The Orthodox faith is a vow to God. A vow made to god

Therefore, those who decide to take the vow are instructed to approach this matter responsibly and judiciously.

Also the word vow can be used as a synonym for the concept of "sworn" or "oath".

1. Promise (Hebrew “neder” - promise or something promised). A vow includes promises to do or sacrifice to God in gratitude for His response or blessings from Him: the vows of Jacob, Jephthah, Hannah, and Absalom.

2. Vow of abstinence (Hebrew “esar” - vow, refusal or abstinence from something). Included a promise to abstain from something. Vivid biblical examples of such a vow are the vow of marriage and the vow of the Nazirite:

• The vow of the so-called Nazirite. This vow included, among other things, complete abstinence from alcoholic drinks, abstaining from cutting hair and from touching the remains of the deceased. The Nazirite law is described in detail in the biblical Book of Numbers (Num.).

3. Vow of exorcism (Hebrew “herem” or Arabic “haram” - cursed or cursed). This concept describes a thing or Living being, or a certain set of such things, creatures (including people) under a curse or spell, which until the spell is lifted (or for a certain time) under threat of punishment or death, no one can touch except God. Haram as a religious prohibition against causing harm or intercourse with a person for any reason is mentioned several times in the Qur'an.

see also

Literature

• Johan Huizinga. Knightly orders and knightly vows // Huizinga J. Autumn of the Middle Ages. M., 1988, p. 90-101

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Synonyms:

See what “Vow” is in other dictionaries:

See oath, promise to make a vow... Dictionary of Russian synonyms and expressions similar in meaning. under. ed. N. Abramova, M.: Russian Dictionaries, 1999. vow oath, promise, oath, oath; schema, obligation, promises, word, celibacy Dictionary of Russians... ... Synonym dictionary

VOW, vows, husband. (book). A promise, an obligation imposed on oneself for religious reasons. “I already wanted to make a monastic vow in the prime of my life.” Lermontov. "I didn't take a vow of celibacy." A. Ostrovsky. || Pledge, promise (obsolete). “Having made a vow... ... Dictionary Ushakova

In the language of Christian moral teaching, there is a deliberate promise given to God of some good deed, depending on the free will of a Christian. O. is usually distinguished in the broad and narrow sense of the word. The first include O., given at... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Modern encyclopedia

VOW, ah, husband. (high). Solemn promise, commitment. Give, pronounce o. Violate o. O. silence. Ozhegov's explanatory dictionary. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary

- “OBET”, Ukraine, film studio IM. A.DOVZHENKO/XXI CENTURY, 1993, color, 80 min. Historical drama. A modern lyrical story about love, betrayal and atonement against the backdrop of flashbacks to the historical past and philosophical reflections on the suffering fate... ... Encyclopedia of Cinema

Vow- VOW, in Christianity, an oath promise to fulfill some godly deed. Personal vows vary (fasting, abstinence, visiting holy places, donation) and public (established by believers in case of salvation from... Illustrated encyclopedic Dictionary

vow- a, m. 1) One of the forms of religious asceticism; a promise, an obligation made for religious reasons. Monastic vow. Vow of chastity. [Irina:] When in Pskov, Prince Ivan Petrovich, you were surrounded by Lithuanians... I was for your salvation and... ... Popular dictionary of the Russian language

Vow- (Old Russian - contract) - a promise, oath or obligation, caused by religious feelings and given primarily to God and before God. Believers make a vow in gratitude to the Lord for the heavenly help provided, promising to fulfill any... ... Fundamentals of spiritual culture (teacher's encyclopedic dictionary)

The explanatory dictionary gives the following definition of the word “vow”: A vow is a promise, a voluntary commitment to do something.
A vow made to God is a promise made to God to do something for Him in return for His mercy, favor and blessings.

The first mention of a vow is in the book of Genesis. This is Jacob's vow to God at Bethel: Genesis 28:20-22 « AND Jacob made a vow, saying: if God will be with me and keep me on this journey that I am going on, and give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I return in peace to my father’s house, and the Lord will be my God, then this stone, which I have set up as a monument will be the house of God; and of all that You, O God, give me, I will give You a tenth».

