So I was watching a documentary yesterday and in it was a teen that was struggling with promiscuity and she said that she finally realized she wouldn’t be able to handle it herself and so she gave it over to God. I’m a godless atheist here, struggling to understand this thing. I’ve heard Christians before saying things about having to give something up to God, over to God, let go and hand it to God and similar comments. Even have seen bumper stickers “Let go and let God”.
Initially to me, (remember I’m the godless atheist) it smacks of absolving myself of any personal responsibility for my behavior or any need to be an actor upon my own life and choices. You give it over to God and you don’t have to think of anything you do as your own fault any longer.
But.
I think I’ve thought it through enough to get an idea of where Christians are coming from here, and my initial interpretation has it wrong. I’d like to check about this, because while it is a very foreign concept to me and the way I think, it seems so very effective for those who believe.
I’m not interested in snark from other non-believers – I actually want thoughtful responses to help me work my way through this concept in a respectful way.
So starting with the premise that I’m Christian and I have something in my life that I want to change badly and I’m not doing a good job on my own:
I’m not happy about…oh lets say watching too much TV. I can’t help myself from watching too much TV, TV keeps calling to me, sucking me in and I just don’t have the willpower to not watch TV. My family is hurt and saddened by how much TV I watch but even that isn’t making me stop watching. It is so damaging and overwhelming that finally I give it over to God. God, who will hold me accountable and provide consequences for my TV watching. I can’t do it for myself or my family but God my Father and Jesus my Savior are watching, loving me. And knowing they are expecting me to do better will make me be better. Because I don’t want to disappoint God, even more than I don’t want to disappoint my family or even myself.
So it isn’t about “::Shrug:: I can’t help myself, I gave it over to God, if I’m still TV watching it must be because he’s not made me change yet”, but a question of being beholden, answerable to God, a greater power and love than anything in the world…instead of some earthly or internal thing which, while important isn’t the prime force in life.
So. Am I headed in the right direction here? And many thanks in advance to anyone who take the time to answer my questions here…or who kicks me in the pants because I’m an idiot and still am getting it all wrong. And finally I understand it might mean different things to different people and while I’m not really posing a debate, I figure this post fits here better than in IMHO. If a mod disagrees please move it with my thanks.
Twiddle