Christian masturbation woman

I was in elementary school—just a child—when I began masturbating. By junior high, I had added pornography to the mix. In high school, I was deeply engrossed in sexual addiction. Those were dark days for me. I wasn't a Christian, but even then, I knew I was in bondage to something dark. I was controlled by a lust I couldn't find freedom from, no matter how hard I tried to free myself from its grips.

It's refreshing to finally hear women talking about female masturbation. Given the social stigma around the topic, it can be difficult just to bring it up. Unfortunately, too often the conversation doesn't overcome the unhelpful stereotypes about the female sex drive…or lack thereof. Time and time again, Christian leaders explain that women masturbate because they want to "fill a void" or have "attachment issues. When men talk about masturbation or at least what I have heard and read , everyone pretty much settles on the basics: It's hard to practice self-control. It's hard to resist indulging in lust.

Because my job is to talk to women about sex, there are few questions that I haven't heard and haven't answered. However, there is one common question that I don't like to answer. It involves the "M" word—masturbation. One of the reasons I dread this question is because there is no clear answer.

What does it take to begin a relationship with God? Do you need to devote yourself to unselfish religious deeds? Must you become a better person so that God will accept you?