Feeling Lost

kylef · #21 5th November 2009, 07:21 PM

Originally Posted by Godschild87

Not really. There's an area of Christianity devoted to apologetics, which deals largely with logic. I am involved in apologetics myself. Perhaps I can be of some assistance if you're struggling with the logical side of Christianity.

That'd be great. One of the fundamental questions that I have has been asked for centuries. I know that God exists outside of time (I understand that logic) but the whole creator of the creator argument still leaves me in doubt as to how God, well, existed (and still exists) in the first place.

I hadn't even heard of apologetics prior to this, it sounds exactly like what I need to inform myself about. The more you know, the more you don't know!

Thanks

rahmiyn · #22 5th November 2009, 07:33 PM

Originally Posted by kylef

I'm eighteen, and for the past year or two I had never really thought about God .. just followed the usual routine of Church and prayer of thanks etc. But it's hit me that I just don't have the faith that I want to have.

I look at my brother, mother, grandfather and grandmother, uncle, aunt, cousins - I can really 'see' their faith. And I just feel so lost. For instance today, my cousins showed me some photos and videos of their missionary trips to Burkina Faso. It was great to see them (especially considering I thought it was going to be a drag!) and I really feel as if God is with them.

I can't say the same for me. I make a point of attending church and listening to what the minister has to say; reading the Bible and [trying to] understand what I can of it. I'm hoping that this step, creating this post, will help along what is a long path, with great glory at the end.

When it comes to prayer, I struggle. When I do pray, I seek guidance and I just don't feel as if it's getting anywhere. When I don't pray at night, I feel so lost yet wonder "will it make a difference?"

Any advice is much welcomed, however repetitive or dry-sounding. I'm in a, in words of my minister, a spiritual no-mans' land. I can't go back knowing that salvation lies ahead; but I can't seem to make any forward progress.

I appreciate any advice you have, from both Christian and non-Christian views.

I went through exactly what you are going through when I was the same age. Now, in retrospect, I believe it was God calling me into a deeper walk with Him. I was just like you, active in church, even playing the guitar for our youth group, belonged to young discipleship groups, read the Bible, even prayed for others, but deep down inside, I struggled with the truth that I just didn't believe in it all, not like others appeared to.

The best advice I can give is to pray. All alone one day, I fell to my knees and I prayed for the faith that the apostles had remembering that they went from the worst of non-believers, timid, afraid and hiding when Jesus was arrested and crucified to men willing to be martyred for their faith.

I wanted that, and I began praying for it. The first thing the Lord led me to do afterwards was to read the Bible all the way through, but this time to pray for His eyes, for His guidance so that I would read the Word, the message He intended for us to hear.

I found that life-changing in and of itself.

Don't give up. The faith He gave me has sustained me all these years (I'm in my fifties now). It has never wavered and only grows more powerful with each passing year. It was even able to sustain me when Christian ministries I was a part of fell apart. My eyes and ears, I realized, had moved from those around me directly onto Him.

My guess is He has something very special in mind for you, a ministry perhaps, or simply a voice for Him where you are, but He needs you to open your heart to Him in a way you never have before.

God bless you in this journey. I will keep you in my prayers.

Jaws13 · #23 5th November 2009, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by kylef

That'd be great. One of the fundamental questions that I have has been asked for centuries. I know that God exists outside of time (I understand that logic) but the whole creator of the creator argument still leaves me in doubt as to how God, well, existed (and still exists) in the first place.

I hadn't even heard of apologetics prior to this, it sounds exactly like what I need to inform myself about. The more you know, the more you don't know!

Thanks

That's certainly true in apologetics. True, the design argument points to a designer, but not necessarily to the God of the Bible. That's why I don't use it. What do you mean when you ask 'how God exists'?

Rather, it is the Bible that points to God. That seems a bit simplistic when you read it, but what is required to make that statement makes it what is likely the most monumental argument in terms of evidence it needs to support the idea. It's a more historical and archeological approach, and that's why I like it. I'm a bit of a history nut. It begins with the idea that the Bible is reliable and authoritative: a good eyewitness account, in other words. Lee Strobel, while I hate to use his arguments, has a good compilation of information in his book Case for Christ. Going far deeper than Strobel is Craig Blomberg in The Reliability of John and The Reliability of the Gospels. An even better compilation for general information is The Apologetics Study Bible.

