- Oct 5, 2017
- 50
- 34
- 29
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
I really don't want this to become a debate, but I understand if it does.
I've been learning about God recently (I've only been a Christian for a couple months) and I'm some how just now realizing that I may have to do the Sabbath day. This may sound weird, but it's making me panic.
I have terrible religious anxiety and OCD, so the moment I realize something like this, I panic and think I'm going to be damned for not doing it/doing it wrong. I also panic because I'm afraid of FOLLOWING the rules. The more rules there are, the more I may mess up.
Some people say we don't HAVE to do the Sabbath, but we can if we want. Others say that we need to. I've seen some mention how the law is written on your heart and the Holy Spirit convicts you if you do wrong, so if you don't feel conviction, do you have to do it?
I'm panicking because I don't want to do the Sabbath. It feels like a chore to make sure I don't do any chores. I have a problem with panicking over the rules instead of focusing on the relationship with God, but I don't want to do anything wrong. I'm so afraid all the time and this is just added stress in my head. I feel like I'm already panicking about a million things, and now I have to make sure I don't do anything all day on Saturday and I don't even know how to do that.
Some say if you don't feel like you have to, then don't do it. But others say that you need to. But it's supposed to be a day of rest and happiness I assume, and if it makes me upset, should I even do it?
I know that Jesus fulfilled the law, didn't abolish it, so does that mean we still have to do the Sabbath? Does that mean we still have to follow Leviticus? People say we live under grace and not the law, but that doesn't mean we can just go around and do harm all the time and do whatever you want. You're supposed to obey God's Word, right?
So then does it matter if I don't want to do the Sabbath? Do I have to force myself to do it? I don't really feel convicted to do it, I think, but I can't tell because I'm anxious all the time and my racing thoughts make it hard to focus. And I worry that even if God has told me what to do, I'm not recognizing it or not listening because of my fear of doing it. So I try to just open myself up and listen for Him, but I panic instead and I can't tell what's going on or stop thinking about it to avoid fear.
Then I also wonder is it on Saturday or Sunday? Is it okay to practice the Sabbath on Saturday at home alone, and then go to church on Sunday? Or does your Sabbath have to be on the day you go to church?
I feel like God doesn't want me to panic this much. I feel like the Sabbath should be a day I enjoy, but I panic and I just don't know what to do.
The main reasons I don't want to do the Sabbath are as follows:
-I live with my dad (I'm physically injured and can't work right now) and if he asks me to do something on the Sabbath and I don't, I fear getting in trouble. But I don't want to put the will of my dad's before the will of God.
-The weekend is the only time I get to really spend time with people. My dad is at work all week (He comes home at night but I only see him for a few hours) and I'm alone. All. The. Time. During the weekend, if my dad wants to do something on Saturday (or Sunday, which ever day one must do the Sabbath), I want to do it because I want to do something with a person and not be isolated.
-I worry that the list of things I'm not allowed to do will be a difficult task.
Am I allowed to use electricity?
Can I do the dishes?
Can I paint and do arts and crafts?
It says in the Bible (I think) that people were not supposed to light a fire or make people work. Would using electricity violate that?
Jesus was okay with his disciples picking wheat, and people apparently (to my knowledge) led their animals to water and stuff. Wasn't that considered chores? So it's okay to do some things? But what things are okay to do?
And I enjoy doing crafts and stuff. It's not work to me. I like doing it with my family, but is that bad? Saturday may be the only time I can do these things with my family (it may be doable on Sunday but idk). They don't follow the Sabbath so I would just be alone. That makes me sad.
I guess I can try to convince my family to do stuff on Sunday, after I get back from church. My dad likes to ride his motorcycles on Sunday, but I can try. Usually things are done on Saturday, though.
I just don't feel like the Sabbath is a day of rest for me. It's makes me panic instead. I don't mind the idea of focusing more on God. Maybe putting away the electronics, read the Bible more, don't go to work/school, etc.
I just worry about how far I have to take it, if I even have to do it at all. Jews don't use electricity and I'm not a Jew, but I still wonder if I can't. Am I supposed to just literally sit all day and do nothing? Except read the Bible?
Today I was worried about what I was supposed to do, but I went out with my dad for breakfast anyway and we went to the craft store. I don't feel bad about it necessarily, but I have anxiety. I ALWAYS have anxiety. About everything pretty much. I tried to recognize if I felt convicted before I went out and I didn't. I felt fine while I was out for the most part, too. Part of me is like, "What if this was wrong and I've been turning a blind eye to it and now I'm in trouble."
And part of me is like, "I feel fine about it, it's not big deal, God is still first in my life, it's fine, etc."
I don't know what to do. I panic over everything and I tend to blow things out of proportion and over complicate things. I don't want to do rituals to be a Christian, I just want to be friends with God, but I'm also aware that I have to obey, too. This just makes me panic. I guess it's because I'm selfish. I don't mind turning off distractions like the TV and my phone to focus more on God, but I worry about how far I have to take it (no dishes, laundry, family fun/outings, etc.)
Also, if I do have to do this, I messed up today obviously. But it ends when it gets dark right? I feel bad for asking because I feel like, "Okay it will be over and you will be safe."
Plus my dad wants to go see a movie with me tonight and I want to spend time with him, but I feel bad for being happy because I feel like I'm like, "Okay the Sabbath will be over and I can do what I want."
I don't want to be selfish.
I try to tell myself that if I have to do this, I can just try again next week and don't panic over today, that I'm still figuring this stuff out, but I don't want to excuse this Saturday since it would be sin if I did wrong today. I don't feel bad about it right now, though...
I just worry over everything. Everything has to be monitored for me. Every little detail has to be examined and perfect for me. If I don't do this Sabbath stuff perfectly, I'm afraid I'll go to hell.
