Is God Going to Punish me?

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SpiritIsWilling

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Hey all:

I still sometimes struggle with sexual sins (I was pretty messed up before).

Sometimes I fall, but it has gotten less and less frequent, and I can’t totally fight off temptations most of the time.

My question is, when I sometimes fail, is God going to punish me? I’m always heartfully sorry, and I make a 110% effort to not repeat the sin. I’m 16 so it’s hard for me in the world that I live in, I try my best to remove myself from all of the ‘bad stuff’ but it’s rather hard at times.

Do you think God will understand that I’m only human and he’ll be a little more lenient with me since I’m making a very sincere effort to become a better person?
 
Yes, I think that God takes your circumstances into account; just don’t let that be grounds for presumption. At the same time, do not despair; trust in His mercy and aid. If you are making every effort you can to cooperate with the grace you receive, and seek absolution when you are sincerely repentant, you are doing the best you can. Sexual temptation is difficult enough, but at 16, it is exponentially more difficult. Persevere, and seek grace continually. Even though you fail, your attempt to live according to the Word are pleasing to God.
 
Spirits Willing:

God bless you Do you best and pray pray pray
 
Don’t worry about punishment. Grow toward your love. One day at a time. (Or hour, or minute.)
 
Spiritiswilling,

The first thing is to relax a little.

God does not want to punish you. Our sins come with their own punishment preinstalled. (St. Thomas said that the worst consequence of our sins is that we might enjoy them.)

God will try to correct us so that we don’t do any further damage to ourselves or others.

It is often difficult to discern the difference between the bad consequence of a sin and the the hard to stomach tough love correction for it.

So try to take both in stride.

Take you sins to confession.
If you commit them often - take them to confession often.

Go to different confessors and get different perspectives and penances for your remedy.

Somtimes we will commit them less if we know that we will have to confess them again next saturday. Or we will have to restrict ourselves form communion.

{ I crave the Body of Christ why should I give into my sin and cut myself off from it ? }

Believe me I know what you are talking about. I stuggled with these types of sin until my marriage day at the age of 35 years.

I didn’t ever completely rid myself of it —

But, I could see my journey in retrospect and see improvements and small victories.

We are not judged merely on our victories - but on the Battles we fight and the Banners we carry.

Fight on - God will win the victory for you.

Discouragement is natural. Work through it, PRAY ! through it.

And then relax a little. God knows your heart.

todd

P.S
When you think its been “licked” don’t relax to much lest you fall back into it. But, praise God that he has made a miracle for your soul.
 
Thank you all for the encouragement. I will do my best to overcome this burden. I feel strenghtened by all the support. Thank you.
 
SW, do not feel liek you are the only one having to go through this. Most young males are going through it or have already gone through it. (I think the estimate is around 90%). Stay close to the sacraments, Penance, and Communion as often as you can. Pray and rely on God to help you through.

Remember that God is stronger than any sin. Never give up hope, avoid sexually explicit shows and magazines. Get in the habit of saying the Rosary until you fall asleep.

You do eventually grow out of it. Sexual desires are at its highest for teenagers and young adults. That is natural. It is God’s way for perpetuating the human race. BUT at the same time we are humans and unlike other animals, we have the intelligence to be able to control our baser instincts.

It takes some time to learn how to avoid thoughts and situations that can lead us to sin. But it can be done. Never give up hope no matter how often you fail, pray and try to do better. Eventually you can and will overcome your weaknesses.
:blessyou:
 
Human nature punishes itself for offenses against it.

No punitive God required, as it were.
 
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SpiritIsWilling:
Hey all:

I still sometimes struggle with sexual sins (I was pretty messed up before).

Sometimes I fall, but it has gotten less and less frequent, and I can’t totally fight off temptations most of the time.

My question is, when I sometimes fail, is God going to punish me? I’m always heartfully sorry, and I make a 110% effort to not repeat the sin. I’m 16 so it’s hard for me in the world that I live in, I try my best to remove myself from all of the ‘bad stuff’ but it’s rather hard at times.

Do you think God will understand that I’m only human and he’ll be a little more lenient with me since I’m making a very sincere effort to become a better person?
Click to expand...
They say that God loves us more than even our parents. If you had a child such as yourself struggling with what you’re struggling with, would you punish him?
 
