Lust is a bit different than something like gluttony. In gluttony you can just avoid the thing that is tempting you. In lust your dealing with people. If you avoid people, then you are not able to love them like we are called to do. So the above advice is very good, pray, fast, and avoid the near occasion of sin. If you want to decrease one of the capital sins, it is also needed to increase the corasponding virtue. So don’t isolate yourself, find as many people as you can to care about.
One of the problems with lust is that it makes an object out of someone. So by seeking others to care about well grounded in love, you will not see others so much as objects that’ll give you pleasure. One problem is that, and probably especailly as a male with our extra ability of detachement from the situation, is that it seems like we our fully capable of both – objectifying someone and look at another as a person. But as you increase your love of the other, you increase your ability to actually care for the other.
Working at a department store, I have no choice but to walk pass the intament appearal area. Now those women in those pictures look very tempting. But when you think about it, very few who ever will put on that stuff will look near as good. (For that matter few who wear the stuff in the mens area will look near as good as the ones in those pictures either.) Now just think, I’m sure you know tons of women and they are all very special and very much worthy of their own dignity. Just think of all the women here or your mother, sister, or daughter, how great they are regardless of how they look. Now maybe they are as good looking as those in those pictures, but after think of how much special they are with their own dignity, they too desearve not lust but for us to care about them. To a certain point, their good looks are not such a great blessing, because just imagain how many people will give them attention, but with lustful intentions.
So continue to pray, fast, confess and avoid near sin. Look to our Lord to give you the grace for you to open yourself up to a burning love for the other. Your surrender to the Lord is beatiful music to His ears. Then care for the other, male, female, young, old, children, elderly, lonely, friend-full
, sick, and healthy. If your in solidarity with others, you will suffer and care for them and not want to use them. Much easier advice to write than to say, but with little steps one can eventuall move great distances