Surprised by Faith speaks more to the philosophical side of Christianity, and from what I've read thus far is a great book.

spr · #24 6th November 2009, 08:15 PM

All this talk of logic is tiresome. What is logical about the resurrection of the dead? God defies logic, and the more you try to understand the less you will. And how is it that your minister has declared that you are in a spiritual no man's land? Is that his idea of edification?

Jaws13 · #25 8th November 2009, 05:27 PM

Originally Posted by spr

All this talk of logic is tiresome. What is logical about the resurrection of the dead?

Everything, when you take the metaphysical as a real thing. It's just not a scientific possibility...

kylef · #26 27th December 2009, 08:35 PM

It's been quite a while.

A lot has changed in these past months, but my faith is still weak if not non-existant. I'm reading The Bible (not nearly enough) and am trying to understand it. But at the minute, and where I am (Numbers) - I'm more fearing God than I am knowing him (and as I understand, both are essential).

The Apologetics scene has given me hopes. I don't know why I wasted so much time, but I'm finally starting to look into a side of Christianity that my logical brain may be able to comprehend. My fundamental problem still stands - I just can't "believe". I feel as if I'm one door away but I just don't have the key or, perhaps more relevantly, don't have the ability to knock.

I appreciate any suggestions you have. Time is, in its most literal sense, running against me. I'm left wondering whether the recent events in my life were for the better or as a test (not that the two can't correlate), and when I think about it this way - it just makes me feel more out of touch.

Edit: I read an interesting latin phrase earlier here, "crudo et intelligum" (forgive any mistakes, translates to: believe so that you will understand) - it's got me wondering, I'm doing the opposite. Understanding so that I believe.

Revived · #27 27th December 2009, 09:07 PM

Kylef,

Do yourself a favor and get a copy of this book...

Amazon.com: Have a Little Faith: A True Story (9780786868728): Mitch Albom: Books

As one of the reviews has stated, This Book Should be One of the Requirements of Life.

ArteestX · #28 28th December 2009, 01:20 AM

Originally Posted by kylef

A lot has changed in these past months, but my faith is still weak if not non-existant. I'm reading The Bible (not nearly enough) and am trying to understand it. But at the minute, and where I am (Numbers) - I'm more fearing God than I am knowing him (and as I understand, both are essential)......My fundamental problem still stands - I just can't "believe". I feel as if I'm one door away but I just don't have the key or, perhaps more relevantly, don't have the ability to knock.

In your initial post, you had asked for non-Christian feedback, so I thought I'd throw some thoughts in. First of all, let me say up front that I'm atheist (in that I don't *know* whether there's a God or not, but I seriously doubt it) and that I'm religious (in that I belong to a Unitarian Universalist church and attend regularly).

For me, I find that when I keep doing the same things over and over again but still coming up short, then perhaps it's time to try something different. I get the impression that you're doing a lot of reading and studying and thinking about Christianity, the nature of God, and so forth. And that's all good, don't stop. But it is possible to get "stuck in your own head," so to speak. As much as I think logic can and must be used in your spiritual journey, faith isn't a question that can be ultimately answered by logic.

My suggestion to you, since you said you see others' faith through their missionary work, is to go out and do something. You don't have to be Christian to donate time. Go work at a local food pantry. Spend Saturday morning doing work for Habitat for Humanity. Find some local group that's doing something worthwhile and that you can lend a hand at, and then lend that hand. Faith isn't merely something to be studied, it's something to be lived. It's something to experience. Get out of your head, and look outward. Spend time doing something to help others. Maybe you will find the Christian faith that others here talk about. Maybe you will find something else, I don't know. But that'd be my suggestion to you.

woundedsoldier · #29 28th December 2009, 06:08 AM

Kylef,

I am sorry to hear you are going through what sounds like a crisis of faith. Let me ask you a question. Do you understand you are a sinner? Have you asked Christ into your heart? If so, that is settled! The bible says you are sealed by the Holy Spirit, in the Father's hand, and "no man can take you out of the Father's hand."

