I think I need some help...

[createsalvation]

Hey everyone.
Let me start by introducing myself... my name is Luke. I will be 18 in almost two weeks, and I love heavy metal music. My life has been a strange one... I was the kind of person who didn't believe in God when I was younger because I felt I had been screwed over or whatever... well, when I was in desperate need of some help, I figured, what have I got to lose? So I prayed. And my prayers came true, and ever since then I can't even begin to think how I use to not believe in our Lord and Savior...
Now, I'm not a Christian, per se... I read my Bible every night before I go to sleep, and pray every night. I don't denounce God, and I don't try to force my beliefs on others. I never liked that happening to me, and I know others wouldn't like that happening to them. So I don't do it. But when it comes to talks of faith, I will not compromise my beliefs... God is my Savior... nothing will change that.
I know you guys might be thinking 'what a loser' or whatever... I do some things that I truly regret, and I don't know how to stop them... and I look to God for help and redemption and forgiveness, but I don't know why God would forgive me if I just keep doing them... I was looking for Christian chat rooms for help, but I figured... where better to come than to the message board for one of my favorite bands?
I saw BTA on November 19th in Grand Junction Colorado, and fell in love with them. When I found out they were a Christian band, I was really surprised but very happy to hear this. Now, I don't exactly listen to 'holy' music... Tool, A Perfect Circle, Remembering Never... but I don't model my life around those people. I model my life around God, and around the words of him, but I also try to follow His words, along with someone I find as a major influence in my life- Jesse David Leach, of ex-Killswitch Engage fame...
I was wondering, could you guys please give me some ideas how to stop what I am doing that I hate so much? I know you probably think it's easy, but it's not... Thank you for reading...

[killbaine]

Are you talking about the music you listen to or are you doing other things that you know are not glorifying god. Because you were kind of vague. I will pray that god gives you guidance to offer up your troubles to him. And that he would grant you the wisdom to be able to stop doing what you are doing.

In Christ,
Jason

[shredmetal777]

If you're like addicted to something start praying and asking God to deliver you from the things,and ask him to give you the strength to not do it. God has delivered me from addictions and strongholds ,He has the power to demolish strongholds and addictions,when you feel tempted to do these things start rebuking satan in the name of Jesus,and Pray to God for help and strength. Hope I helped!!!

[createsalvation]

That is a very good idea, I think I will try that... What I mean is, it's an addiction... So thank you guys very much, I think I will try those strategies. Thank you!

[shredmetal777]

You're welcome,stay strong in the Lord,let him be your strength.

[crazywaffle]

Yeah, just keep praying and i'll pray for you too cause i know what it's like.

[mathetes]

I offer you my prayers as well. Aside from masturbation, and that just recently, I've never really had an addiction, but I do know what it is like to have an obsessive state of mind. Prayer can help you a lot, but your attitude toward sin should drive you toward a lot more than just prayer. If there is something that can be done physically, then do it. Do you need rehab? Be honest with yourself and especially with those who can help you. Are you addicted to hardcore pornography? Find yourself an accountability partner, and go to xxxchurch.com (or a similar site) and download a program that will inform your partner when you go to questionable sites.

The rest is mental. MTV culture and Freudian intellectuals will teach you that you cannot control your own thoughts. But you can. It is hard. But with consistent effort, you will INEVITABLY get better at it. And don't be afraid or disheartened when you stumble. You're human. God knows this.

And as long as you live, remember this: love for God in this life is above all things an ATTITUDE rather than an emotion or a profession. There are days when you will wake up "feeling" nothing, and you might begin to doubt whether you really love God. But of course you aren't going to be in a constant state of feeling for a being with whom you've never held a conversation nor seen with your own eyes. If you view your love for God as an attitude, you can maintain it throughout your life with relative ease. If not, Satan will try to use the times when you don't feel God to convince you that you were never really God's child, and that's when you will turn back to your addictions.

[createsalvation]

You know, that was very helpful, and you nailed my addiction head-on. I am working on it, I am trying my hardest to get better, and I know that prayer and love for God and determination will get me through it. Thank you VERY much!

[koihoshi]

createsalvation said:

You know, that was very helpful, and you nailed my addiction head-on. I am working on it, I am trying my hardest to get better, and I know that prayer and love for God and determination will get me through it. Thank you VERY much!

