I relapsed again after 10 days. I am getting really tired of repeating this same cycle.
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What is important is taking responsibility for it…acknowledging it for what it is. I think a relapse is an excellent learning opportunity…be honest with yourself and ask yourself what the initial trigger was, then change something…
Dont get tired, it may take many iterations, but with persistence, dedication, patience and faith, eventually this cycle will be a distant memory.
Dust yourself off, get right back on that horse. Be gentle with yourself, extend yourself some love and grace. You are a work in progress.
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Thank you so much for your message. It means a lot. And you are right. I appreciate your messages.
If there is anyone in this group or outside of it that you can reach out to when urges hit, that might help a lot too.
What i have realised is that the urge to use ■■■■ and self pleasure are bourne out of some unmet emotional needs…and sometimes when you take the time to talk to someone or write it out you realise the errors of your mind and the tricks that its playing on you. Personally i use the Message board, i find writing stuff there helps (and noone can reply to it, so no1 can express an opinion on it!) but it helps to shine a light on how my mind is operating…and usually at the end of the post i realise that i am being tricked and backing off the urge is much easier.
I appreciate that what works for one person may not work for another, but unfortunately what works for me is all i have to share. I hope that helps.
But most importantly you have to be very swift in forgiving yourself or the chaser effect will set in and 1 mistake becomes 5 mistakes…You are doing good…I am proud of you Taylor.
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Thank you so much. It means a lot to me that you said that. All of that honestly.
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I have fallen so many times and in so many ways i can’t count, this verse means a lot to me.
For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity." (Proverbs 24.16)
I think the most important thing is to get back up and try again.
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Thank you. I have been seeing that verse a lot, and it means a lot that you sent it to me as well.
I need to get back into a routine. Again. I have been slacking on all fronts, my grades are slipping, my energy is low, and I’m not taking care of myself. And again, I am too ashamed to turn to God. A part of my routine is to read the Bible at night and in the morning, to pray as well. I can barely ask for forgiveness. I know I don’t deserve it. And it feels like I’m a hypocrite. Every time I know the consequences, the emotional fall out, and not feeling the presence of God. And I still do it, and struggle.
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He is always there to nurture you, and he always forgives.
focus on your grades, don’t slack. Go to gym for sometime or do exercise routinely. Once these go fine, everything else will align. Good luck.
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You are human, there will be tough times along the journey. The fact that you are here actively trying to improve your situation is all that matters. Peefection is not attainable, but consistent and relentless effort is what we can aim for.
Shame is a mechanism that is designed to keep us away from God…Being a father myself, i think i would never want my son to be ashamed to speak to me about his transgressions…if a human can do it, imagine how much more grace God has for you, his beloved daughter. In his eyes you are the essence of his creation…the best of the best of his creation, made to he just like him…you are God-like. You are too special to God to feel ashamed because of sin.
Call on Him, try Him and see if He wont forgive you a million times. He will forgive you as many times as you need, because you are already forgiven in Jesus who died for you.
Go to Him in shame…He wants you as you are, with your flaws and everything. He made you that way…you belong to Him…go back to Him. Everything else will fall in place…you got this…and God’s got you.
Keep at it…you are doing a good job…and i am proud of you.
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Thank you for your message. It means a lot.
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Thank you so much. It means a lot. More than you know.
I feel the same way after failing. I guess it’s a common human behaviour.
But we all know it’s not right. God is there to help people in need…not just for pure priests.
U can think of it like bathing. We need bath when we are dirty, not in the situation where we are nicely dressed and ready for an occasion. Right ?
Seeking God is just like bathing that pures us internally.
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Thank you for this. It makes sense, it reminds me of a verse actually. From the gospels. Thank you for that reminder.
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For the first time in awhile, I read my Bible at night, and again this morning and prayed. I still find myself struggling with lust. And my mind has been straying more and more. But I am hoping with time, and consistency, I will deepen my relationship with God. But for awhile. I have felt like there was a veil between us. I don’t know.
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One of the things I would suggest when lust enters your mind is not to panic. Generally lustful thoughts dont last longer than 10 minutes ( Just my observation it may vary from people to people ).
So its that 10 minute interval that is crucial. And that 10 minute interval can occur multiple times a day based on how your body responds to abstinence , how long u were addicted etc.
What I do in that 10 minute interval is that I start chanting some religious songs / scripts that is 10 minutes long. I am not a Christian , but I believe there are abundance of life changing quotes there in the Bible. So find some quotes / stories etc in your Bible and once you complete chanting it in your mind , it should be roughly 10 minutes.
You can give it a try . It makes u closer to God and eradicate filth at the same time. This strategy has helped me reach 100 + streak multiple times since it helped me to get into initial 30 days without problem.
I pray that this strategy works for you if you are planning to implement it.
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Thank you so much for this strategy. I will definitely start doing it.
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Who does God say that I am?
This is a question that I was tasked with finding, to know my identity in Christ. But lately, I have been feeling so lost. Out of touch, and separated from God. Not enough to garner inbelief, or to turn away. I’m just lost. And honestly, I don’t know how to find my way back. It’s my own fault, I know this. Maybe I’m being prideful. Or maybe I am not seeing God in His true light. But I have felt so far, for so long. Even on my “good days,” it felt as if I wasn’t close enough. I barely know how to hear His voice anymore. I’m tired, and I keep falling. I know it says in the Bible, His grace is sufficient. I just, I don’t know anymore what I’m doing.
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I lost myself for awhile. I lost sight of things, and I didn’t wait for God. But He is so gracious, He always calls me back. He wants me, and I can’t bear being outside of His presence for long. I pray that He keeps me in His grace, and creates in me a pure heart. According to His grace and Psalms 51.
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It has been awhile since I posted. I felt like a hypocrite, because I kept falling. Every time I did, I would feel more and more regret. And then I started to become unphased. That’s when I knew there was a problem that I had to fix. When I became too numb to what I was doing, and I was running away from God again, I tried to get my life back together. The problem was, I was trying to do it on my own. So today, I began a fast, and my mind has been coming back to Psalms 51:10 which says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” Nothing about this verse says that I should be trying to get my life together, but God.
And He has already started that work within me, when He sent his Son to die on the cross. Jesus didn’t just die for the forgiveness of sins, but also for healing. In Isaiah 53:5 it says, “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Healing goes beyond the physical, but also within. I encourage you, as I also encourage myself, to give our sins and our shame to God, and allow Him to work within you.