I've been learning about God recently (I've only been a Christian for a couple months) and I'm some how just now realizing that I may have to do the Sabbath day. This may sound weird, but it's making me panic.
I have terrible religious anxiety and OCD, so the moment I realize something like this, I panic and think I'm going to be damned for not doing it/doing it wrong. I also panic because I'm afraid of FOLLOWING the rules. The more rules there are, the more I may mess up.
Some people say we don't HAVE to do the Sabbath, but we can if we want. Others say that we need to. I've seen some mention how the law is written on your heart and the Holy Spirit convicts you if you do wrong, so if you don't feel conviction, do you have to do it?
I'm panicking because I don't want to do the Sabbath. It feels like a chore to make sure I don't do any chores. I have a problem with panicking over the rules instead of focusing on the relationship with God, but I don't want to do anything wrong. I'm so afraid all the time and this is just added stress in my head. I feel like I'm already panicking about a million things, and now I have to make sure I don't do anything all day on Saturday and I don't even know how to do that.
Some say if you don't feel like you have to, then don't do it. But others say that you need to. But it's supposed to be a day of rest and happiness I assume, and if it makes me upset, should I even do it?
I know that Jesus fulfilled the law, didn't abolish it, so does that mean we still have to do the Sabbath? Does that mean we still have to follow Leviticus? People say we live under grace and not the law, but that doesn't mean we can just go around and do harm all the time and do whatever you want. You're supposed to obey God's Word, right?
So then does it matter if I don't want to do the Sabbath? Do I have to force myself to do it? I don't really feel convicted to do it, I think, but I can't tell because I'm anxious all the time and my racing thoughts make it hard to focus. And I worry that even if God has told me what to do, I'm not recognizing it or not listening because of my fear of doing it. So I try to just open myself up and listen for Him, but I panic instead and I can't tell what's going on or stop thinking about it to avoid fear.
Then I also wonder is it on Saturday or Sunday? Is it okay to practice the Sabbath on Saturday at home alone, and then go to church on Sunday? Or does your Sabbath have to be on the day you go to church?
I feel like God doesn't want me to panic this much. I feel like the Sabbath should be a day I enjoy, but I panic and I just don't know what to do.
The main reasons I don't want to do the Sabbath are as follows:
-I live with my dad (I'm physically injured and can't work right now) and if he asks me to do something on the Sabbath and I don't, I fear getting in trouble. But I don't want to put the will of my dad's before the will of God.
-The weekend is the only time I get to really spend time with people. My dad is at work all week (He comes home at night but I only see him for a few hours) and I'm alone. All. The. Time. During the weekend, if my dad wants to do something on Saturday (or Sunday, which ever day one must do the Sabbath), I want to do it because I want to do something with a person and not be isolated.
-I worry that the list of things I'm not allowed to do will be a difficult task.
Am I allowed to use electricity?
Can I do the dishes?
Can I paint and do arts and crafts?
It says in the Bible (I think) that people were not supposed to light a fire or make people work. Would using electricity violate that?
Jesus was okay with his disciples picking wheat, and people apparently (to my knowledge) led their animals to water and stuff. Wasn't that considered chores? So it's okay to do some things? But what things are okay to do?
And I enjoy doing crafts and stuff. It's not work to me. I like doing it with my family, but is that bad? Saturday may be the only time I can do these things with my family (it may be doable on Sunday but idk). They don't follow the Sabbath so I would just be alone. That makes me sad.
I guess I can try to convince my family to do stuff on Sunday, after I get back from church. My dad likes to ride his motorcycles on Sunday, but I can try. Usually things are done on Saturday, though.
I just don't feel like the Sabbath is a day of rest for me. It's makes me panic instead. I don't mind the idea of focusing more on God. Maybe putting away the electronics, read the Bible more, don't go to work/school, etc.
I just worry about how far I have to take it, if I even have to do it at all. Jews don't use electricity and I'm not a Jew, but I still wonder if I can't. Am I supposed to just literally sit all day and do nothing? Except read the Bible?
Today I was worried about what I was supposed to do, but I went out with my dad for breakfast anyway and we went to the craft store. I don't feel bad about it necessarily, but I have anxiety. I ALWAYS have anxiety. About everything pretty much. I tried to recognize if I felt convicted before I went out and I didn't. I felt fine while I was out for the most part, too. Part of me is like, "What if this was wrong and I've been turning a blind eye to it and now I'm in trouble."
And part of me is like, "I feel fine about it, it's not big deal, God is still first in my life, it's fine, etc."
I don't know what to do. I panic over everything and I tend to blow things out of proportion and over complicate things. I don't want to do rituals to be a Christian, I just want to be friends with God, but I'm also aware that I have to obey, too. This just makes me panic. I guess it's because I'm selfish. I don't mind turning off distractions like the TV and my phone to focus more on God, but I worry about how far I have to take it (no dishes, laundry, family fun/outings, etc.)
Also, if I do have to do this, I messed up today obviously. But it ends when it gets dark right? I feel bad for asking because I feel like, "Okay it will be over and you will be safe."
Plus my dad wants to go see a movie with me tonight and I want to spend time with him, but I feel bad for being happy because I feel like I'm like, "Okay the Sabbath will be over and I can do what I want."
I don't want to be selfish.
I try to tell myself that if I have to do this, I can just try again next week and don't panic over today, that I'm still figuring this stuff out, but I don't want to excuse this Saturday since it would be sin if I did wrong today. I don't feel bad about it right now, though...
I just worry over everything. Everything has to be monitored for me. Every little detail has to be examined and perfect for me. If I don't do this Sabbath stuff perfectly, I'm afraid I'll go to hell.