allow it to control us, it will ruin us,” he said.
Willard created the acronym VIM for people’s spiritual formation and how it leads them to enslavement or lack thereof. VIM stands for vision, intention and means. One cannot be without the other. Willard said if one has the means to use pornography, that is not the problem alone. The problem also lies within the vision and intention to use it.
“These are not conditions that are just there, they come from your vision, intention and means. We employ them in the wrong way,” said Willard.
He touched on the differences between desire and love, accountability groups and the role of the Holy Spirit amongst a number of other topics jointed to breaking free from enslavement to sin. He said breaking free is about changing your entire vision on life.
“Sanctification is the process of easy living, the learning process is what changes you,” said Willard.
Willard spoke for approximately three hours including a question and answer time. To hear more of what he said, the entire lecture series can be pre-ordered through the Institute of Spiritual Formation at Biola. The series will continue through October 28, 2008 every Tuesday from 7 to 9:30 p.m. For a full list of speakers, click here.
Written by Jenna Bartlo, Media Relations Coordinator. Jenna can be reached at (562) 777-4061 or through email at jenna.l.bartlo@biola.edu