For New ChristiansThis forum is for new Christians to ask questions and be encouraged by other Christians. Here you can post your questions and talk about issues relating to new believers.
I became born-again Christian about 5 years ago, right before i went to college. By the time I finished college I had been through some serious stuff (enough to make my hair fall out and stop growing). My mother got hurt and I was at school 2000 miles away. There were hate groups on campus drawing swastikas in the snow and bathrooms, etc.
Still, I could handle it if I didn't feel like I was alone in my walk. No one wants to be Christian, no one even acts like one. The world is getting increasingly wickeder and now I know some things that make me feel like there is no hope (some of you know exactly what I mean).
I know there are Christians out there, but they aren't close to one another. I have thought about suicide, but I can't do it... its like I'm spiritually held back (no joke). But, its too difficult to live like this: feeling like you have to take on a whole supernatural army by yourself.
I am being very vague; sorry. But I don't know what to do anymore. My mom wont talk to me because it exhausts her. I don't have any friends I can talk to about this. Just me and God, and I feel like i'm too impatient at times to accept things on God's time. I don't think I fully trust him to be honest: i had been built up and crashed down before. Every time I thing I do something right it turns out being catastrophe. It just really sucks living like this I was wondering if anyone could relate and shed some insight. Ive become quite self-destructive (drugs, alcohol, etc...) because I dont really have any hope, and I dont feel like God will necessarily do anything drastic to help me (not that he cant but he wont).
thanks for your response. I believe God loves me, but i just feel like Im that broken pot the potter God throws out
God doesn't throw people like you out.
__________________ Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar.
- Proverbs 30:5-6
Once the enemy can see a weak spot, he sets his hook - result - you feel unworthy, you feel that God is tired of fooling with you, you feel alone, you feel that no one cares - please know these thoughts are all from the enemy - not from God.
Life is hard no matter which side of the street you are on, but you are never alone. The Bible tells us the Jesus sticks closer than a brother.
Being young in this day is a difficult time - I have 4 children and know exactly what you are going through. I went through it with 2 of our 4 - but they came out of it and we are still friends.
Our decisions we make sometimes makes life more difficult than it needs to be. Until you reach that stage in life you will struggle.
Your walk with the Lord should bring Joy to your life, not downers all the time - that is the enemy. Ask Jesus for the strength to get through this. All that is necessary is for you to ask forgiveness and repent of your wrong doings - then look in the mirror and see yourself as Jesus sees you - your slate will be clean - your sins remembered no more - then pick up your life and move forward with the Joy of the Lord - it is not easy climbing out of that hole - but you can do it.
Call your mom with joy in your voice - tell her to pray for you that you are really trying, don't take problems to her until she has once again started to trust you. This is hard to do, but it can be done.
Just stand up for your faith, you don't have to go around Bible thumping all the time, just live your life hand in hand with Jesus and let the Holy Spirit lead you. It will be a hard road until you can get things straightened out in your life - all the things that we do to hide the pain only causes more pain.
Be a witness and let the light of the LOrd shine through your life - yes this world is getting more and more corrupt - but the Bible tells us this is going to happen in the end times, but the Bible says He will always be with us.
What you're experiencing isn't strange. I've come across many Christians who are fed up with life on account of unfulfilled expectations. I've been there too. The problem lies with the kind of Gospel we were exposed to. We were sold a 'Christ that would solve all our problems and make us happy'. It took me time to find out that I was sold a 'wrong product'. The Christ of the New Testament didn't come to make me rich or happy primarily, but to restore the relationship with the Father. When we make the pursuit of God our primary concern, He'll reveal Himself to us in all His splendour. This is the only cure for mediocrity and unfruitfulness in Christendom
Thank you all for your honest, compassionate and wise responses. I think a big part of my despair is that I felt I was (more or less) alone on earth spiritually. I'm young and I know I have some growing. But I really appreciate you all's patience. I am going to try to keep it together, it is hard, and it is hard to have the faith I know I need, but I will work on it.
I became born-again Christian about 5 years ago, right before i went to college. By the time I finished college I had been through some serious stuff (enough to make my hair fall out and stop growing). My mother got hurt and I was at school 2000 miles away. There were hate groups on campus drawing swastikas in the snow and bathrooms, etc.
Still, I could handle it if I didn't feel like I was alone in my walk. No one wants to be Christian, no one even acts like one. The world is getting increasingly wickeder and now I know some things that make me feel like there is no hope (some of you know exactly what I mean).
I know there are Christians out there, but they aren't close to one another. I have thought about suicide, but I can't do it... its like I'm spiritually held back (no joke). But, its too difficult to live like this: feeling like you have to take on a whole supernatural army by yourself.
I am being very vague; sorry. But I don't know what to do anymore. My mom wont talk to me because it exhausts her. I don't have any friends I can talk to about this. Just me and God, and I feel like i'm too impatient at times to accept things on God's time. I don't think I fully trust him to be honest: i had been built up and crashed down before. Every time I thing I do something right it turns out being catastrophe. It just really sucks living like this I was wondering if anyone could relate and shed some insight. Ive become quite self-destructive (drugs, alcohol, etc...) because I dont really have any hope, and I dont feel like God will necessarily do anything drastic to help me (not that he cant but he wont).
sorry if i offend anyone
You won't meet other Christians using drugs.
Drugs are illegal and most are extremely harmful to you.
Only times when God will not help you is when you are ignoring God. When you ignore God, God ignores you.
On other Christians: hate to tell you but the Free World is full of other Christians. They are all around you. Just because people do not wear Jesus tshirts does not mean they are not Christians. Jesus spoke in parable, and to not offend we often speak the gospel truth in metaphoric terms so others understand and are not offended.