I. BIBLE EXAMPLES OF VOWS MADE TO GOD

• Jephthah's vow: Judges 11:30-31 « AND Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said: If you deliver the Ammonites into my hands, then when I return in peace from the Ammonites, whatever comes out of the gates of my house to meet me will be to the Lord, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.».
• Anna's Vow: 1 Samuel 1:9-11 « And Hannah arose after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. Elijah the priest was then sitting on a seat at the entrance to the temple of the Lord. And she was in sorrow of soul, and prayed to the Lord, and wept bitterly, and made a vow, saying: Lord of Hosts! If You look upon the sorrow of Your servant and remember me, and do not forget Your servant and give Your servant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor will touch his head.».
• David's vow: Psalm 132:1-5 « Remember, Lord, David and all his contrition: how he swore to the Lord, made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob: “I will not enter the tent of my house, I will not go up to my bed; I will not give sleep to my eyes and slumber to my eyelids, until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”».
• Absalom's vow: 2 Samuel 15:7-8 « After forty years of David's reign, Absalom said to the king: I will go and fulfill my vow that I made to the Lord in Hebron; for I, your servant, living in Geshur in Syria, made a vow: If the Lord returns me to Jerusalem, then I will make a sacrifice to the Lord. And the king said to him: Go in peace. And he got up and went to Hebron».
• Pagan vow: Jonah 1:16 « And these people feared the Lord with great fear, and offered sacrifice to the Lord, and took vows ».
• The Apostle Paul's vow : Acts 18:18 « Paul, having stayed quite a few more days, took leave of the brethren and sailed to Syria, and with him Aquila and Priscilla, having shaved their heads in Cenchreae, by vow ».

II. TYPES OF VOWS:

1. Vow of Promise ("neder"- a promise or something promised)
Includes promises to do or give to God in gratitude for His response or blessings from Him: the vows of Jacob, Jephthah, Hannah, and Absalom.
2. Vow of abstinence (""esar"- vow, refusal or abstinence from something) Such a vow included a promise to abstain from something. Vivid biblical examples of such a vow are the vow of marriage and the Nazirite vow:
- Marriage pledge: Numbers 30:4 « ...If a woman makes a vow to the Lord and take a vow in his father's house, in his youth...»
- Nazarite vow. This vow included abstinence from alcoholic beverages, abstinence from cutting hair and from touching the remains of the deceased. The Nazirite law is described in detail in Numbers 6:1-21.
* Samson was a Nazarite from his mother's womb: Judges 13:3-7 « And the Angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her: Behold, you are barren and do not give birth; but you will conceive and give birth to a son; So beware, do not drink wine or strong drink, and do not eat anything unclean; for behold, you will conceive and bear a son, and no razor will touch his head, for from the very womb this child will be a Nazarite of God, and he will begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines. The wife came and said to her husband: a man of God came to me, whose appearance, like the appearance of an Angel of God, was very respectable; I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name; He said to me: “Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son; therefore, do not drink wine or strong drink, or eat anything unclean, for the child will be from the very womb until his death.” Nazirite of God" »; Judges 16:17 « And he opened his whole heart to her, and said to her, “No razor touched my head, for I am a Nazirite of God from my mother's womb; if you shave me, then my strength will depart from me; I will become weak and be like other people».
* Samuel was a Nazarite ( 1 Samuel 1:11).
* Also John the Baptist was a Nazarite: Luke 1:13-15 « The angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will call his name John; and you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord; will not drink wine or strong drink, And will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb ».

3. Spell vow ("cherem" or "charam"- sworn or cursed)
This concept describes a thing or living being that is under a curse or spell, which no one can touch except the Lord.
Ezra 10:7-8 « And they announced in Judea and in Jerusalem to all who were in captivity that they should gather to Jerusalem; and whoever does not come in three days, all his property, as determined by the rulers and elders, will be a spell is cast, and he himself will be excommunicated from the society of immigrants».

