So I tried posting this over in the OCD section but no one is responding to me over there so I thought I'd come here. Does anyone else struggle with feeling like God demands you give things up? I've struggled with this most of my life, especially when it comes to my music (even Christian music,) feeling like I love it too much and God is demanding that I give it up. Not just put it aside for awhile, but totally and completely give it up and nothing else will do. If I refuse, God will not bless me and I will be stalled in my spiritual life. The difficulty is that it often seems to be accompanied by the same sorts of feelings/sensations as the experience of my OCD and they seem to feed into each other. So I wonder if it's really God asking something of me or if it's just the demands of my OCD. Anyone else experience anything like this?
God's demands and music
- Thread starter Ghackman
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baptizatus sum
"The living God...giveth us richly all things to enjoy" (1 Timothy 6:17). It's enough to give up things that God specifically forbids or that clearly lead you to sin. To make up your own rules in addition to what God has commanded is a kind of legalism and cheap pseudo-holiness. It is easier to stop listening to music, for example, than to practice unselfish living.
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Goodbook
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If it has become an idol then yes, God will say give it up.
I dont struggle with OCD however, God has told me to give up certain things that are not honoring Him.
What type of music do you listen to..?
I dont struggle with OCD however, God has told me to give up certain things that are not honoring Him.
What type of music do you listen to..?
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Thanks for the replies. I think for me the issue has been in terms of Hebrews 12:1, which came to mind a week ago when my current round of struggles began. It isn't necessarily sinful, but it is a "weight," that perhaps should be laid aside, especially because it consumes so much time and energy. I've actually gotten rid of more or less my entire music collection 3 times previously for this reason, but I always seem to build it back up again. I seem to have trouble not going to extremes one way or the other.
I primarily listen to ambient/electronic/instrumental music, some singer-songwriter and also some random Christian music, especially old Christian rock/alternative music.
I primarily listen to ambient/electronic/instrumental music, some singer-songwriter and also some random Christian music, especially old Christian rock/alternative music.
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Ghackman - in Proverbs it says that in a multitude of counselors there is wisdom.
You wrote: "... it often seems to be accompanied by the same sorts of feelings/sensations as the experience of my OCD and they seem to feed into each other." That to me makes it very suspect. I would suggest that you select a "mentor" from the leadership of your congregation, someone with proper discernment who can guide you thru these episodes, helping you to figure out if it is actually is God speaking or if it is the OCD. My guess is that it is USUALLY the OCD. But it would be good to learn the difference for those times when it is NOT the OCD.
You wrote: "... it often seems to be accompanied by the same sorts of feelings/sensations as the experience of my OCD and they seem to feed into each other." That to me makes it very suspect. I would suggest that you select a "mentor" from the leadership of your congregation, someone with proper discernment who can guide you thru these episodes, helping you to figure out if it is actually is God speaking or if it is the OCD. My guess is that it is USUALLY the OCD. But it would be good to learn the difference for those times when it is NOT the OCD.
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SOMM
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What I do know, that I think would be helpful to you, is that God is always about relationship. I think he is always drawing us into deeper relationship with him. I often find that God will continue to show me something I need to work on if I'm not getting it the first time or the second time or the third, etc. But it is so important that we all understand God convicts us of things and does not condemn us. Condemnation would say "you're terrible because you keep struggling with this thing. God will never love you because you can't control it. You have to stop everything you love to do because God doesn't like it." Conviction says "this is wrong. You need to stop. God has given a way to make it right (through Jesus and the cross)."
I would encourage you to make sure that you are spending time with God every day - reading the bible, praying, being relational with God. As we get to know God more we start to understand more of how He operates. We begin to understand more closely what His voice sounds like.
I also agree with DaveW above who has suggested that you find a mentor.
Its kind of funny, 'cause I can on here today thinking of posting a thread with the question: "what does God require of us as musicians?" I think I will do that now.
I would encourage you to make sure that you are spending time with God every day - reading the bible, praying, being relational with God. As we get to know God more we start to understand more of how He operates. We begin to understand more closely what His voice sounds like.
