When does tempation become sin

[catholic235]

I have been trying to stop mastrubating this week and I haven’t given in yet today I found myslef thinking about doing it and how good it would feel but I said no I am not giving into sin.
Did I sin by thinking about it or what. Any advice to keep my mind off the temptation have been in this habbit for 12 years and want to stop

 

[dshix]

I have been trying to stop mastrubating this week and I haven’t given in yet today I found myslef thinking about doing it and how good it would feel but I said no I am not giving into sin.
Did I sin by thinking about it or what. Any advice to keep my mind off the temptation have been in this habbit for 12 years and want to stop

Good for you to be fighting this addiction. Keep it up! Pray for the intercession of Mary and the saints to help you through this.

In answer to your question, temptation becomes sin when you say, “Yes.” So, the moment you decide you are going to masturbate, and then do it, you have sinned. You said that you thought about it, and were tempted, but said no; this was not a sin, and your soul actually gained something from fighting off the temptation.

Stay strong. Keep yourself occupied, so as to avoid letting yourself slide into sin again. Try not to be alone for long periods of time if it possible to be with others. But most of all, PRAY.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

God bless you for seeking to overcome this temptation when you are young. Speaking as someone who is undergoing the same effort, I urge you to persist, because it only becomes more difficult the older you get and the longer you give in to this sin. I will pray for your success young friend, and ask that you do the same for me.

 

[Mary_Ellen]

Temptation itself can be a sin when you enjoy the temptation, savor it, anticipate it. When you willingly linger over temptation you place yourself in the near occasion of sin. This is not the same as a sustained fight against the temptation. The first is a restful seduction, the second a tiring battle.