It is critical not to throw out everyone else based on whatever standards you have to do that with. For some they throw out everyone else's claim to belief in Jesus based on such things as "do they go to my small church", and for others, "do they eat meat or wear their hair long or what is their political party" and other such nonsense.
When Christians judge other Christians by such superficial standards they "judge the Law", more specifically, they judge Jesus and His power to save by faith first and faith last. Not by law, but by faith. Deeds and words can be indicators as to whether someone is saved or not, but that is not something which should be taken to the extreme: such as condemning everyone else in the country as being damned and unsaved... for what reason?
That kind of thing does matter to God. He spoke of it often, to not slander, not "think evil in your hearts against one another", and so on.
You do not offend me, but I won't join in with you to throw rocks at everyone else while praising you for failing to believe and find victory through Christ in your own life.
What I am saying here, is: trust me, truth can be hard, but I am telling you the truth, accept it, and it can help you get back on the right road with God again.
I do not personally judge you, rather I see you as being in between a rock and a hard place for your own education so God can pull you out of it. But, how? And do you really want to? How is simple: hold the teachings of Jesus - not someone else - and keep them and live by them.
If anything you should be suspending judgment of others and condemnation and accepting people with all of their differences. Who are you to judge God's servants or children? Does that make you happy to sit in such judgment of others? Of course not.
Why do you do it? Because of things certain people have done against you which you harbor in your heart against them -- and perhaps all "like them"? Then those are your enemies and you need to let go their debts to you, so God will let go your debts to Him. He does not play favorites.
We are asked to 'love our enemies'... who are your enemies, then? The popular kids? The clean cut ones? The Nazis you were talking about? Believe me, I can not stand Neo-Nazis, but they are idiots. Be wary of fear: they are servants of Satan and they want to spread fear - not fear of God - but fear of them and their own wrath.
We should fear God alone.
Challenging, yes, but how challenging was it of Jesus to say on the cross after every single person had left Him, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do"?
If you want peace and joy in your heart... you will only find it by the words of Jesus and following them.
What else in life matters?
Drugs offer a temporary "heaven" at a price and it is an illusion which is here one moment and gone the next.
Yeah, I can relate. I lived in 15 different places before graduating high school. Only two where I really connected with a group of believers.
It can be really tough. Sometimes you have to sustain your connections on just a small number of people sorted out of a bigger church, or online, or something like that. It does feel like you're waiting.
I finally realized, I should be waiting. Waiting on God's table. That meant to me, taking more initiative, going the extra mile, looking for places where people really were grappling with spiritual issues. Not always easy to find.
I don't know if that's what God wants from you. But guaranteed, he can use cracked pots. He's using me.
__________________ "... not an unconcerned sitting of God in heaven, from which He merely observes the things that are done in the world; but that all-active and all-concerned seatedness on His throne above, by which He governs the world which He Himself hath made." John Calvin
To us, O LORD, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.
Drugs are illegal and most are extremely harmful to you.
Only times when God will not help you is when you are ignoring God. When you ignore God, God ignores you.
On other Christians: hate to tell you but the Free World is full of other Christians. They are all around you. Just because people do not wear Jesus tshirts does not mean they are not Christians. Jesus spoke in parable, and to not offend we often speak the gospel truth in metaphoric terms so others understand and are not offended.
It is critical not to throw out everyone else based on whatever standards you have to do that with. For some they throw out everyone else's claim to belief in Jesus based on such things as "do they go to my small church", and for others, "do they eat meat or wear their hair long or what is their political party" and other such nonsense.
When Christians judge other Christians by such superficial standards they "judge the Law", more specifically, they judge Jesus and His power to save by faith first and faith last. Not by law, but by faith. Deeds and words can be indicators as to whether someone is saved or not, but that is not something which should be taken to the extreme: such as condemning everyone else in the country as being damned and unsaved... for what reason?
That kind of thing does matter to God. He spoke of it often, to not slander, not "think evil in your hearts against one another", and so on.
You do not offend me, but I won't join in with you to throw rocks at everyone else while praising you for failing to believe and find victory through Christ in your own life.
What I am saying here, is: trust me, truth can be hard, but I am telling you the truth, accept it, and it can help you get back on the right road with God again.
I do not personally judge you, rather I see you as being in between a rock and a hard place for your own education so God can pull you out of it. But, how? And do you really want to? How is simple: hold the teachings of Jesus - not someone else - and keep them and live by them.
If anything you should be suspending judgment of others and condemnation and accepting people with all of their differences. Who are you to judge God's servants or children? Does that make you happy to sit in such judgment of others? Of course not.
Why do you do it? Because of things certain people have done against you which you harbor in your heart against them -- and perhaps all "like them"? Then those are your enemies and you need to let go their debts to you, so God will let go your debts to Him. He does not play favorites.
We are asked to 'love our enemies'... who are your enemies, then? The popular kids? The clean cut ones? The Nazis you were talking about? Believe me, I can not stand Neo-Nazis, but they are idiots. Be wary of fear: they are servants of Satan and they want to spread fear - not fear of God - but fear of them and their own wrath.
We should fear God alone.
Challenging, yes, but how challenging was it of Jesus to say on the cross after every single person had left Him, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do"?
If you want peace and joy in your heart... you will only find it by the words of Jesus and following them.
What else in life matters?
Drugs offer a temporary "heaven" at a price and it is an illusion which is here one moment and gone the next.
so since im such a raging drug addict, care to supply any info on how to deal with thaT? or are you just going to tell me whats wrong with me, like I hAvent already thought about that, tried to work and change it, and hAVE TROUBLE WITH IT EVERY DAY?
I'm glad you are a strong Christian unlike me. I guess my place is in Hell unless I get my sh*t together right?
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