Its really hard sometimes.

[Tirithon]

I'm a 17 year old male.. I've been a Christian my entire life. I've been off and on about God for the past 4 years. There is no doubt in my mind that God exists, or that I SHOULD follow him.. But every time I do, I just end up straying away, and things get worse and worse. My Dad was a truck driver and my mom is a stay at home mom, But 2 years ago my dad died in a truck accident and we we're left with life insurence income that has got us this far.. but its running out, and I recently lost my job about 2 months ago, I feel horrible for having to mooch gas money off my mom because she doesnt have a Job either.. I've been praying that God will help me to find a job.. but no one seems to be hiring now. On top of that, one of the only things i enjoy doing, is playing music. I want to play music like Flyleaf, and Skillet, in a Christian band.. But the only people I ever meet that want to play music like that, aren't christian, and I end up falling in with them. I'm sick of going through a bunch of secular bands, because it always ends with me feeling empty. I've prayed that God will help me to find the right people, to make music for Him, in His name, but ive been looking for that for almost 3 years.. I'm just starting to lose faith.. I know I shouldn't be.. but it's just really hard, going through the same routine every day..
Im just looking for any job in the world so I can help my mom pay for stuff and a group of christians that would like to write christian music with me, not asking to make it big or anything.. if it happened, cool. But just for fun..
It just doesnt seem like what i'm asking should be hard.. but its been almost impossible. I've prayed and prayed.. I dont know what i'm doing wrong.

 

[bsd31]

I'm a 17 year old male.. I've been a Christian my entire life. I've been off and on about God for the past 4 years. There is no doubt in my mind that God exists, or that I SHOULD follow him.. But every time I do, I just end up straying away, and things get worse and worse. My Dad was a truck driver and my mom is a stay at home mom, But 2 years ago my dad died in a truck accident and we we're left with life insurence income that has got us this far.. but its running out, and I recently lost my job about 2 months ago, I feel horrible for having to mooch gas money off my mom because she doesnt have a Job either.. I've been praying that God will help me to find a job.. but no one seems to be hiring now. On top of that, one of the only things i enjoy doing, is playing music. I want to play music like Flyleaf, and Skillet, in a Christian band.. But the only people I ever meet that want to play music like that, aren't christian, and I end up falling in with them. I'm sick of going through a bunch of secular bands, because it always ends with me feeling empty. I've prayed that God will help me to find the right people, to make music for Him, in His name, but ive been looking for that for almost 3 years.. I'm just starting to lose faith.. I know I shouldn't be.. but it's just really hard, going through the same routine every day..
Im just looking for any job in the world so I can help my mom pay for stuff and a group of christians that would like to write christian music with me, not asking to make it big or anything.. if it happened, cool. But just for fun..
It just doesnt seem like what i'm asking should be hard.. but its been almost impossible. I've prayed and prayed.. I dont know what i'm doing wrong.

Just dropping in to offer prayer and encouragement. Also is there no one else in your youth group, or young adults who is interested in making music for the Lord? Even people who don't know how that can learn...?

 

[Tirithon]

I don't interact with my youth group very much, because I'm shy, and they don't talk to me because I the way i dress.. Although i do know about them, some are musically talented but they are already in full bands that are playing places

 

[Valerian Red]

I'm chipping in a prayer for you too. God is the creator of all good ideas, the author of second and third etc. chances, the shamer of the proud and superficial. I'm going to guess you're in a small town if dressing like a musician is keeping you from fellowship with all the young Christians. Maybe get involved in a larger town gathering where visual diversity isn't unpardonable. Keep asking God what He wants for you. We know He has a plan for you. I'm praying for you right now, I'm visualizing you taking long walks alone at night in quiet areas away from nightlife and asking Him to take you beyond your wildest dreams. And start making a list of all the things you can do to contact a good band that plays or would be willing to play your music. This recession won't last forever. Will you be ready for the prosperity He wants for you? Intense blessings to you and your mom. You are in a tough spot but God is bigger. Keep in touch.

 

[Gym]

God can do anything, remember this.

 

[EGoldstein]

Stop beating yourself up because ::SPOILER ALERT:: there is no god. Keep in mind that the god you are trying to follow has killed little kids numerous times (the flood, the story of Jericho, the Israelites attacking the Midianites, and many more) and has even accepted human sacrifices (look up the story of Jephthath's daughter). If there is a god he couldn't care less about you, your family, or anyone else but himself. To paraphrase Richard Dawkins "The Universe looks exactly as we should expect the Universe to look if there were no god." Truthfully examine the evidence without bias and you will find none for the existence of god.

 

[aiki]

I'm a 17 year old male.. I've been a Christian my entire life.

Um, unless you think you were born a Christian, this isn't quite right, is it? What do you really mean here?

I've been off and on about God for the past 4 years. There is no doubt in my mind that God exists, or that I SHOULD follow him.. But every time I do, I just end up straying away, and things get worse and worse.

Well, its a good thing God isn't on and off again about you, eh? If you're one of His, He has promised that He will "never leave you, nor forsake you." You know, every time a Christian strays from God its because there is a love issue. So, what's affecting your love for God? Any ideas?

God has made us a promise that when we stray from Him and into sin - which is always where we go when we stray - that death follows. Not necessarily death of your body, but death of peace, and joy, and contentment with God. Sometimes, like the Prodigal Son, we have to taste the bitterness of sin's wages before we stop straying. I can tell you, though, that sin always takes you farther than you want to go and costs you more than you ever want to pay. The wages of sin are bitter indeed!