III. ORDERS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW ON VOWS

1. Obligatory fulfillment of a vow.
Making vows to God in Old Testament times was not a person’s obligation towards the Lord: Deuteronomy 23:22 « ...if you have not made a vow, then there will be no sin on you».
However, fulfilling the vows given to God was considered sacred and an immutable duty: Deuteronomy 23:21-23 « If you give vow to the Lord God yours, do it immediately, for the Lord your God will exact it from you, and sin will be upon you; if you have not made a vow, then there will be no sin on you. Whatever has come out of your mouth, you shall observe and do, just as you promised to the Lord your God the freewill offering which you spoke with your mouth.».
Judges 11:35 « When he saw her, he tore his clothes and said: Oh, my daughter! you struck me down; and you are among the disturbers of my peace! I have opened my mouth for you before the Lord and cannot deny»; Ecclesiastes 5:3-4 « When you make a vow to God, do not hesitate to fulfill it, because He does not favor fools: what you promised, fulfill. It's better for you not to promise than to promise and not keep»;
Psalm 21:26 « In You is my praise in the great congregation; I will pay my vows before those who fear Him" Please note that the expression "to make vows" means fulfill a vow, that is, to give to God what by vow belongs to Him as gratitude for an answered prayer.
The vow had the power of an oath and therefore had to be fulfilled. The Lord forbids making rash oaths or vows: Proverbs 20:25“The snare for a person is to make a vow hastily, and after the vow to reflect.”
Based Holy Scripture, the vow took effect only if it was spoken out loud: Deuteronomy 23:23 « What came out of your mouth, observe and do so, as promised you are a voluntary offering to the Lord your God, which you spoke about with your mouth».
2. In what case could a vow be annulled?
A vow could only be annulled in two cases: A father could veto his daughter's vow, and a husband could veto his wife's vow. If the husband did not revoke his wife's vow, but later caused her to break her vow, then the sin for breaking the vow fell on him and not on her ( Numbers 30:4-16).

3. What might have been promised to God during the vow?
A person could make people (including himself), animals, land, and other property part of his vow. Nothing holy (which according to the Law was considered holy or sacred) had the right to be declared part of the vow: nothing firstborn, tithe, and so on: Leviticus 27:26,30 « Only the firstborn of livestock, which by primacy belong to the Lord, should not be dedicated by anyone: whether it be ox or flock, they are the Lord’s... And every tithe on earth from the seeds of the earth and from the fruit of the tree belongs to the Lord: this is holy to the Lord».
The Lord declared which votive sacrifice He would favor and which He would not: Leviticus 22:21-25 « And if anyone brings a peace offering to the Lord, fulfilling a vow, or out of zeal, from cattle or flock, then the sacrifice must be without blemish in order to be pleasing to God: there should be no blemish on it; an animal that is blind, or damaged, or deformed, or sick, or scabbed, or scabby, you shall not offer such to the Lord, and do not offer them as a sacrifice on the altar of the Lord; You can offer a calf and a lamb with members disproportionately long or short as a sacrifice of zeal; and if by vow, then it will not please God; an animal whose yatra is crushed, broken, torn off or cut out, do not offer it to the Lord and do not do this in your land; and from the hands of foreigners, do not bring all such animals as a gift to your God, because they have damage, a blemish on them: they will not gain you favor».
Nothing unclean, defiled, or an abomination in the sight of God (such as the wages of a harlot or the price of a dog) could be declared a part or object of a vow: Deuteronomy 23:17-18 « There shall be no harlot among the daughters of Israel, and there shall be no fornicator among the sons of Israel. You shall not bring the wages of a harlot or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord your God. not by any vow, because both exist an abomination to the Lord by your God».
Malachi 1:14 declares damned a man who has made a vow to God, but whose sacrifice does not correspond to the full price of what was promised to God: " Cursed is the deceitful one who has an uncorrupted male in his herd, and he made a vow, but sacrifices the damaged thing to the Lord: For I am a great King, and My name is terrible among the nations».

4. What could be redeemed?
IN Old Testament the law for the ransom of what was dedicated to the Lord by vow is described: Leviticus 27:1-25. Much of what was dedicated could be redeemed for a certain fee set by the priest (with the exception of a clean animal).
- In the case of land or houses, the ransom amount was full price sacrifice plus 1/5 of the price of the sacrifice. The price of real estate was also determined based on how many years remained until the Year of Jubilee ( Leviticus 27:15-18).
- An animal that did not meet the standards of sacrifice could be redeemed for its price plus 1/5 of the price: Leviticus 27:11-13 « If it is some unclean animal that is not sacrificed to the Lord, then the animal must be presented to the priest, and the priest will evaluate it, whether it is good or bad, and as the priest evaluates it, so it should be; if anyone wants to redeem it, then let him add a fifth share to your valuation».

5. What could not be redeemed?
An animal that met the standard of sacrifice could not be redeemed in any way. An attempt to ransom such an animal ended with both animals being dedicated to God: Leviticus 27:9-10 « If it is livestock that is sacrificed to the Lord, then everything that is given to the Lord must be holy: it must not be exchanged and replaced good with bad, or bad with good; if anyone replaces cattle with cattle, then it and its replacement will be a shrine ».