I also agree with DaveW above who has suggested that you find a mentor.
Its kind of funny, 'cause I can on here today thinking of posting a thread with the question: "what does God require of us as musicians?" I think I will do that now.
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For what it is worth, I have had to cull a few songs from my collection for those very reasons. God was, and still is, calling me to be more like Him. I think DaveW has a very good suggestion. In the mean time spend some time considering each song and its lyrics perhaps rather than getting rid of all songs. Music lodges deep in the soul. Hope this helps.
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Hi,
Yes totally. I have experienced all that you are talking about, including OCD light.
Yet, when I give up what God wants me to give up, I do get closer to Him eventually. Nothing that I have had God force me to give up, has not been good, for my relationship with God, even if it took me years to stop complaining about that, before I realized that yes, I was being blessed by God, in Him causing a desire of mine, to never be realized.
Yes.
Yes, they can seem similar, but know this in my life. God can use OCD light, to cause one to get closer to Him.
In my case, I cannot say that it was God or OCD light that God used, but I am close to God now. I am also old, and that makes a difference maybe, as God has had the time to encourage me to remove one thing after another, until He is all that is left, for me to desire. But, That book called The Bible, and That organization called a church, helped also for me to get closer to God.
But, yes, many times, I have asked myself. Is it OCD light, or is it God? I would say, letting go of the source and going for it, may in fact let you know the answer to that.
I live in a hermitage/ermitage now. It is an at home one. So, much including health has God removed from me and even people, that eventually I did not want anything but Him, and that resulted in me becoming very close to Him, but He chose, He directed, I did not. And, I did fight and not want to give up, many things, but still God won, and I won when He won. It just took me awhile to realize that.
I hope that helps. Oh, by the way. For me OCD, is merely me secretly punishing myself, for something, that I do. I forget why now. Oh. It is because I am my own parent, and have been since my youth. It is sort of like enforcing my discipline over myself, even though I am told it is genetic. The problem is, I am still my own parent, so I suppose OCD light will always be a part of me, but it is a part of me that your God and mine, uses well for His purposes.
LOVE,
...Mary Katie., .... .
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SwordmanJr
Double-edged Sword only
You got that right. Quite a number of people have told me that this composition of mine stuck in their minds for some time:
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SwordmanJr
Double-edged Sword only
It was a pleasant surprise for others to tell me that music sometimes paints a portrait in their thoughts, especially when it's powerful and flowing with substance. I composed and performed this one with that in mind:
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Hi,
To say that music cannot be used to indicate the presence of God or not, to musicians is not correct according to my neighbor who teaches music in college in this college town I live in.
Being a scientist really, I always suspected that information is really repeated about God but in each field, and to only those experienced in those fields.
Philosophically or Poetically that might be said this way. God exists. He talks to each person as that person is. Thus musicians can know Him by seeing the effects of God on music. Scientists can know Him by seeing the effects of God is science.
I one day, after I recently proved that Liberal Arts, writing majors, really use the Scientific method in their work, but don't know it by those words, decided to take on my music neighbor, to see if the same parallels are to be found in music. They are.
What I was surprised at, is his proving to a class he was teaching in college, how the music made for God, demonstrated the probable existence of God, as the music is just so different, but also so amazing. I forget which classics he used, as I am not a musician, nor do I usually know or like music. But, I also have a severe high frequency hearing loss, and as that has gotten worse so has my lack of enjoyment of music, so there seems to be a clear connectin between music, and my ability to hear that music correctly, with the enjoyment or like of music.
I used to love Mozart totally at one time. A few hearing losses later, and no longer did it fill me, from the tips of my toenails, to the ends of each hair on my head, and every place else in between taking me to the solace and comfort of fantasy land.
Yet, I am suggesting that listening to Religious music, that for and of God, will never be a stumbling block, with anyone's Spiritual Journey with and to God.
LOVE,
...Mary Katerina., .... .
To say that music cannot be used to indicate the presence of God or not, to musicians is not correct according to my neighbor who teaches music in college in this college town I live in.
