I dont want to break my promise to God regarding smoking; I really do want to quit. But is there a way i can 'undo' this oath I made to God?
2007-02-21 05:47:59 · 32 answers · asked by cpoppa112 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
The first thing you need to understand is that God knows you are human. Smoking is very hard to stop doing, and being that you are not perfect, it is something you will keep struggling with. The important part is that you are trying to stop smoking. I reading the Bible I came to realize that to God our lives are not about end results, but instead it's about the struggle to do what is good.
Our lives are faced by countless trials. Do you really think God would hold it against you if you didn't get everything right? As Jesus said many times "repent and you shall be forgiven." He never once said "repent and don't screw up again or else..." Simply by reaching out to fellow Christians God can tell you are trying to do what is right, and that you do care about your problem.
I don't think anyone needs to answer the second question. You cannot hit the backspace button on an oath to God or even another person. To dishonor yourself by retracting an oath so you can continue to do what is, in your mind, wrong is ludicrous.
Put yourself in God's position. You have a kid, he started smoking, he agrees to quit, but then he takes it back. How hurtful would that be to you? You might feel betrayed. God cares for us in a completely different light. He values our lives more then we can possible fathom.
Don't give up on quitting smoking or anything else. Remember it's the journey that matters, not the destination.
The best advice I can give is rely on your Christian friends to help you. It is far from shameful to get help, and I bet your friends can give you more encouragement then you truly know.
2007-02-21 06:02:15 · answer #1 · answered by N 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I believe that God is a God of Forgiveness. But next time you intend to take an oath think seriously about it.
Now for the smoking. If you really want to quit, ask the Lord to strenghthen you by the Holy Spirit so that you can separate yourself from this habit. Ask Him to give you a strong but positive motivation to do so as well.
I did and I haven't had a smoke since Sept 1978. You never know what true freedom and peace is until you experience it over a long period of time.
Just one thing that help me, you're not going to stop breathing, just smoking. Once you get past the 3rd day its all down hill. But once you've been smoke free for a while don't make the stupid mistake of noticing some new or foreign brand of cigs and say, well I never had one of those I think I'll just try a couple of drags off one of those. Cause if you do, it can send you right back to 711 for another carton.
I Cr 13;8a
2007-02-21 05:56:42 · answer #2 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You undid the oath when you broke it. The Bible says it is better not to make an oath than it is to make one and break it. For this reason, I try to refrain from making oaths to God. But let's face it, God knew you were going to break the oath before it ever left your lips. He's omnipotent and knows our sins before we do. We surprise ourselves by some of the things we do, but we never surprise Him. He knew we were going to do it and loves us anyway. Ask for His forgiveness and for His help in the future as you deal with this problem. He has promised that He will not allow us to be tempted without giving us a way out to avoid the temptation. Start looking for the way out. When you feel that you can't go without a cigarette, look for how He is helping. It may be by the store not having your brand, or you don't have the money for it, or someone will offer you a stick of gum at just the right moment. He is there to help; look for Him.
2007-02-21 05:56:30 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Sure, an argument can be made that God doesn't want you to smoke. Wouldn't it be easier and take the pressure off if you simply decided to quit smoking for yourself?
Is it wrong for you to want to quit smoking just because its healthier? I think a part of your inability to quit comes from the pressure that you are putting on yourself by making it a matter of an "oath with God"
Jesus said to be careful about the commitments you make, and warned of making oaths at all. Why not ask God to forgive you for making a commitment you weren't ready to keep, and then make a fresh start of trying to quit for your own reasons, and then pray and ask God to help you quit- because YOU want to.
2007-02-21 05:56:08 · answer #4 · answered by johntindale 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Never promise God anything because as a human we have a hard time following through completely. Just tell God you are going to work at your best to quit smoking. Smoking is one of the hardest habits to break. I know because i have tried to quit and felt horrible when I couldnt and I am going to give it a try in two months before my husband gets back from Iraq. Just keep at it and do not make your self feel guilty.
2007-02-21 05:51:43 · answer #5 · answered by daisy322_98 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you already made the oath and broke it. Learn from this lesson and do not make rash oaths. As far as smoking just keep on trying and reaching out to God for help. God knows that we are human, that we make mistakes, and that we are weak. Don't get dicouraged God is still perfecting you. Take solice in the fact that none of us will be perfect until we see Jesus.
2007-02-21 05:52:46 · answer #6 · answered by David S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not a Christian but I am an ex-smoker.
1. Quitting is really hard. It was the hardest thing I have done.
2. Don't beat yourself up for slipping. Most of us have quit dozens of times before it sticks.
3. Guilt will not making quiting easier. In fact the energy you consume with guilt will make quitting harder.
4. Set yourself a new quit date. Make a plan. Get help on board. Talk to your doctor. Try again.
If your god cares at all about you then it will understand what you are up against. You don't need a lot of head trips. They won't help.
2007-02-21 05:59:42 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think God understands your difficulty. However, I don't think he wants you to give up. I've had few friends who've quit, and they say the only way it is possible is to do it cold turkey. But they did several other things: they used cinnamon mouth wash every day (I don't know why---maybe to get the taste out of their mouth and keep it out?), stayed away from anywhere where cigarette smoke can be smelled, chewed a powerful gum all of the time, and put motivational messages (or simply ones that say DON'T DO IT!) in places they frequently look when they think about smoking so they will not smoke. Lets see--I can't think of any other tricks they told me. I know it's hard, but it's been done by people who have had just as difficult a time as you. Just don't give up.
2007-02-21 05:57:15 · answer #8 · answered by Laurel W 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dude, God's not about condemnation. Even if you did make an "oath" to God, He knows that we can't do things on our own. That's why He gave us His Spirit and a little thing called Grace. He sees what's going on. It's a matter of the heart and not something that you can do on your own strength. Instead of being scared about Him getting mad at you for breaking your promise....ask Him to help you. I believe you'll have more peace that way.
2007-02-21 05:52:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
You can't undo an oath to God, but He will forgive you, all you have to do is ask Him....keep praying that He will help you to stop smoking...
2007-02-21 05:53:34 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