Amazed at your honesty and being up front, to tell you the truth I think that it's a fairly common addiction, it's a difficult one. However the first step in killing and addiction is not denial, it's acknowledging it and admitting it. I've had a point in my life that was not so great, it still taunts me and haunts me but I praise and thank God every single day now that I am so blessed in my life and am doing so great and have a wonderful Fiance and future wife that I will love to the very end.

Before that was a dark horrible life, one I will never touch again. I had to face that, I had to pray and dig up some serious will power to let go of everything I had done and was doing at the time. I won't go into detail as to what, that's irrelivant. Long story short it dealt with an ex girlfriend, many people, many things after that was said and done that led me to my dark side of my life. Once I realized what was going on I gathered up everything that reminded me of my past self, my dark life I was living and everything and prayed to God for forgiveness. I gathered my things that reminded me of that life, I burned all of them and believe me it was hard to let go but watching them burn, watching all of the ashes fall from them and watching all of it turn into dust was like watching a part of myself dissolve.

Accepting my faults, accepting my fears, and accepting to go back to God I simply admitted and acknowledged everything that was wrong and worked will pure willpower to change my life. It was like digging myself out of a trench 50 feet deep with no ladder and just a toothpick. It took forever and it was dirty, harder than anything but I eventually got out of the trench of filth that I dug myself into. And am now a better person for it. Nothing is painless, but going through the pain of fixing your addictions and facing them and dealing with them and allowing God to take over and help you is a beautiful thing and you can feel yourself truly change.

As long as you are surrounding yourself with good things and you feel an addiction or remembrance of a past horrible thing, you can find it in yourself to overcome it. Stay close to God, pray, and find it inside yourself to pull out that willpower. If you need someone to talk to we are always here, and criticism would get us nowhere, I'm always willing to lend and ear and help someone. I'm no perfection, far from it, but I know how it feels to go through something you hate and want to fix it.

[bloodwarrior]

wow, i'm speechless i have never found a board like this and I LOVE IT!!!!!!
masturbation is a rampant sin. and i don't know an honest man that doesn't struggle with lust every day.
(myself included) remember when your being tempted it is easy to give in but don't do it! we are at war and must act as such. we have already won but must still fight.
when tempted rebuke the devil and throw verses in his face. a few of my favorites in this area are:

"God forbid that i should glory in anything except the Cross of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

"i have made a covenant with my eyes,that i will not look at a young woman with lust in my eyes"

and don't forget that you are God's Child!! you have power over the devil he can't make you do anything!!command him to leave and quit tempting you With the Name Of Jesus!! say "devil i rebuke in the Name Of Jesus Christ! God forbid that i should glory in anything except the Cross of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! now you and all your demons leave me in the Name Of Jesus Christ!!"

you sword is God's Word, don't be afraid to use it. and don't forget to put your holy armor.

feel free to get my e-mail address off my profile if you need any thing. i live in Colorado too.
much love,
Ricky

[iamcatholic]

Just remember, Jesus forgives you if you truly repent your sins, that means feeling sorry about what you've done, and making a conscious decision never to do it again. That doesn't mean we always succeed, but if we do fall back into sin he is ready for us to repent again.

I pretty well know your situation as I was truly addicted to masturbation and pornography only 2-3 years ago, before I woke up in my faith. I can tell you, it was extremely difficult to stop! Just remember, you make the decisions in your life. Society wants to tell you that temptation can't be beaten, but it can. Keep praying. I'm praying for you.

[createsalvation]

Thanks you guys. I'm controlling myself alright, I suppose. I don't do it much anymore. Thanks alot you guys!

[radar]

i know this is a little late for a post since quite a bit of time has elapsed since the last post, but i felt i needed to share a verse i stumbled upon recently.

RO 7:14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.* For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

this is Paul speaking. if you know anything about Paul, you'll learn he's one crazy dude for Christ. so put this in perspective: Paul, whom some consider a Saint, went through the same struggles and hardships as you do. i say all this to say that this feeling you have is nothing new. although many people come up with great techniques to avoid and fight sin, you ultimitly have to give your life over to God so you may stay in his shield of protection. because without him, the "desires of your heart" will not be His. when God becomes the Lord of Your Life lust and sin is replaced with a thirsting and hunger we should all for Him.