A little help on vows?

[Harley.]

Ok so I have posted here in the past regarding my OCD, but I havent in quite a while. Ive been living life the best I can but this sadly put a wrench in the gears.


You see I struggle from OCD, and because of that a few weeks ago I made a vow to God that if he did X I would give up music production forever. I made this vow as part of a checking compulsion, I didnt WANT to make the vow but I did. I was a fool, I KNOW. Anyways, X happened...so...I really dont know if I am to keep this or what? Im a artist through and through and would never give up my music, it was a stupid stupid compulsion, but all I can find in the Bible is that, its dumb to make rash vows, and if you do YOU BETTER KEEP THEM. So I dont know WHAT TO DO!

 

[Delvianna]

Ok so I have posted here in the past regarding my OCD, but I havent in quite a while. Ive been living life the best I can but this sadly put a wrench in the gears.


You see I struggle from OCD, and because of that a few weeks ago I made a vow to God that if he did X I would give up music production forever. I made this vow as part of a checking compulsion, I didnt WANT to make the vow but I did. I was a fool, I KNOW. Anyways, X happened...so...I really dont know if I am to keep this or what? Im a artist through and through and would never give up my music, it was a stupid stupid compulsion, but all I can find in the Bible is that, its dumb to make rash vows, and if you do YOU BETTER KEEP THEM. So I dont know WHAT TO DO!

God absolutely takes vows seriously, like... very very seriously. HOWEVER. I do want to ask something first and that's, what is the point of the vow? What kind of music do you make? Because you see, are you sure it was God that did X or was that satan stepping in and doing it because he can?

For instance. If I made a vow to God, "If you give me a million dollars, I'll stop preaching the gospel." A few months go by and I end up winning a million dollars in a sweep stakes. Would I say it was Gods hand that gave me the million? Because never in a lifetime would God accept that kind of vow when he commands us to spread the gospel. So you see where I'm going with this?

IF and only IF the vow that was made, would be something God would want for you (and I can't make a judgement call on that since you haven't posted the details), then you should stick with your vow and follow through.

If the point of the vow isn't something that God would even want to honor, then disregarding it at the end of the day is fine. Just you learn from it, and next time don't make a vow unless you really think about it first and actually plan on following through with it.

 

[Harley.]

God absolutely takes vows seriously, like... very very seriously. HOWEVER. I do want to ask something first and that's, what is the point of the vow? What kind of music do you make? Because you see, are you sure it was God that did X or was that satan stepping in and doing it because he can?

For instance. If I made a vow to God, "If you give me a million dollars, I'll stop preaching the gospel." A few months go by and I end up winning a million dollars in a sweep stakes. Would I say it was Gods hand that gave me the million? Because never in a lifetime would God accept that kind of vow when he commands us to spread the gospel. So you see where I'm going with this?

IF and only IF the vow that was made, would be something God would want for you (and I can't make a judgement call on that since you haven't posted the details), then you should stick with your vow and follow through.

If the point of the vow isn't something that God would even want to honor, then disregarding it at the end of the day is fine. Just you learn from it, and next time don't make a vow unless you really think about it first and actually plan on following through with it.

The vow was said in fear. It was a checking compulsion. Its hard to explain without it sounding like nonsense because its ocd, it is nonsense. So what was the point? I was scared and felt pressured to do this to "check" as a compulsion and I did. Like 100 times...
Also I make blues

I have asked God for forgiveness many times, but I dont know what to do. I mean, music is quite literally WHAT I do. Its how I worship God. Its when im happiest. Loosing that would be quite literally losing myself. This sounds dramatic but believe me its not. Part of who I am is my music.

 

[Delvianna]

The vow was said in fear. It was a checking compulsion. Its hard to explain without it sounding like nonsense because its ocd, it is nonsense. So what was the point? I was scared and felt pressured to do this to "check" as a compulsion and I did. Like 100 times...
Also I make blues

My point is though that if the morality behind the vow isn't something God would honor, then why you made the vow is irrelevant, and you can disregard it and not worry. If the morality behind the vow is something God WOULD want you to stop doing (like God does want you to stop producing music because the music is promoting witch craft, as an example, not saying thats what you do) , then you honor the vow. Even if it was said in fear due to OCD. Because the act of stopping is for your benefit in the end, with a caveat that maybe you ask God if you can make a different kind of music instead. That's what I mean by, I can't make a moral judgement call because I don't know the scope of the vow, your music, or anything else. So I was giving you a general principle to essentially help you make a decision on what you're going to do.

I think understanding the general principle I offered might help you now and in the future so if you make any more vows, you might understand what God would accept or might not accept. Because just because you made a vow, doesn't automatically mean it was God's hand that did X. Assuming it's always God runs a greater risk of spiritual warfare manipulation. That's what I'm trying to prevent with my response to you. That satan pretends to be God and causes X to happen with every vow you make.