Of course he will forgive you, he shall look into your soul and recognise that you are truly sorry, and have made every effort to stop, he won’t punish you for that, but rather celebrate it. Keep trying hard!!! 😛 🙂
They say that God loves us more than even our parents. If you had a child such as yourself struggling with what you’re struggling with, would you punish him?
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I love that analogy. 👍
 
You may want to go to this link:
Pure Love Club
Since you’re sixteen, I think understanding what God’s plan for you in regards to sex and relationships may be in order. They have some great books, pamphlets and resources on easing yourself into a life of chastity.

God is amazing! I, too, have fallen in the past to sexual sin, and I know it’s only through God’s grace and mercy that He forgives me (through the Sacrament of Reconciliation).

May God bless you in your journey towards purity!
 
SpiritIsWilling:
Do you think God will understand that I’m only human and he’ll be a little more lenient with me since I’m making a very sincere effort to become a better person?
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Count on it, but leniency depends on effort and commitment. He’ll be watching you in the sidelines.

But remember, you have a lot of things going for you and God sees that. The recognition you are aware of a problem and are concerned about it are positive first steps. For that you are graced for sure, and it may be the reason of the letup of Satan’s grip. But what you have suffices until more effort is forthcoming from you.

All the things we do wrong will call for a penance of some form. Either we are aware or unaware, or a combination of the two, payment will be exacted. It could be in purgatory later, on earth now, no one knows. Charity and receipt of the Sacraments also returns lost graces. It is only by the receipt of graces we can diminish sin.

But focus on the postive, accept that you will pay it back as anyone would who cares about compensating for a slight.

A huge help in my case with habitual sin, and I mean the difference between night and day, is the daily Rosary. It will literally “bole you over”, and it will restore your belief incredibly, and drive Satan literally into his corner as it did when Mary visited hell. This is because they can’t bare her presence and withstand her might. There will no longer be any doubt of the truth of the Word after this commitment.

Personal confession and reeking reconciliation through the Sacrament of Penance will diminish your punishment as well, and with a contrite heart and that humiliating process, you will find cleansing. Remember Christ washed the feet of his Apostles.

In summary, all I can say is cheer up, you got friends in high places. The fig tree can still bare fruit if Christ says it can, and your still breathing.🙂

www.theholyrosary.org

Andy
 
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wcknight:
SW, do not feel liek you are the only one having to go through this. Most young males are going through it or have already gone through it. (I think the estimate is around 90%). Stay close to the sacraments, Penance, and Communion as often as you can. Pray and rely on God to help you through.

Remember that God is stronger than any sin. Never give up hope, avoid sexually explicit shows and magazines. Get in the habit of saying the Rosary until you fall asleep.

You do eventually grow out of it. Sexual desires are at its highest for teenagers and young adults. That is natural. It is God’s way for perpetuating the human race. BUT at the same time we are humans and unlike other animals, we have the intelligence to be able to control our baser instincts.

It takes some time to learn how to avoid thoughts and situations that can lead us to sin. But it can be done. Never give up hope no matter how often you fail, pray and try to do better. Eventually you can and will overcome your weaknesses.
:blessyou:
Click to expand...
I remember listening to a priest speak on this and he quoted a Saint who said when you are dead and in the ground these feelings will then subside.
Some very good advice for you here. Keep trying and don’t give up.
 
Thanks once again for all the support. Whenever I’m tempted I come here 😃

Thanks all. Please keep me in your prayers. I want to defeat this.
 
Try saying this every morning and evening.

1.Hail Mary…

and after the Hail Mary say

2.By thy Holy and Immaculate Conception O Mary, Purify my Body and Sanctify my Soul.

3.Say 1. and 2. 2 more times.
  1. Lastly say
My Queen and My Mother, I give myself entirely to you, and to show my devotion I consecrate to you this day my eyes, my ears, my mouth, my heart, my whole body without reserve. Wherefore Good Mother, as I am your own, keep me and guard me as your property and possesion.

Also I suggest the True Knights Combat Training program or podcast. I received this set of prayers from this program where Kenneth Henderson reads from the Clean of Heart Meditations. They have greatly helped me and I hope they will help you.
 
A priest once told me that when you confess a specific type sin at Confession, Jesus gives you extra graces to battle that particular sin. So each time you go to Confession you will get more and more spiritual strength. Whenever I have an issue I’m having trouble with, I go straight to Confession and ask for His graces to help me with that issue.

