This week’s author interview is with Deepak Reju. He is the editor of our new 31-Day Devotionals for Life series and is the author of one of them — Pornography: Fighting for Purity.

31DD_series_smaller Reju, Deepak

  • Question #1—Tell us a little bit about yourself

I’m a pastor for a 1000 person Baptist church, located five blocks behind the U.S. Supreme Court and Capitol buildings. It’s a cool place to live, though I miss trees and rivers from time to time.  I’ve been a part of the church since 1991, and have been on staff as a pastor since 2007.  We’re mostly a young congregation, dominated by 20 and 30-year-olds (average age is 29).

At work, I spend much of my time walking alongside church members who are struggling—depression, difficult marital situations, porn struggles, suicidal thinking, anger at God, etc.

Sundays are a rich feast for my soul—we get fed well with a meaty sermon every week. People sing loud and vibrantly, as if they were worshipping a real God. I often feel like a fat man spiritually because I’ve been so well fed for years.

I am married to Sarah, who keeps me sane and keeps our whole family afloat.  We’ve got five kids. Our boys are obsessed with cars, and our girls are obsessed with anything but cars.

On Saturdays, I play board games with my kids.  It’s a normal past time for us. You might even call me a pseudo-gamer.

And I love to eat. Some call me a foodie. I drive a decent distance (if necessary) to get a spectacular meal. My wife kindly puts up with this (and many of my other quirks).

 

  • Question #2—What inspired you to write a 31-day devotional about pornography?

I want strugglers to turn back to God’s Word. I’ve run into quite a few porn strugglers, especially in the height of their struggle, who are not in the Word. Their sin overtakes their life such that their heart is cold to the truth. Or maybe they’ve been lazy and are just out of the habit. Whatever their reason, this 31-day devotional is meant to give a little bit of Scripture each day.

Early in our marriage, my wife and I lived on the top floor of a townhouse, in a small one-bedroom apartment. Whenever it rained, leaks in the roof would drip through the ceiling and onto our floors. I remember placing buckets in different parts of the apartment and watching the water slowly drip, one drop at a time. I put large buckets out and thought, It’ll take a while to fill them.The water built up over time, and often I was surprised how quickly those buckets filled up, overflowing if I didn’t pay close enough attention.

This devotional is just like rain filling up a bucket. It’s slow and it builds over time. Just a few verses every day. Drip. Drip. Drip. Just a few drops of Scripture daily to satiate your parched soul.

 

  • Question #3—What book are you reading now?

In addition to my Bible, typically I’m reading a book in three categories (theology or counseling; parenting; fiction).

  • My Bible – right now I’m reading through the gospels.
  • Theology / counseling: J.D. Crowley and Andy Naselli’s Conscience: What It is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ.
  • Parenting: Paul Tripp’s Age of Opportunity
  • Fiction: Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere

 

  • Question #4—What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Be willing to kill your darlings.

Edit everything you write with a red pen—i.e., be willing to cut wasted words.

Rewrite, then rewrite, then rewrite again.

Commas and semicolons can be your friends.

 

  • Question #5—Favorite food?

So long as it is not alive and staring back at me, I’ll eat Italian, Chinese or Indian food as favorites. Though, admittedly, I have a growing addiction to Chick-Fil-A.

 

  • Question #6—Favorite flavor of ice cream?

I’m medically not allowed to have chocolate. After the doctor told me this in 2012, I found out there are things to enjoy aside from chocolate. I discovered Butter Pecan. WHAT-A-GREAT-DISCOVERY.

 

  • Question #7—Favorite animal?

Dogs. Smart. Friendly (depending on the breed). Loyal, even protective. Loveable. Good company, especially whenever everyone else is gone. Need I say more?

 

  • Question #8—What famous person (living or dead) would you like to meet and why?

Biblical characters – Joseph or Paul. They lived through suffering and difficulties, and proved faithful.

Presidents – Teddy Roosevelt. Such an interesting, larger-than-life personality. Or Abraham Lincoln, for his willingness to persevere and do the right thing.

How can readers discover more about you and your work?

 

Related posts:

  1. Daily Excerpt taken from Pornography: Fighting for Purity by Deepak Reju
  2. Author Interview with Brandon Crowe
  3. Author Interview with Scott Christensen
  4. Author Interview with Dan Barber
  5. Author Interview with Richard P. Belcher Jr.