If you want more detail on the second point just let me know.
John
NZ
You said, "God does love you. He loves his creation, even when we were his enemies. His commitment to us is based irrevocably on His love for us, not the other way around. This is a real key for transformation. We tend to live out of our own self image, whereas we are to live out of who we are in Christ - forgiven, loved, blessed, etc."
I get it now.
Cindy
__________________ Who I am does not depend on your opinion of me. Sorry. You might try the next guy.
A barrel of monkeys is not fun at all.........in fact, the thought is quite horrifying.
I've been a christian all my life. And 'believing God loved me' never helped anything. If 'God loving me' was all it took, why was my life so horrendous at times? And if he just 'loved me' then why did he allow so much suffering in my life?
I have to admit that christian pop psychology can set my teeth on edge faster then a lot of other things. God is real. God is love. And God is good. But God is also fair, and tells us that if we don't forgive others all their sins against us, he won't forgive us our sins. If other christians had told me that from the beginning it could have saved me a LOTof pain.
Just press in to him and he'll meet you, don't worry. He's a kind father. However the feelings of not being forgiven probably won't go away (not fully) until you forgive others responsible for your suffering. God can't lie. Either he means what he says or he doesn't. However forgiveness is a process as well and it's a journey I've been on for many years (although it isn't necessarily like that for everyone.) If you want God you'll find him. And he will comfort you. (He'll also enable you to forgive anyone you need to, don't worry.)
In all my suffering God has always been there and when I pushed through, I always came out stronger and wiser. That gives you a lot you can share with others as it accumulates. God is faithful, even when things seem so dark at times. He's never let me down and I've been through so much and I've been a seriously commited christian who's never rebelled or slackened off in my pursuit of God. Ever.
Fluffy christianity can make me want to ........
He's a good God. But that doesn't mean him loving you is going to make all your pain go away. Journeys to healing are exactly that, journeys to healing. But I can vouch for Gods faithfulness (and the whys for all my experiences which I've also come to understand in hindsight) to get you through.
I've been a christian all my life. And 'believing God loved me' never helped anything. If 'God loving me' was all it took, why was my life so horrendous at times? And if he just 'loved me' then why did he allow so much suffering in my life?
I have to admit that christian pop psychology can set my teeth on edge faster then a lot of other things. God is real. God is love. And God is good. But God is also fair, and tells us that if we don't forgive others all their sins against us, he won't forgive us our sins. If other christians had told me that from the beginning it could have saved me a LOTof pain.
Just press in to him and he'll meet you, don't worry. He's a kind father. However the feelings of not being forgiven probably won't go away (not fully) until you forgive others responsible for your suffering. God can't lie. Either he means what he says or he doesn't. However forgiveness is a process as well and it's a journey I've been on for many years (although it isn't necessarily like that for everyone.) If you want God you'll find him. And he will comfort you. (He'll also enable you to forgive anyone you need to, don't worry.)
In all my suffering God has always been there and when I pushed through, I always came out stronger and wiser. That gives you a lot you can share with others as it accumulates. God is faithful, even when things seem so dark at times. He's never let me down and I've been through so much and I've been a seriously commited christian who's never rebelled or slackened off in my pursuit of God. Ever.
Fluffy christianity can make me want to ........
He's a good God. But that doesn't mean him loving you is going to make all your pain go away. Journeys to healing are exactly that, journeys to healing. But I can vouch for Gods faithfulness (and the whys for all my experiences which I've also come to understand in hindsight) to get you through.
My prayers are with you.
Thank you for sharing with me. I am definitely on the road to forgiving people in my life. I still have many more to go though.
Thanks,
Cindy
__________________ Who I am does not depend on your opinion of me. Sorry. You might try the next guy.
A barrel of monkeys is not fun at all.........in fact, the thought is quite horrifying.
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