"Things I used to do..."

[ProseChild]

Hi everyone,


What things have you stopped doing, since you've become a Christian? I don't mean explicitly sinful things like fornication or greed...


I was talking with an old friend the other day, and he asked me to go to a club with him. I told him that I don't do those "types of things" anymore... so of course he asked what types of things, and why.. I had a few things to tell him right then, but being that I'm still new in my faith, I couldn't really tell him the why of it.


-going to clubs
-stop cursing (still trying on this one)
-listening to explicit/sexual music


While I admit that I still drink - I may have one drink every month or so. I was never a heavy drinker and I don't see my consumption as a hindrance or being an overindulgence..


What have you given up as you move closer to the Lord?? What things do you consider borderline sinful, that you no longer engage in?

 

[VivDaGurl]

Hi everyone,


What things have you stopped doing, since you've become a Christian? I don't mean explicitly sinful things like fornication or greed...


I was talking with an old friend the other day, and he asked me to go to a club with him. I told him that I don't do those "types of things" anymore... so of course he asked what types of things, and why.. I had a few things to tell him right then, but being that I'm still new in my faith, I couldn't really tell him the why of it.


-going to clubs
-stop cursing (still trying on this one)
-listening to explicit/sexual music


While I admit that I still drink - I may have one drink every month or so. I was never a heavy drinker and I don't see my consumption as a hindrance or being an overindulgence..


What have you given up as you move closer to the Lord?? What things do you consider borderline sinful, that you no longer engage in?

Hi there ProseChild,

Wow...this thread is really nice...a good thread for testimony.

When I first became a Christian, the most obvious change in me that I can see is that I started to build a better relationship with my family (I don't have a good relationship with any of my family members). Unfortunately, I began to sway away from God until I came back to God.

I used to hear that when you are close to God, you will tend not to do what He doesn't like and you will begin to dislike things He dislike as well - sin. I never knew what it meant and I thought that's what holy people does and they've missed a lot of wonderful things in life.

Today, I truly understood what it meant and I can also see that in my life. Going to pubs/clubs for some drinks (sometimes till I'm drunk) meant nothing to me and it's just that I'm enjoying my life, seeing things of what's happening these days but now, I just dislike it very much. Sometimes, I visit pubs/clubs just for some stupid shows and so on. I used to really love them very much.

Another area I discovered that has changed is that, I used to like watching phonorgraphy but today, when I saw some scenes, I'll walk away. Of course, there are many other things.

 

[BlessedVegan]

I think the question should be..what are we TRYING to stop doing! At least for me, Ii'm having a difficult time being succesful. What I'm currently working on is cutting out my negative thoughts..I tend to think mean, negative things alot. I also take the Lord's name in vain alot. I've been doing better but I'm certainly not perfect, and I'm having my bad days. Like today..I swear every other word that slipped out of my mouth was taking the Lord's name in vain!
I have completly stopped having sex since becoming a Christian..which kinda sucks but I know its' for a good reason.

 

[ProseChild]

I have completly stopped having sex since becoming a Christian..which kinda sucks but I know its' for a good reason.

I have too.. I used to want sex all the time, but now I rarely think about it. That one deserves an !

 

[angel-of-archs]

..........i was the worst curser ever,i was a blasphemer,i didnt honor my mother,i used to be ashamed of God, i used to always touch girls butts,oh, i dont wanna continue.......!

 

[Etienne]

-stopped swearing
-stopped listening/watching to anything regarding sexual stuff
- i just gernerally became a nice and more sincere person

 

[BlessedVegan]

Well unfortunatly the desire hasn't stopped..but it's mroe that I want the closeness my boyfriend and I used to share and now don't. It's not so much the sex but everything that went along with it. Oh well.

 

[newlite]

i dont really know. i never swore or anything. i didnt some stuff but im still trying to stop and its hard. i didnt really kinda change. excect i believe in god. as for trying to be a better christain im still trying...life always seems to go back. i actually swear more now and do other stuff. im trying to stop but when your drowing in it in school and by tv and stuff its hard to take a breath...you cant excape it...

 

[12volt_man]

I didn't really do anything that I would have to stop when I became a Christian.

I used to drink quite a bit and smoke a lot of pot but I was already stopping those things when I became a Christian.

I think the one thing I do now that I didn't do then that really makes me glad is that I think I have much better relationships with those around me now. I always got along well with others but when I became a Christian, I think I started to care for people on appreciate them on a different level than I did before.

 

[LiberatedChick]

I've stopped swearing.
I've stopped using the Lords name as an expression of frustration or disbelief.
I've stopped wanting to read tarot cards, runes etc.
I've stopped binge drinking.

 

[ANN2626]

i have stopped many things...
cursing, taking the lord name in vain
binge drinking
drugs
worrying so much
being scared of everything

i have been closer to my family since, esp since i have been going to bible study with my mother every week.

i am having a HARD time quitting smoking. its so hard. i try everyday but i just get so mean. also with sex, doesnt happen all the time but when i see my bf its hard because its hard for me to see the difference (in my other post i wrote all about it) i know its wrong but i dont feel its wrong? i wish i could see it that way.

 

[LiberatedChick]

I stopped another thing yesterday...
I finally put an end to chatting in a non-Christian chat room where some of the most un-Christian (and sometimes anti-Christian) chat I've ever seen takes place. I've been chatting there for years (since before I came back to Christ) but recently it's dawned on me that it's such a waste of time which I could be putting to much more godly uses. I'm so glad that I now see that place as unnecessary and no longer wish to be a part of it.