One more thing, I'm sure God is aware that you made it under duress due to your disorder, and I doubt God would take it very seriously in the first place but thats just my opinion. I wanted to give you a more stable answer than that with a general principle, because I don't want to speak for God on that front, just wanted to share my personal view point.

 

[NBB]

if you don't want to do something and something force you to do it, is not you fault, nor God is going to make you guilty of that.

 

[Zceptre]

OCD is a dysfunctional paradigm that causes us to be impulsive. Fear is a control mechanism and OCD creates fear in us that "something isn't right" and needs to be made right, or something needs to be done that might just as well be fine if we never bothered to touch it.


For starters I agree with most of what I understand Delvianna stating and we should take vows seriously, however... This sounds to me like a random child-like reactive episode. I've had these in the past in my much younger years and God has revealed to me the nature of things since then. We are all children at heart and we don't understand the nature of things nor the intensity of keeping our word or what we are saying sometimes. We especially don't understand the difficulty in what we are giving our word we will do..


To simplify what I'm pointing out here, often people will ask me to promise them things and I tell them very quickly that I will promise them nothing. I will give my word to them, and even then only give my word that I'll do my very best and can offer nothing better. I tell them this because of episodes like you are in now (not exactly, but similar circumstances). I meant well and I was desperate to have freedom from things I was under. You obviously felt compelled by something of fear, or concern, or anything besides love itself and that is usually a trap.


To add to this we are told not to swear at all, and that isn't talking about cursing (or "cussing" for the uninformed). Profane words and speech is not what Christ was referring to when He said not to swear at all. He was referring to making vows.


Matthew 5:34-35

But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne;

nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.


By this standard stated by God the Son in the flesh, what you did wasn't something He wants us to do in the first place.


You and I are children in a learning process. If you had (or have) a child and they are in distress, under pressure, and they make a "solemn promise" to you that they will "never leave the lights on again" or they will "never ever get upset" at their brothers or sisters or friends again... how likely do you think it is that this "promise" will last?? (Spoiler alert: NOT LONG)


Now, I don't want to diminish or reduce the importance of the lesson not to make vows, especially because we are told not to do so.. but this obviously was simply a hasty remark and not a well thought out heartfelt conviction of something that seriously needed changing. God sees you just like we see that little child. He is not... and I mean not even close, mad at you. Does He like what we do all the time? No, but we don't send our children off to foster care when they break a lamp or annoy us while we are trying to talk to other adults about important matters.


Find comfort in His understanding, in His love, in His grace, and His forgiveness. It is the goodness of God that changes our ways and gives us the compassion and desire to do better in our walk with Him (Romans 2:4).


Ask forgiveness, make sure to forgive yourself as well because we are here to learn, and make sure to never do it again if it is putting you into heavy distress. It sounds to me like God has convicted your heart it was a bad idea and He didn't want the vow, but just your heart in His hands.


Delvianna said something important when she said to learn from it. That is the big takeaway here.


More importantly 1 John 1:9 says if we confess we are forgiven. You MUST accept that you are forgiven because God is faithful. He cannot lie and if He forgives us there is nothing to bring up again. I know the OCD can make you feel the need to ask again, but you have to remind yourself that God does what He promises in His Word. He can make them, and He can keep them, and that is why we worship and love Him. Put it behind you and do not look back and if you remember it at all, make sure it is to prevent doing it again. Healthy fear is good fear if it keeps us from the edge of the cliff, unhealthy fear is fear of God being upset when His love and forgiveness and the blood of Christ has ultimate power to cleanse us and put our sins away forever.


P.S. I have a hint of OCD pertaining to particular things, so I'm not speaking without some experience relative to your circumstances. Trust Him. He is good and He knows you want to do good. Do your music and put the vows in the past and don't bring it up again. You are forgiven according to 1 John 1:9.

 

[Michie]

The vow was said in fear. It was a checking compulsion. Its hard to explain without it sounding like nonsense because its ocd, it is nonsense. So what was the point? I was scared and felt pressured to do this to "check" as a compulsion and I did. Like 100 times...
Also I make blues

I have asked God for forgiveness many times, but I dont know what to do. I mean, music is quite literally WHAT I do. Its how I worship God. Its when im happiest. Loosing that would be quite literally losing myself. This sounds dramatic but believe me its not. Part of who I am is my music.

You answered your own question. OCD. Move on from it as best you can.

 

[Harley.]

You answered your own question. OCD. Move on from it as best you can.

Thats what I feel, and its what my fiancee said to do. Im just sorta worried because I DONT wanna deal with the consequences that come from breaking a vow to God.

 

[Michie]

Thats what I feel, and its what my fiancee said to do. Im just sorta worried because I DONT wanna deal with the consequences that come from breaking a vow to God.

Believe me. God knows your condition and He knows your heart. The fear and anxiety come from the OCD. Please try to let it go. He knows when it’s the OCD and when it is genuinely you speaking from the heart.

 

[FreeinChrist]

ADVISOR HAT

This thread was moved from Requests For Christian Advice as this is the more appropriate forum for the topic. ​