Smoking...

[cherrie]

Please help me to find an answer....
I am currently a smoker, and i don't find that it hinders me in any way with respect to the way i am with God or the way that my faith is.
but i know that christians find it offensive to smoke, and i can't help but feel that if they knew i do, they would judge me and somehow see me in a different light.

If there is a passage in the Bible that I should read, please help me find it. Somehow i don't want to quit smoking, and i feel torn if this really is so wrong to do as a Christian.

 

[bliz]

Read I Corinthians 6: 12 - 19
The passages, which focuses on sexual imorality, but it not limited to that area, concludes with: "Therefore honor God with your Body."

The scientific evidence is in on smoking and using tobacco. Can you make a case that by smoking you are honoring God with your body? Smoking, or chewing tobacco harms the body in a major ways. There is no medical or health benifit to tobacco use in any way, shape or form. (Other than eating... turns out that uncured tobacco has a really high protein content and people are looking into ways to make that useable...) Further, it not only harms the body of the user, but the bodies of others around them.

In the early part of the passage Paul says: "Everything is permissable for me" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissable for me" - but I will not be mastered by anything."

Is smoking beneficial? How is it good for you? Does smoking master you - can you quit today and never smoke again?

Is smoking a salvation issue? No, of course not. Can one smoke or chew and be a Christian? Of course. But that does not mean it is the best course of action for a Christian or one that will best honor God.

 

[IKTCA]

Sister Cherrie,

Truly, the bible does not mention anything about smoking. Let no one condemn you on smoking whether they are believers or non-believers.

Let me ask you a related question. Do you have control over smoking, or does smoking have control over you? If you don't smoke when you don't want to, it's fine. All is well and pay no attention to any man.

Think about when you feel like to smoke. Can you say, "I will not smoke now," and does your mind obey you? If it gets difficult to fight the urge, then you are not in control of your mind. The urge or the habit got control over you. If anyone other than Jesus has control over your mind, then you are not a God-pleasing believer.

You can judge yourself. You do not need to ask anyone.

 

[FaithfulServant]

Bliz took the words right out of my mouth!

[font=Trebuchet MS, Arial, Geneva]"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?"

This may seem like a story that doesn't fit in with smoking, but I think it ties in:

When I was first told I had an bulimia, I didn't want to admit it. Then, once I admitted it, I didn't want to see that there was anything wrong with it. I didn't want to acknowledge that it was hurting my body, because I couldn't see any effects of it (the effects take many years to show up often). I searched through the Bible to try to find verses that would convict me - but it seemd like God had left eating disorders out of the Bible, so there must not be anything wrong with them!
Just like smoking damages your body, so does eating disorders. I wasn't treating the body God blessed me with like a temple, I asked myself if Jesus was walking the earth today, would he have an eating disorder? I knew that he wouldn't, he would honor his body. So I chose to start honoring mine.

God Bless,

Steffani
[/font]

 

[cherrie]

thank you for your replies.
i am going to pray to God for guidance. Even though i know it will take some time for me to quit smoking, the best i can do at the moment is reduce it to a minimal.

God Bless you all.

 

[bliz]

Should you chooose to stop, which I think would be great, it will take some time. It is a very hard addiction to quit. Many say that it is the hardest. That's not meant to discourage you but to encourage you. When it's really hard, know that, yes, it IS really hard, it's not that you are can't do it, but that it's hard, hard work. Cutting down is a great way to start.

 

[wayfaring man]

Hi cherrie , and all ,

Agreeing with most of what has been said ... Smoking not only harms one's own body but also those who breathe in the second hand smoke .

The following verse came to mind , when a friend of mine and I were contemplating his Dad's smoking and unwillingness to admit that it was a bad thing . ( I know it was originally written in reference to another matter , ( Idol worship ) , but then again , " The Marlboro Man " was a type of projected idol ....... was / is he not ? ( He's supposedly making a come back in China ) .

He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? <-----> Isaiah 44:20

With all the harmful pollution humanity is causing upon the earth , we ought to adopt lifestyles which eliminate the spewing of toxins , not one which increases them .

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[ From an ecyclopedia -]


Tobacco contains nicotine, an organic alkaloid and powerful neurotoxin, particularly to insects. All means of consuming tobacco result in the absorption of nicotine in varying amounts into the user's bloodstream, and over time the development of a tolerance and dependence. Absorption quantity, frequency, and speed seem to have a direct relationship with how strong a dependence and tolerance, if any, might be created. A lethal dose of nicotine is contained in as little as one half of a cigar or three cigarettes; however, only a fraction of the nicotine contained in these products is actually released into the smoke, and most clinically significant cases of nicotine poisoning are the result of concentrated forms of the compound used as insecticides. Other active alkaloids in Tobacco include harmala.

Major hazards of tobacco use, however, include carcinogenic compounds in tobacco and tobacco smoke. Many jurisdictions have enacted smoking bans in an effort to minimize possible damage to public health due to tobacco smoking.

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I pray The Lord will grant the victory over all addictions which are not good . Amen .

Peace and Joy In Christ .

wm

 

[heron]

Where ever did you find that verse! (I know, Isaiah.)

 

[JWBZ SVT]

Read I Corinthians 6: 12 - 19
The passages, which focuses on sexual imorality, but it not limited to that area, concludes with: "Therefore honor God with your Body."

The scientific evidence is in on smoking and using tobacco. Can you make a case that by smoking you are honoring God with your body? Smoking, or chewing tobacco harms the body in a major ways. There is no medical or health benifit to tobacco use in any way, shape or form. (Other than eating... turns out that uncured tobacco has a really high protein content and people are looking into ways to make that useable...) Further, it not only harms the body of the user, but the bodies of others around them.

In the early part of the passage Paul says: "Everything is permissable for me" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissable for me" - but I will not be mastered by anything."

Is smoking beneficial? How is it good for you? Does smoking master you - can you quit today and never smoke again?

Is smoking a salvation issue? No, of course not. Can one smoke or chew and be a Christian? Of course. But that does not mean it is the best course of action for a Christian or one that will best honor God.

X2!

Cherrie,

If need be get some Nicotine substitute. At least it's a little healthier for you than smoking. I'm praying and weining myself from the nicorette gum. I was addicted to both smoking and chewing tobacco.

There are plenty of people on this board who will pray with you, for you, and will encourage you.

 

[If Not For Grace]

Thanks for this thread. I have defeated many things in my life, but somehow smoking has a hold on me too. I have not given up, but this is the tuffest thing I ever tried to overcome. All hints welcome--there are other threads on this for those of you who have overcome, I urge you to share on those as well.

 

[wayfaring man]

I pray everyone who calls upon The Name of Jesus be delivered from any and all unclean / ungodly addictions . Amen .

Here's a link to the " Quit Smoking " Section .

Quit Smoking

Sincerely ,

wm