Consecrate your heart to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They will help you avoid future sin. Ask for the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Also, call on St. Michael in times of temptation. He’ll be right at your side in full battle armor!
 
The punishment for sin is a natural result of the sin, that is why it is immoral, because it causes damage, to oneself or to another. Contrition and the sacrament of confession absolve the sin, but do not diminish the natural results of the sin. Sexual sin results from using God’s good gift of sexuality for purposes that deviate from its natural goods, meaning and purpose: procreation of children and unity of spouses. The punishment comes from breaking this natural law, not an arbitrary imposition by God on some people but not others.

Since sexuality sometimes has a good result-conception of child which is always a gift from God as well as the natural result of intercourse-one could equally say that God “rewards” the sinner. God has an amazing track record of turning even sin and its effects to good cause if the repentent sinner allows Him to work in his life and cooperates with the grace of forgiveness.

If you sincerely repent of your sin and confess it your sin is forgiven and you are absolved. The effects of the sin remain, whether or not you are aware of them, and present a challenge to be overcome through the grace of the sacrament: diminished ability to form good relationships is an example of a psychological or spiritual effect of sin. STD is an example of a physical effect of sin.
 
I used to worry the exact same thing when I was your age… and for many years after.

Teenage years are very confusing about sexuality- all these strange feelings and urges and impulses, followed by guilt and shame and “I shouldn’t have done that.”

There is a lot going on in your body physiologically- it is changing, creating hormones that feed the urges and so forth. It’s part of your natural development.

Different people deal with these urges and impulses in different ways. That is ultimately a matter between your personal conscience and your Faith, so long as you do not hurt anyone in the process.

God loves you. He knows you are imperfect. He created you that way so that you could grow toward Him in perfection. Instead of feeling guilty or shameful, or that God might punish you, think to yourself “God loves me… no matter what- and I love Him back.”

You have received a lot of good suggestions here. Maybe you can find some that work for you. Talk about these issues with someone you trust, it is an important part of processing and understanding the experience. Read about adolescent development and human sexuality. You will understand in better detail what is going on with your body.

Take care and good luck.
 
Your human nature will punish itself for its offenses. No God needed, as it were - only nature. You will find God to be far more merciful than nature, or yourself.
 
(This is what I wrote to another poster who struggles with cycles of sin. It seemed you might find answers in this message as well.)

The church experience is empty and useless for us if we don’t look to Christ for help. It’s just that simple.

If Jesus and you had a face-to-face today, would He know you? Would you be able to say you know Him?

We all sin, but we’re not supposed to just keep sinning if we have Christ in us. See, we are powerless over sin the way an alcoholic is powerless of his addiction. But when we realize there is a higher-power and it is only THROUGH that higher-power that we can overcome sin…we will finally find peace and self-control.

He is the only one who was tempted but didn’t sin. We can’t overcome sin without His Spirit. We can’t have the Spirit if we don’t really trust Him to help us. And especially if we don’t really desire to obey Him in our hearts…

For a long time, I was willing to let God rule me part of the time, but there were certain things I wasn’t ready to turn away from…afraid I’d lose friends, or not have as much fun…

I made some really horrible decisions before I finally realized I’d forever be a hopeless case if left to myself!

We need Christ…you are coming to the point of seeing your need for him. That’s awesome…it means He is calling you to Himself. Be glad!

Then remember, giving up control to Christ isn’t giving up your freedom…He will show you real freedom …from guilt and shame and those besetting sins that tear you up so much!

I will pray for you, that you can humble yourself before the Lord, and really pour out your heart to Him. He won’t come into an ugly room – your heart has to be emptied out for Him to enter in and His Spirit to indwell you. He can help you empty yourself, too! Ask for His help!

It’s the most wonderful experience once you finally come to that point…that is, the point of full submission, also known as consecration. You will be sanctified by Him … that is, “set apart” as one who truly walks as He walks, if you truly give Him leadership over you.

He’s clearly working on your heart, so the ball is in your court. Will you submit to Him, trust Him to lead you? Or go your own way?

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

To delight in Him is to seek Him with all your heart. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you!” He wants to bless us and give us freedom from guilt and shame! Will you accept such a gift?
God bless!
D.
 
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