problem - I want to take a vow but i'm afraid of breaking it. Help please?

Question

"A vow is a deliberate and free promise made to God concerning a possible and better good which must be fulfilled by reason of the virtue of religion," A vow is an act of devotion in which the Christian dedicates himself to God or promises him some good work. By fulfilling his vows he renders to God what has been promised and consecrated to Him.

I have a problem. I want to take a vow of chastity in order to achieve purity of heart. but i can't let go of my human passions and sexual desires easily. I know when you make a vow, you bind yourself to your word, and god blesses you more for your efforts, and chastises you more for your sins against your vow.

But when I consider how vulnerable i am to my sexual fantasies, pervertedness, and how prevalent immorality and concupiscence is in society, the media etc, I am afraid. I like to break the rules sometimes and this is what i am afraid of. Yes i will have the saints to imitate in their zeal, but I know myself, and pray to hate sin.

In many circumstances, the Christian is called to make promises to God. Baptism and Confirmation, Matrimony and Holy Orders always entail promises. Out of personal devotion, the Christian may also promise to God this action, that prayer, this alms-giving, that pilgrimage, and so forth. Fidelity to promises made to God is a sign of the respect owed to the divine majesty and of love for a faithful God. - Catechism of the Catholic Church.

I want to give my sexuality to god. "blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see god"

Answer 1

Make your vow of chastity for one week. If you can do this, renew your vow for two weeks. If you can do this, renew it for a month. God honors any vow, long or short, if done for the right reasons. Unless you are studying for the priesthood, consider my suggestion.

Answer 2

this is the problem that faces most of christianity. It is why priests molest others and why so many sexual misconducts occur in people of very conservative sex views. Sex is natural, good, even holy. Nothing wrong with it. Just like everything in life, if you apply common sense, caution and be aware and ready for the possible outcomes, it is a wonderful NATURAL experience. When people try to make it into something that is in your own words 'perveted', you get into trouble. Why are you taking a vow of chastity when your hormones and your common sense tell you you may not be able to keep it? Doesn't it sound fool hardy and well, contrary to common sense? I don't think it is impossible for anyone to be celibate but if you are already saying to yourself and everyone that it is something you cannot commit to, then chances that you are going to pull it off are close to nil.

What kind of a god makes you, gives you your humanity, your tendencies and then asks you to restrain from using them so that he can bless you if you pass or punish you if you fail?

All i am saying is that a little common sense applied in your case would go a very long way

Answer 3

Christianity in of itself is a vow, a commitment, a dedication.

Christianity is an act of devotion, dedicating oneself to God, to live for God and not yourself. Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us we are saved by grace and faith, not works. Once saved, one must always strive for perfection (Matthew 5:48). Once saved, we need to do away with our sin and be made new (Galatians 2:20, 2 Corinthians 5:17) through obedience and commitment.
A vow should not be taken lightly, but it should be taken everyday. Constantly pray and live for the Holy One!


PS:
Through out the epistles, all Christians are called saints.
I would rather imitate Christ, the Son of God, rather than sons of men

Answer 4

A vow of chastity will not produce in you a pure heart.

It is God who replaces the heart of stone with a heart of flesh; it is God who places His Spirit in the Christian to perform this; it is God who puts His "law" within the Christian which IS his Spirit as the guiding light to the Christian.

Jesus said:

Matthew 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

This is an oath -- a vow.

You set yourself up for condemnation when you make a vow, especially one that you cannot perform regarding creating in yourself a "pure heart."

God created sex, and a proper use of sex. Try working within what God has ordained instead of trying to work outside what God has ordained. The union of a man and a wife in marriage is a reflection of the relationship between Christ and Christians. Do you really want to find yourself working against the will of God while deceiving yourself into thinking you are performing a vow counter to his will?

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Answer 5

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 states, "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay."

This is very plain. I think most everyone can understand it. Say you have made a resolution to read the entire Bible next year-but by February, you have fallen behind three or four chapters, and by March, you have just put it aside "for another year." "I can do that next year," or, "I really just don't have the time." Well, perhaps at the time you made the resolution, you prayed to God for help in attaining your goal for the year, making a vow to God to do it. God warns us about such foolishness.

Deuteronomy 23:23 states, "That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth."

What we promise, if it is not wicked or impracticable, we should be very careful to do: it is better not to promise, than to promise and not perform.

No vows or resolutions needed, as we trust God to supply our needs.

Answer 6

If you don't think you can keep a vow then don't take one.

But there's nothing wrong with sexuality. We all have sexual fantasies and urges, God made us this way. You remember hearing as a kid "God made dirt and dirt don't hurt?" The same applies for this in my opinion. As long as your sexuality isn't hurting or humiliating anyone, what's the problem?

Answer 7

God gave us sexual desires and there is nothing wrong with fulfilling them within God's guidelines.
Some people have the gift of singleness, but most of us don't. Just be pure, avoid anything that will tempt you, and pray for God to send you a Godly wife. Then, you can have all the sex you want! :)

Answer 8

It is not good to make vows to God..
Better not to make the vow, than make it and break it..
Besides God doesn't need you to do that, it is more of a human concept to make vows, (in the New Testament)

Answer 9

you take the vow, don't put your self in any situation that would make you want to break that vow, you know rihgt form wrong, you know when your doing something your not suppose to be doing so stop! not always easy to do but is well worth it. keep your faith in God, i'm sure that you will go through tests of faith and many temptations, just remember temptations are not from God!

Answer 10

Sounds to me like you've been around to many fundamentalists and you are fixing to mess up your life.
You are human, human passions are normal and not sinful. You can do more good works by living your life among the rest of us mortals. Think carefully.