{"id":88099,"date":"2025-06-24T21:30:34","date_gmt":"2025-06-25T02:30:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=88099"},"modified":"2025-06-24T21:30:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-25T02:30:34","slug":"i-think-i-should-dedicate-every-use-of-my-car-to-my-grandmother","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/i-think-i-should-dedicate-every-use-of-my-car-to-my-grandmother\/","title":{"rendered":"I think I should dedicate every use of my car to my grandmother"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t

Question:<\/h2>\n

Good evening,<\/p>\n

I’ve been diagnosed with OCD.<\/p>\n

I’ve been struggling with promises to God for a long time, but now I’ve a problem with one, I suppose I did five years ago. While I was trying to get my driving license, the month before the driving exam, I probably made a promise to always be perfect in respecting the rules on the streets. However, I don’t exactly remember if I also made a promise to “dedicate” the fact of having succeeded in the exam to my dead grandma (this kind of topic, making promises to “dedicate something” to my grandma, was pretty frequent). I’m unsure whether this promise should be considered binding or not. Also, I should add that the exam date coincided with the anniversary of her death, but I failed the exam. When I tried again, the exam was scheduled for months later (I passed it and obtained my driving license). In the meantime, since I had failed, I attempted to modify the promise, making it less challenging to follow. Now I try following the street rules, and it doesn’t bother me, but I fear I should “dedicate” every use of my car to my grandma. With “dedicate” I mean that every action I make connected with something “dedicated” to my grandma, and also the consequences and consequences of consequences, must be pure and sinless. I hope I was clear in describing everything, and I hope you help me.<\/p>\n\t

Answer:<\/h2>\n

I’m not sure what kind of help you’re looking for.<\/p>\n

I agree you have OCD. You are doing things compulsively and, like most sufferers of OCD, you think you are bound, but you are not sure what you have bound yourself to do.<\/p>\n

I understand you miss your grandmother, but she is no longer in this world. She doesn’t know what is going on here. “For the living know that they will die; but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished;\u00a0nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun<\/strong><\/em>” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6). Whether you dedicate your driving to her doesn’t make any difference to her or anyone else. Even if you made some vow, it was a foolish one since it is empty.<\/p>\n

In a sense, you’ve made a god out of your grandmother. Such is contrary to the worship of God. It is God who controls your life, not your grandmother.<\/p>\n

For more on OCD, see:<\/p>\n