Being a scientist really, I always suspected that information is really repeated about God but in each field, and to only those experienced in those fields.
Philosophically or Poetically that might be said this way. God exists. He talks to each person as that person is. Thus musicians can know Him by seeing the effects of God on music. Scientists can know Him by seeing the effects of God is science.
I one day, after I recently proved that Liberal Arts, writing majors, really use the Scientific method in their work, but don't know it by those words, decided to take on my music neighbor, to see if the same parallels are to be found in music. They are.
What I was surprised at, is his proving to a class he was teaching in college, how the music made for God, demonstrated the probable existence of God, as the music is just so different, but also so amazing. I forget which classics he used, as I am not a musician, nor do I usually know or like music. But, I also have a severe high frequency hearing loss, and as that has gotten worse so has my lack of enjoyment of music, so there seems to be a clear connectin between music, and my ability to hear that music correctly, with the enjoyment or like of music.
I used to love Mozart totally at one time. A few hearing losses later, and no longer did it fill me, from the tips of my toenails, to the ends of each hair on my head, and every place else in between taking me to the solace and comfort of fantasy land.
Yet, I am suggesting that listening to Religious music, that for and of God, will never be a stumbling block, with anyone's Spiritual Journey with and to God.
LOVE,
...Mary Katerina., .... .
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Hi,
Music or songs, can also be a prayer or a worship, which is love, to God and for God. It can also be music for music's sake even in a church, and even when it is a religious song. Let me explain.
An ingredient in food is love. An thing is music is love.
One day, and I am not musician, I am staff by virtue of my neigbor wanting me to help him wtih a distant summer camp for musicians of grade school to high school age children.
All of the staff members who teach, are musicians.
One day, I am trying to stay out of the way. A teacher approaches a piano and struggles with a boogy wookie piece on the piano. It is wonderful when he is getting it right and it is rather discomforting when he gets it wrong. I recorded his work. He did not see me doing that.
I walked up to him and started teaching. "When you play that piece. I want you to play it to the person you love the most, in the whole universe. It can be your mother. It can be your girlfriend. It can be to God. Do it too who you love the most. Play it to that person only."
I walked off and away. He had no idea who I was. He started to play. He still struggled with the piece. He finished. I walked up to him again.
I recorded you. I recorded you before I talked to you. I recorded you after I talked to you. (He did not know that.)
"Listen to this." He was stunned at how the piece even when he stumbled with it, was beautiful to the listener, who was him now. But it was also me.
Just a thought. Music can be played to God, and it can be played to yourself, and it can be played to an audience, and it can be played to the one you love the most, in the entire universe.
LOVE,
...Mary Katie., .... .
Music or songs, can also be a prayer or a worship, which is love, to God and for God. It can also be music for music's sake even in a church, and even when it is a religious song. Let me explain.
An ingredient in food is love. An thing is music is love.
One day, and I am not musician, I am staff by virtue of my neigbor wanting me to help him wtih a distant summer camp for musicians of grade school to high school age children.
All of the staff members who teach, are musicians.
One day, I am trying to stay out of the way. A teacher approaches a piano and struggles with a boogy wookie piece on the piano. It is wonderful when he is getting it right and it is rather discomforting when he gets it wrong. I recorded his work. He did not see me doing that.
I walked up to him and started teaching. "When you play that piece. I want you to play it to the person you love the most, in the whole universe. It can be your mother. It can be your girlfriend. It can be to God. Do it too who you love the most. Play it to that person only."
I walked off and away. He had no idea who I was. He started to play. He still struggled with the piece. He finished. I walked up to him again.
I recorded you. I recorded you before I talked to you. I recorded you after I talked to you. (He did not know that.)
"Listen to this." He was stunned at how the piece even when he stumbled with it, was beautiful to the listener, who was him now. But it was also me.
Just a thought. Music can be played to God, and it can be played to yourself, and it can be played to an audience, and it can be played to the one you love the most, in the entire universe.
LOVE,
...Mary Katie., .... .
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