6. A sign of a vow made to God
According to the law, after fulfilling the vow of abstinence, a person had to shave his head. This is stated in Numbers 6:19-20. In the New Testament, examples of shaving the head after fulfilling a vow are given in Acts 18:18 « Paul, having stayed quite a few days, took leave of the brethren and sailed to Syria, and with him Aquila and Priscilla, having shaved his head in Cenchrea, according to a vow "and in Acts 21:23-24 « Do what we tell you: we have four people who have vow. Having taken them, purify yourself with them, and bear the cost of the sacrifice for them, so that cut their head, and everyone will know that what they have heard about you is unfair, but that you yourself continue to keep the law».

IV. VOWS TO GOD AND TODAY

As noted above, the Law did not require people to make vows to God. However, the Word of God calls us to turn to the Lord in prayer for help and make vows to Him, and after answering the prayer, to render to the Lord what we promised with the vow: Psalm 75:12 « Do And make vows to the Lord, to your God; let all who are around Him bring gifts to the Terrible One».
Question: Why does the Lord call us in His Word to make vows to Him?
Answer:

• Because the Lord wants us to test our faith and the power of prayer and through this grow spiritually: Job 22:27 « You will pray to Him, and He will hear you, and you will fulfill your vows »;
• So that we may experience the faithfulness of the Lord and glorify Him for answered prayers and benefits shown to us: Psalm 49:14-15 « Sacrifice praise to God and pay your vows to the Most High, and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will glorify Me»;
• So that we can testify to others about a God who answers our prayers: Psalm 65:13-16 « I will enter Your house with burnt offerings, I will pay you my vows which my mouth has uttered and my tongue has spoken in my affliction. I will offer you fat burnt offerings with the incense of the fat of rams, I will sacrifice oxen and goats. Come, listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what He has done for my soul.»;

The vow may be integral part our daily worship of God, as was the case with King David: Psalm 60:9 « And I will sing to Your name forever, fulfilling my vows every day».
A vow can also be an annual act, as was the case with Elkanah: 1 Samuel 1:21 « And her husband Elkanah and all his family went to offer an annual sacrifice to the Lord and your vows ».

Another example of a biblical vow that people make to the Lord today is the vow of allegiance to God, sealed by water baptism. By receiving water baptism, a person makes a vow to the Lord to live and serve God in a good conscience. This is how it is said in 1 Peter 3:21 « So we too now have a baptism similar to this image, not the washing of carnal uncleanness, but promise to God of a good conscience, saves by the resurrection of Jesus Christ».

Today many people, falling into difficult situations, turn to God for help and make all sorts of vows (promises) to Him: “ Lord, if you help me and do this and that, then I will do this and that for you and give you such and such" The Lord answers and blesses them, but they forget about their vow to God, and then they wonder why the Lord no longer hears their prayers and does not answer their requests.

The solution to this problem is very simple: Do not lie to God and do not rob Him,

then He will answer your prayers differently!

A vow is a voluntary commitment or promise made to God. Usually a vow is made on the condition that they receive special favors from God.

1). Man is aware of his complete dependence on the will of God and the fact that he is obliged to thank Him;

2). He realizes that the vow is completely legal;

3). He realizes that the vow is acceptable to God;

4). He realizes that the vow contributes to his spiritual growth.

Only those who have a sound mind can make a vow. A vow can only be made after mature reflection. Since a vow is an act of worship, it should not be taken thoughtlessly. Finally, the vow is made voluntarily, without coercion.

Is the vow legal? Opinions on this matter almost never differ. That it is legal is clear from the following considerations. First, by its nature it is a promise to God. It can be an expression of gratitude for what has already been given to a person, or a promise to give thanks for some desired benefit, if God is pleased to grant it. Jacob promised that if God would return him to his father's house, he would give Yahweh a tenth of what he had. Throughout the Bible, especially in the Psalms, there are many examples of such vows expressing gratitude to God. Secondly, the vow is legal because the Bible provides many evidences that vows were strictly kept. This is strong evidence that in certain situations the vow is acceptable in the eyes of God.

“It is better for you not to promise, than to promise and not keep” Eccl. (5:4).

Thirdly, the validity of the vow is evident from the fact that the baptismal covenant is of the nature of a vow. An element of vow is clearly implied in the celebration of the Lord's Supper. In both sacraments, the believer devotes himself to Christ and takes a vow of fidelity to him. This also applies to the marriage contract - those getting married make promises not only to each other, but also to God. A vow should never be made thoughtlessly. This is shown with particular force in the example of Jephthah (Judg. 11:1-40) and is clearly formulated in Proverbs (20:25) “It is a snare for a man to make hasty a vow, and after the vow to consider it.”

