What's next?

[personone]

Hey.

God's delivered me from so much- Pornography addiction, various mental disease, addiction- but I feel apathetic, like getting close to him would be a waste of time.

Like- I still fantasize about being the best, or being persecuted, or revenge, etc. ALL the time, and God has led me time and time again to show that he wants me to stop.

So what's next? I've been a "daydreamer" all my life, how should I start now? I thought about fasting but was like... what would it do?

 

[stormdancer0]

Read the Bible. The Gospel of John is a good place to start. Find a support group - a Christian one, if possible. Get into a church with a Bible-teaching, compassionate but uncompromising pastor, and get involved. Help people who have it worse than you do. Listen to Christian music - gospel or contemporary, it doesn't matter. They even have Christian rock and roll. As long as it brings glory to God, it is okay.

In other words, immerse yourself in God. Let Him wash away what doesn't please Him.

 

[Amylisa]

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. This is in the book of Proverbs and it's a lifetime verse for me. When you feel yourself being drawn to the old thought-habits, ask Jesus to help you. He will, it is a process and doesn't always happen immediately. Just ask Him to help you to submit to His will. He is at work in YOU to work and to will for His good pleasure. I pray His peace for you today.

And it is most definitely NOT a waste of time for you to get closer to Him. Jesus WANTS you close to Him! He wants to change you and deliver you from all that binds you. Ask Him to help you, we cannot do ANYTHING apart from Him, He said so Himself.
Like stormdancer said, get into the Bible. The Gospel of John is a great place to start.

 

[aiki]

Hey.

God's delivered me from so much- Pornography addiction, various mental disease, addiction- but I feel apathetic, like getting close to him would be a waste of time.

Oh? Why's that? It seems to me that if God has delivered you from so much, you have good reason to think getting close to Him would not be a waste of time. How has God delivered you from the things you mentioned without drawing you close to Him?

Like- I still fantasize about being the best, or being persecuted, or revenge, etc. ALL the time, and God has led me time and time again to show that he wants me to stop.

And so? Why do you persist in continuing? Do you not know how to "bring every thought into obedience to Christ" as the apostle Paul commands?

So what's next? I've been a "daydreamer" all my life, how should I start now? I thought about fasting but was like... what would it do?

I think its pretty obvious that you have a relationship issue with God. Its going to be pretty difficult to walk with Him when your relationship to Him is so confused.

Why do you want to walk with God? What's your motive for fellowship with Him?

Selah.

 

[jonathonbyrd]

Romans 7:15-25 (The Message)

14-16I can anticipate the response that is coming: "I know that all God's commands are spiritual, but I'm not. Isn't this also your experience?" Yes. I'm full of myself—after all, I've spent a long time in sin's prison. What I don't understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can't be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God's command is necessary.

17-20But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can't keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don't have what it takes. I can will it, but I can't do it. I decide to do good, but I don't really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don't result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time.

21-23It happens so regularly that it's predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God's commands, but it's pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.

24I've tried everything and nothing helps. I'm at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn't that the real question?

25The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different.

 

[razeontherock]

Man that's great Jonathon! I can't understand why people want to bash The Message? I have to think those are people who've never read it ...

 

[childofGod31]

Hey.

God's delivered me from so much- Pornography addiction, various mental disease, addiction- but I feel apathetic, like getting close to him would be a waste of time.

Like- I still fantasize about being the best, or being persecuted, or revenge, etc. ALL the time, and God has led me time and time again to show that he wants me to stop.

So what's next? I've been a "daydreamer" all my life, how should I start now? I thought about fasting but was like... what would it do?

Spend time with God. Make special time, like a date. Just sit there and talk to Him. Or write to Him. (Keep a journal) Imagine Him sitting there and listening. Imagine that He is your best friend. You can use a Bible as a start up conversation. Or to get you thinking about Him. You can tell Him anything. (Hey, He knows all your thoughts anyways), but it's special to Him when you voluntarily trust Him enough to share them.

He will not judge you for "spilling your guts" like some people might. So feel free to be open. He loves you more than you could ever imagine. He's been telling that message to me for a long time now. And once you get to know Him, I am sure He would tell you all that you personally need to hear from Him. Finding a close relationship with Him might be the most exciting thing you have ever done. But you have to have diligence to get passed the "climbing the mountain" stage of it, before you can experience in full measure His presence and His joy and excitement.

I really hope you do it. The journey might seem long and tedious, but it's most rewarding at the end.