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. I John 3:20,21

Have you ever thought that perhaps this crisis of faith is an invitation from God for a more intimate relationship with Him? I'll tell you what I learned to do when I was in a similar situation. Like a lot of people have been sharing with you, pray. When I was going through a simiar crisis of faith I shared with God the doubts and fears I was having. I told him what mattered to me. I started praying more specifiaclly for my needs. Eventually it became habit to go to God with my requests because I started to see that many times he was only waiting for me to ask before he would answer. I want to challeng you to try this for a while, believing God hears, and just wait to see how he shows up in your life. God may not always aswer the way you want, but he can give you the heart to accept what is best.

On another note, it sounds like you are being oppressed by a spirit of doubt. THAT IS NOT FROM GOD. Have you asked yourself why? Because if you ever get ahold of the truth of the intimacy you can share with God, your Father, you could be unstoppable! The last thing the devil needs is a Christian who walks with God and shares with him.

"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." I Peter 5:8

The kind of faith the devil does not want you to have--"He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved." Psalm 62:6

By the way, don't try reading the bible through from the beginning. I get scarred doing that too! Try picking up at one of the gospels, maybe Mark or John. And read Psalms. A preacher once told me that a Psalm sets the attitude of prayer.

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." Rom 15:13

kylef · #30 28th December 2009, 05:28 PM

Thanks for the book suggestion

Originally Posted by ArteestX

In your initial post, you had asked for non-Christian feedback, so I thought I'd throw some thoughts in. First of all, let me say up front that I'm atheist (in that I don't *know* whether there's a God or not, but I seriously doubt it) and that I'm religious (in that I belong to a Unitarian Universalist church and attend regularly).

For me, I find that when I keep doing the same things over and over again but still coming up short, then perhaps it's time to try something different. I get the impression that you're doing a lot of reading and studying and thinking about Christianity, the nature of God, and so forth. And that's all good, don't stop. But it is possible to get "stuck in your own head," so to speak. As much as I think logic can and must be used in your spiritual journey, faith isn't a question that can be ultimately answered by logic.

My suggestion to you, since you said you see others' faith through their missionary work, is to go out and do something. You don't have to be Christian to donate time. Go work at a local food pantry. Spend Saturday morning doing work for Habitat for Humanity. Find some local group that's doing something worthwhile and that you can lend a hand at, and then lend that hand. Faith isn't merely something to be studied, it's something to be lived. It's something to experience. Get out of your head, and look outward. Spend time doing something to help others. Maybe you will find the Christian faith that others here talk about. Maybe you will find something else, I don't know. But that'd be my suggestion to you.

I've been thinking about a project for a while actually, putting my analytical skills to good use in different prayers. Again, I'm not sure what has been holding me back but you make a good point - something like this, or even some charitable / helpful work, will at least start me doing some good. Perhaps I should really take that first step now. Thank you for your post.

Originally Posted by woundedsoldier

Kylef,

I am sorry to hear you are going through what sounds like a crisis of faith. Let me ask you a question. Do you understand you are a sinner? Have you asked Christ into your heart? If so, that is settled! The bible says you are sealed by the Holy Spirit, in the Father's hand, and "no man can take you out of the Father's hand."

For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. I John 3:20,21

Have you ever thought that perhaps this crisis of faith is an invitation from God for a more intimate relationship with Him? I'll tell you what I learned to do when I was in a similar situation. Like a lot of people have been sharing with you, pray. When I was going through a simiar crisis of faith I shared with God the doubts and fears I was having. I told him what mattered to me. I started praying more specifiaclly for my needs. Eventually it became habit to go to God with my requests because I started to see that many times he was only waiting for me to ask before he would answer. I want to challeng you to try this for a while, believing God hears, and just wait to see how he shows up in your life. God may not always aswer the way you want, but he can give you the heart to accept what is best.

On another note, it sounds like you are being oppressed by a spirit of doubt. THAT IS NOT FROM GOD. Have you asked yourself why? Because if you ever get ahold of the truth of the intimacy you can share with God, your Father, you could be unstoppable! The last thing the devil needs is a Christian who walks with God and shares with him.

The painful thing is - I'm aware very much of my sinful nature. I'm glad to hear you've gone through the same situation with regards to Biblical reading, and that I'm not the only one!

A 'spirit of doubt' is an excellent way of describing my situation. I don't feel a connection when I pray, rather an emptiness be it from talking to God out loud if he is right beside me, or trying to imagine his awe-inspiring power.

Thanks for your post. God bless.