One young Christian mother, having received her first child in her arms, with deep reverence made a vow to God to raise him with early childhood in the teaching and admonition of the Lord.

Every evening, having prepared the baby for the night, the mother knelt down to pray and at this time, as she held both the child’s hands in one hand, covered the baby’s eyes with her other hand and prayed that the Lord, who loves children, would preserve and bless her child. .

When the baby was strong enough, the mother sat him on the bed and pressed his cheek to hers, always covering his eyes with one hand, and while the other hand held the child’s hands, and so she prayed constantly.

After some time, the child became very ill. His mother, doctor and all his relatives made every effort to save his life. He was still too small to say where and what hurt him, and when after some time he calmed down, the doctor said: “I think that the danger has passed, and if the child now falls asleep, then nature will do the rest.” .

But the child’s eyes were still looking for something, and his little hands stretched forward. His mother leaned towards him and asked: “What do you want, my baby?”

Immediately both hands found themselves in the mother’s hand, the head pressed against her cheek, and the eyes closed. For a moment everything was quiet, because the mother thought that it would be awkward to pray in the presence of the doctor. But the child’s blue eyes opened again, his little hands firmly grabbed his mother’s hand, and the animated babble of a pleasant child’s voice broke the silence.

“He wants something,” said the doctor, “you don’t know what?”

Then the mother with tears remembered the vow she had made to God. Without shame, she knelt down and said a few short words of prayer, and the child immediately fell asleep. The doctor standing here had tears in his eyes, and, placing his hand on the head of the praying mother, he said:

“I wish every child would grow up like your child.”

And what a great blessing it is when mothers, when raising their children, make a vow to God to raise them according to the Word of God!

ADVICE FOR PARENTS WHEN RAISING CHILDREN.

1. Be what you want your children to become.

2. What you demand from children, do it yourself.

3. Whatever you forbid your children, you too should refuse.

4. Be an example for children not only when they see or hear you, but also in their absence.

5. Having noticed the shortcomings of children, pay attention to your actions, your words and actions.

6. Having discovered shortcomings and mistakes in your life, try to correct yourself, and then correct your children.

7. Remember that what surrounds you is often nothing more than a reflection of your inner “I”.

8. If you daily seek purification from the Lord through repentance and prayer, then you daily remain in communion with Him, and with you, your children.

9. If in Everyday life The Lord guides you, then the children will be all the more willing to obey your leadership.

10. The more obedient you are to God, the more obedience your children will show you.

11. Just as educators begin to neglect society with the Lord, so neglect of the instructions and advice of their parents begins to take root in children.

12. Every barrier between educators and the Lord is great harm For spiritual development children.

13. The example of the life of parents without reasonable love for children is like the light of love for children, which, although it shines, does not warm. An example combined with heartfelt love in the Holy Spirit for children is like the light of the sun, which shines and warms, and makes life full of pure and holy joy.

The most reliable and in a fast way Receiving help from the Lord is a vow made to God, which in no case can be broken. Unfortunately, when I was an absolutely unbeliever, I did not know about this spiritual law and almost paid with my life in the prime of my life.

And it was like that. In the 90s of the last century, alcoholic drinks in retail trade were mostly of unknown origin. You can quickly become an alcoholic or even die from surrogate drink if you don’t get hungover in time. One day, after a week-long binge, when I was tired of another binge, out of despair I turned to God with these words: “Lord! Help me to stop, and for this I will go to church and light a candle.” The next morning, as usual, I got a hangover in the morning to improve my health and I stopped there.

The first week of sobriety passes, the second, and I forgot about my promise and did not think of looking into the temple, taking credit for someone else’s merit. At that time he worked as a loader at a grain receiving enterprise, he was physically healthy and resilient. There seemed to be no force that could bring me to my knees. On Saturday, according to tradition, I went to my bathhouse to steam and wash off the dirt from my body. He gave up his parka and climbed onto the shelves. I took a deep breath and oh horror! - I can’t breathe out. It was as if someone had punched me in the gut with all their might. I crawled out on my knees into the street in what my mother gave birth to and it seemed like an eternity passed before life-saving air began to enter my body.

The next morning I ran to church to fulfill my promise to God. The Lord does not feel sorry for anything for us, but we must think carefully before entering into a verbal agreement with the Almighty.

