Is This Worry Really Necessary? (HELP)

[Hermit7]

Greetings all,

I've been struggling with intrusive thoughts again and again. I know I'm suppose to ignore them, like some have suggested, but sometimes I can't stop thinking about them.

I mean today, I had these intrusive thoughts:

1.) I was thinking about a writing project that someday I may or may not start (one of those things you think you might want to do, but it won't kill you if you didn't). And then I had this thought in my mind that "Yes" I would rather go to hell than not be able to write anything ever again (besides work related stuff or forum or email stuff). Now I can't help stop worrying about it.

2.) I was in the check out line to pay for groceries and then the thought along the lines of this came up---"Wouldn't it be 'cool' if you waited here and as you were paying decided to return everything (I had a bunch of stuff)? Come on, wouldn't you want to bargain your salvation for that?" And somehow, I felt myself saying yes to that in mind. It doesn't make sense. I don't know why I said that. But I don't want to bargain my salvaiton for that (in fact I don't want to bargain it at all). Maybe I meant it at the time, but honestly, why would I? Now I'm afraid of the very groceries that I bought.

I'm a little confused, a little scared, and pretty frustrated.

Help!

\-Hermit7

[slightlypuzzled]

Random thoughts will not affect your salvation. Have you accepted Christ? Have you followed Him every day? However, it sounds like you need to control your impulses, to think and/or pray before you act on them. Have you had this kind of impulse problem before?
I do not want to sound harsh, but most people do not act on such random thoughts, or even give them a second 'thought'. Usually, them come and go to be replaced by either other such randomness, or by a focus on what we are doing at the moment.

[Hermit7]

Actually, these type of thought seem to happen by themselves as far as I know. Usually high-anxiety situation cause them to flare up more. I've been having this for a while now.
-Hermit

[Hermit7]

And, yes, I have accepted Christ as my Saviour.

-Hermit

[Dani H]

What does the Bible say our salvation is dependent upon??

[Hermit7]

Jesus Christ....

[IMINXTC]

I think I would strive to practice to recongnize these thoughts for what they are and to dismiss them - at any rate, I would learn to not worry about them.

Some folks seem more sensitive to these things and are more easily distracted than others, while some suffer very strong compulsions. Since a kid, I've had a mild compulsion to try to count every syllable in a sentence, in an attempt to arrive at an even mumber of beats, whether in conversation or remembrance - great if you're into poetry, but a ridiculous thing, at best. I need to nip it in the bud, even in my older years. But when I was younger, stressful situations would trigger this habit and it could get quite a grip on me.

This is mild, of course, and has not been a problem for me, but I can relate to those who suffer stronger compulsions.

Worry is the compulsion you want to defeat here.

Lord Bless.
Stephen

[Dani H]

Jesus Christ....

So why are you trying to change the rules? Do you even have the power to?

[Toner44]

I agree with Dani H. I've posted on a few of your threads and so far I've told you just to ignore those thoughts. What just occurred to me was why am I telling you to ignore them when I should be telling you to replace them with positive thoughts about God. I would suggest that you read the bible or listen to an audio bible and fill your mind with those stories.

From what you've said it sounds like your mind is tormented because there's little else that intrigues you and your religious guilt just fuels your conviction to torment yourself.

I don't think I can help you until you realize a negative thought isn't as impactful and power as a positive one. Pray to Jesus for this and be persistent.

[waldo]

I originally posted this on another thread but since I think this fits for you as well I thought I’d save my fingers a workout and do a copy and paste. So here goes.
I can tell you that you are in some good company. John Bunyan suffered from what you do, also Martin Luther and myself. I don't consider myself to be in their category but I am good company. About a year and a half ago I suffered one of the worst attacks of scrupulousity (OCD aimed at faith and faith issues.) Like John Bunyan, I fell into despair because I doubted that I posessed genuine saving faith. I had never gone through such debilitating anxiety and fear as I did then. This doesn't sound like what you are going through but I can tell you along with the doubts came these intrusive thoughts. Several years ago I had had such disgusting thoughts toward God and His Son. For some reason, although I had not had any counselling at the time, I did not accept these thoughts as coming from me. This is a huge key. This is a physical problem and has to be dealt with as such. Having said that I would also stress that God must be included. I pray daily for right thinking, understanding, truth and the revelation of wrong thinking. I can tell you that God has answered that prayer in an amazing way. It's difficult for anyone who doesn't suffer from this disorder to understand what we go through so I've come up with the best way I could think of to describe it and that is that my mind has gone from an F5 tornado to a gentle breeze. When I learned to see these thoughts as not coming from me, (I know God does not give us anxious or condeming thoughts) it's almost as though I became a spectator of my own mind. I began to see these thoughts forming, and I learned not to empower them. These thoughts seem to form with the purpose of causing a reaction in us and when we react with fear or anxiousness it feeds these thoughts and they tend to intensify. Over time I have learned to recognize these thoughts immediately and not give them power and they pass. I am at this place through counselling, medication and the grace of God. Looking back to Feb. of 2011 I can honestly say I am so grateful to God for allowing this into my life. I had no idea how destructive my thinking had been because it had been such a part of my life for so long. God was in total control of the depths that I fell to and many times in the middle of the most terrible times, gently released me and brought peace. In the beginning He had to do that many times because I had not learned to deal with this but as time went on I gradually began to not be knocked down so terribly by my thoughts. I don't take credit for this recovery, I just see this as the way God tends to deal with us. I'm not sure if you're still looking at this thread but if you see this and have questions I'm more than happy to talk about this. I'm sure it will be a lifelong battle but one we'll win by the grace of God.