Last updated on October 7, 2020
Question:
Is it wrong for me to get aroused by women’s shoes and to look upon women in yoga pants when I can’t help it?
Answer:
It isn’t true that you can’t help inappropriate behaviors. “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (I Corinthians 10:13). So the question is whether these things are inappropriate behaviors.
When you let an inanimate object arouse you, you remove the human element out of relationships. In extreme cases, some guys develop a fetish. See: What does the Bible say about having a fetish?
“But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Getting aroused when looking at women in tight clothing is also inappropriate, but here it may be more difficult to control. When you realize that you are being aroused by someone immodestly dressed, the proper response is to look elsewhere. “I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman?” (Job 31:1).