I had another vow to God, which the bishop later withdrew. Only the archpastor has the right to free us from wrong promises. When my wife’s 80-year-old mother became seriously ill and was dying, she made a vow to God if her mother-in-law recovered, she would become a monk in the world. For the sake of such a promise, the Lord gave my mother several more years of life, and the author of these words whole year fought off the furious attacks of his wife, who demanded the fulfillment of marital duties. In fact, due to my frivolity, I doomed my other half to physical suffering, although I gave her the go-ahead to “go outside.” After removing the wrong vow (mutual consent is needed), he again became an ordinary layman, of little interest to God. When you're in your seventh decade, every day can be your last. I would like to appear before God's court in an angelic form, i.e. become a monk, as even boyars and princes did in the old days. And just recently, my wife became so ill that she was taken by ambulance to intensive care. There was almost no chance of survival. It would seem that the death of my wife would open the way for me to the monastery. The prospect of a widower did not suit me and I came to the chapel of the Great Martyr St. George the Victorious, knelt before the icons and with bitter sobs asked God to heal my wife in exchange for giving up alcohol and intimacy with women, including my wife, for the rest of my life. Doctors were never able to find the cause of my significant other’s terrible illness. God bless! Now she is in full health, goes to prayer in the chapel and thanks the Lord for her miraculous healing. Only when his wife felt absolutely healthy did he confess his vows to God. My wife cried and cried about the lost earthly pleasure and resigned herself.

The point of this story is to suggest to new readers a proven and reliable way to get quick help in hopeless situations. life situations and protect you from serious mistakes. Your confession does not matter to the Lord, as long as after a difficult trial you correct your sinful life and come to the correct faith. Before you make a vow to God, you need to think carefully about the possibility of fulfilling your promise.

God is merciful to all people, even to fools. I was already twenty years old when I started smoking. I smoked two packs a day. And in just three years he managed to deteriorate his health to such an extent that he began to choke when walking. To continue on my way, I had to stop and take several deep breaths.

I realized that I was killing myself. But I also understood that I didn’t have the willpower to quit this bad habit. And then I decided to resort to military stratagem. Around the same period, I had just come to the Church. And I read in letters from St. Ambrose, how he reproaches his spiritual daughter for making a vow to God. He wrote to her something like this: there is no need to make vows, there are commandments - keep them, God does not demand more than the commandments from anyone. But if you dare to make a vow, be sure to fulfill it. Otherwise, there will be trouble.

I read this and came up with this slightly crafty way to combat my own smoking. In the morning I woke up and smoked my first cigarette with pleasure. Then he stood in front of the icon and said: “Lord, I promise that today I will not smoke again.”

My logic was approximately the following: I am not able to completely quit smoking. And I can’t give up on this matter for a week. And for three days too. And even two. But I can endure at least one day without this poison? I'm not a completely weak-willed creature after all! However, even for such a small effort I needed additional incentive; my failing health was not enough. And I decided every morning to make a vow to God that I would not smoke until the end of the day, that is, until 24.00.

Now it looks funny, and even stupid. But then I was not laughing at all.

The school day flew by quickly. And in the evening my little personal nightmare began. I suddenly quietly began to hate all smokers. I could smell cigarette smoke almost from the next floor. He growled at everyone who tried to light a cigarette nearby and stared at the dial wristwatch. But then midnight came. The chimes began to play on the radio. While they were ringing, breaking matches with trembling fingers, I lit a cigarette, took a long-awaited puff, and... Instead of the expected pleasure, I got a very strange effect. No, from a physiological point of view, everything happened as usual - the usual wave of nicotine rushed through the body. But this time for some reason I didn’t perceive it as pleasure. Something was felt, there were some sensations, yes. But I kind of watched them from the side, without participating in the process. And only one thought was spinning in my head: “So what? For this reason, have you been rushing about all evening, losing your human appearance?”

The next day everything was repeated exactly: I smoked a morning cigarette, promised God that I wouldn’t smoke again today, and endured it until twelve o’clock at night, wrapping my nerves around my fist. Then, as the chimes struck, he broke his matches and lit a cigarette. And again I felt that the coveted nicotine high was passing me by. And the same thought sounded in the stupid head: “What? Did you suffer so much for these goosebumps?”

On the third day, having waited until midnight, I grabbed matches, took out a cigarette, and... And - I didn’t light it. He turned it over in his hands, looked at it in surprise, and put it aside. And I never smoked again in all the twenty-three years that have passed since then. If someone had told me at that time that I could quit smoking forever in three days, I wouldn’t even laugh at such nonsense.

A stupid way, of course, what can I say... But thanks to him, I was convinced then that God is merciful to all people. Even to those as clueless as me.