Title: What “Surfing for God” Taught Me About My Online Habits

By Dan Holmes

I didn’t expect such thought-provoking inner dialogue from a book with the word “pornography” in the subtitle.

But Surfing for God by Michael John Cusick is not just another book about addiction. It’s not a guilt-fueled diatribe or a list of practical steps to “stop looking at porn.” It’s a piercing exploration of the soul—of what we’re really looking for when we open that private browser tab, when we scroll, click, consume, and repeat.

Stephanie found this book for our month’s focus on the topic for us to prepare for interviews with the author. Cusick’s central idea is this: beneath the desire for porn, or for distraction, validation, or stimulation, is a desire for God. That we are not just giving in to lust or weakness. We are reaching for transcendence, for beauty, for connection. We are looking for God… in all the wrong places.

The book is deeply personal, drawing from Cusick’s own story of addiction and healing. He doesn't offer quick fixes. Instead, he invites readers to pay attention to their wounds, to uncover the shame that fuels their habits, and to start believing that real intimacy with God, with others, even with ourselves, is possible.

Here’s one line that made me stop and think:

“Your behavior is not random. It is a compass pointing you toward your deepest longings.”

That got me thinking: how much of my online behavior is a compass I’ve been ignoring? How often do I skim through social media, news, or even mindless YouTube videos, not because I’m bored,  but what else am I looking for? Surfing for God doesn’t demonize technology. But it does challenge me to ask: what am I surfing for?

There’s something deeply freeing about that question. Because it shifts the conversation from “stop doing bad things” to “what are you truly seeking?” And in that space, I’ve started to experience more grace. More clarity. More of God, not in the pixels, but in the pauses. In the letting go.

This book is not just for men “struggling with porn.” It’s for anyone who has ever clicked when they were hungry for more than just content. It’s for anyone who has felt empty after a binge of videos, apps, images, or even work. It’s for the wounded. The weary. The seekers.

In other words: it’s for all of us.

If you're interested in reading Surfing for God, I’d recommend carving out quiet time. Don't just read it for information. Let it read you.

And if you’ve read it, I’d love to hear what stuck with you. Feel free to reach out or drop a comment—real stories matter more than curated ones.

Want to read the book (here's an Amazon link - choose whatever seller you like though)? https://amzn.to/3IfuE7b

Michael John Cusick will be a guest on Just the Guys, August 13, 2025