 

[Kept_Woman]

What have you given up as you move closer to the Lord?? What things do you consider borderline sinful, that you no longer engage in?

First, let me say this is a wonderful thread. As I was looking back over my life to pinpoint all of the things I've "given up" I realized that when I did surrender areas of my live to the Lord, that the things I had a hard time letting go of were replaced by blessings from God.

At one time I was a heavy drinker. When it was time for me to surrender that area of my life I had gotten to the point where I was using alcohol to distract me from other problems in my life that I hadn't been able to handle. I prayed and asked God to help me let go. I had to pray for the desire to drink to be removed, and He did. The awesome thing is that when he removed the desire to drink he replaced it with a deeper desire to know him as a problem solver. I've also given up profanity. This was a real struggle for me because I was known for telling people off. Now that I've given that up when I'm around people who still curse, I get an uncomfortable feeling on the inside.

I was talking with an old friend the other day, and he asked me to go to a club with him. I told him that I don't do those "types of things" anymore... so of course he asked what types of things, and why.. I had a few things to tell him right then, but being that I'm still new in my faith, I couldn't really tell him the why of it.

I think that as you continue to grow in Christ, and you line your desires up wtih what God desires for your life, you will find it easier to share why you don't do the things you used to do.

 

[bshaw96]

Listen to explicit music

Cheat on my income taxes (no IRS folks in here are there? )

Argue with my husband (in a harsh way, not the everyday way )

 

[Endure2]

prosechild
WOW...THATS A BIG AMEN! WISH I COULD SAY THAT "the thinking about it part i mean" i still think about sex alot.

this a good thread.
hope you dont mind if i get real...

1. no longer blindly follow crowds.
2. dont cuss.
3. dont look at porn anymore.
4. dont hate people anymore.
5. dont try to hook up with the drunk girl outside my door for the night just becuase shes hot and "i could" becuase shes vulnerable.
6. dont disrespect authority anymore.
7. no longer wish i could sleep with Regina Sutton or Kayla kapart.
8. now it gets on my nerves when i see a girl with really nice legs and stuff wearing a skirt that is really too short and too tight, instead what i used to do and think when i saw one.

and i still struggle with those things from time to time, but as rule, i pretty much just dont do them and wont do any of them if asked.

and there are whole lot things i just wont do because im a christian... that ive just never had a problem with anyway.

 

[ProseChild]

this a good thread.
hope you dont mind if i get real...

of course I don't mind! That's why God is good, I enjoyed your testimony.

 

[Charon]

I came to God because of learning of the death of someone I'd known many years ago...used to go to psychics, not doing that anymore. Also, spending lots less time on certain message boards, they just don't seem to be for me anymore....

 

[stonetoflesh]

Since I've returned to the Lord after my "prodigal years", I've made a few changes and am slowly trying to make more.

No more opiates, hallucinogens, or heavy drinking & pot-smoking. I have no desire to abuse my mind and body like that anymore whatsoever, and haven't for a few years at least. Occasionally I'll feel the urge to have a toke, but I remind myself that it's the ritual I'm craving, not the high. A glass of wine or a nice pint from time to time is good enough for me...

I'm reluctant now to play in any musical group with questionable lyrical content; I don't really have any qualms about listening to stuff like that, but I'm not going to take part in producing it myself.

Sex is also out, although my body sure craves it sometimes!

There you go-- sex, drugs, & rock-n-roll. All water under the bridge...

I can still be terribly profane if I get worked up, and terribly judgmental from time to time. I've quit smoking recently, and that's still a battle; it's something I've really had to rely on the Lord for, since I'm certainly not strong enough to do it on my own.

 

[jim1961]

What things have you stopped doing, since you've become a Christian?

One thing I noticed was not getting mad at other drivers, no matter how horrible they drove or rude they were. This was quite a change from my previous behavior!

 

[Ssarl]

Very little actually changed when I became a Christian. From the age of 10 I'd made up and committed to my own moral code, which turned out to fit pretty well with the Bible; albiet with the rather bizarre addition that I'd never drink coffee (I was quite sure it was eeeeevil. And plus, OLD PEOPLE drink it!). I've stuck by everything in it (yes, including the coffee!).

My becoming Christian coincided very closely to my developing mental illness and self hatred - and so the conflict between the two really stagnated my progress for about three years. And I had very strong morals as it was... so very little instantly changed when I became a Christian.

Much more recently, however, some *huge* things have happened.
I made a commitment to do everything it takes to be free of my problems; I want to be able to serve Christ in a way that they're not letting me.

Just recently, Christ opened my heart and let me love my family; out of the entire world they were the only people I hated. It was hard to forgive them because the rift between us is both my fault and theirs, so I had to accept my blame and forgive them of theirs. But now it's done, and I feel awesome.

I've stopped hating myself; instead I accept the love of Christ and of my friends. This is *huge*.

I've stopped doing something rather perverted which I really can't mention here, which I was very glad to see the back of...

I've stopped comparing myself to others and being convinced that they are better (especially other Christians...)

I'm getting better at managing my life and am making commitments to make this year better than the absolute disaster that proceeded it.

I've stopped being afraid of, well, virtually everything. My confidence is building at an astounding rate as I draw closer to Christ.

So, yeah. The last six months have been *so* mad. I love it!