But 2 years ago my dad died in a truck accident and we we're left with life insurence income that has got us this far.. but its running out, and I recently lost my job about 2 months ago, I feel horrible for having to mooch gas money off my mom because she doesnt have a Job either.. I've been praying that God will help me to find a job.. but no one seems to be hiring now.

I'm very sorry to hear about your Dad. And when it rains, it pours, eh? Sounds like you're in a pretty sucky place right now. I think talking to God about your situation is the best tack to take, but if you're not walking right with Him, its gonna' limit what'll go on between Him and you. When you aren't walking right with God there's a barrier between the two of you that can only be brought down by your confession of and repentance from your sinful choice to stray from your Heavenly Father.

I've prayed that God will help me to find the right people, to make music for Him, in His name, but ive been looking for that for almost 3 years.. I'm just starting to lose faith.. I know I shouldn't be.. but it's just really hard, going through the same routine every day..

But you said you were "on and off" with God, which is really gonna' mess up your fellowship with Him. And if your fellowship is messed up, its gonna be impossible to hear God clearly - or at all. Sometimes we're looking for God's specific will for us, but we intend that it be our will. In other words, we choose a path for ourselves based on what we like and want rather than on what God may want for us. Are you willing for God to take you in a completely different direction from the musical one? If you aren't, then you really aren't ready to hear from God, are you?

Sometimes, too, we are wanting God to tell us exactly what He wants us specifically to do, but we aren't doing those things He has told everyone to do. It doesn't seem likely to me that God is going to give you specific instructions when you are ignoring His general ones.

I'm just looking for any job in the world so I can help my mom pay for stuff and a group of christians that would like to write christian music with me, not asking to make it big or anything.. if it happened, cool. But just for fun..
It just doesnt seem like what i'm asking should be hard.. but its been almost impossible. I've prayed and prayed.. I dont know what i'm doing wrong.

Maybe you're asking for the wrong things. Or, like I've suggested above, your sin is creating a barrier between you and God and this is affecting His willingness to answer your requests.

Peace.

 

[aiki]

EGoldstein:

You are NOT a Christian "offering support to non-Christians," which is the clearly stated purpose of this forum. The OP didn't come to this forum to hear from an atheist with a theological axe to grind. Stop flaunting the rules of this forum.

 

[MLEN]

EGoldstein:

You are NOT a Christian "offering support to non-Christians," which is the clearly stated purpose of this forum.

EGoldstein, I have to ditto aiki's response to you and ask that you kindly respect the purpose of this forum.

Titrithon: If you have accepted Christ into your life and heart, you will be guided by God into his purpose for you as you seek after him will all of your heart. Sticking with music that draws other to Christ would be where you would best serve him as one of his children - for we are commissioned as Christians to do all to his glory. I will keep you in my prayers that he will lead you onto the awesome path that he has in store for you during this crossroads period in your life.

As you ask him for guidance, be opened to doing his perfect will (which may indeed be different from what you would like to do right now). His plan is the best plan and if you follow it when he reveals it to you, you will not regret it.

 

[salida]

Please don't lose hope in God because you are going through a deep valley. I have been through a few deep valleys and they haven't gone away. I got closer to God because of them. I'm always fighting my medical condition, I don't have a job now and sometimes there are financial issues.

 

[salida]

Have you asked the youth who are in other bands -if somehow you could fit in somewhere? Be aggressive with prayer and don't be shy. Have you thought of advertising on craigs list for a musician? Have you talked to your pastor? Reach out to someone - its survival we are talking about. God will honor your efforts. Maybe continue to keep applying for a general labor job and play at the side as you and your mom need money in general. Do actions with prayer.

 

[Bain_Adaneth]

Hi Tirithon,

I can see where you're coming from. I used to be in the praise n woship team at my church too. I think the important thing to know is, to believe in God. Have genuine belief and faith in Him. When you got that down, everything will be moving smoothly, if not in physical life, then in spiritual life. You cannot have genuine faith if you doubt Him. The scripture shows us that we must examine ourselves to see if we are really in the faith. If not, then we must seek Him with all our hearts, so we will find Him. We must seek for the Truth, hear the gospel, believe and be saved.
Another thing is that, our prayers are not always what God wills. When you pray for something that is not in His will, it will not be given. Sometimes, He does allow us to have what we want, only to find out that we've made a mistake because it was not what God wanted for us, but what we wanted instead. Also another thing is, if we are living in sin or disobedience, He will not listen to us.


-Adaneth

I'm a 17 year old male.. I've been a Christian my entire life. I've been off and on about God for the past 4 years. There is no doubt in my mind that God exists, or that I SHOULD follow him.. But every time I do, I just end up straying away, and things get worse and worse. My Dad was a truck driver and my mom is a stay at home mom, But 2 years ago my dad died in a truck accident and we we're left with life insurence income that has got us this far.. but its running out, and I recently lost my job about 2 months ago, I feel horrible for having to mooch gas money off my mom because she doesnt have a Job either.. I've been praying that God will help me to find a job.. but no one seems to be hiring now. On top of that, one of the only things i enjoy doing, is playing music. I want to play music like Flyleaf, and Skillet, in a Christian band.. But the only people I ever meet that want to play music like that, aren't christian, and I end up falling in with them. I'm sick of going through a bunch of secular bands, because it always ends with me feeling empty. I've prayed that God will help me to find the right people, to make music for Him, in His name, but ive been looking for that for almost 3 years.. I'm just starting to lose faith.. I know I shouldn't be.. but it's just really hard, going through the same routine every day..
Im just looking for any job in the world so I can help my mom pay for stuff and a group of christians that would like to write christian music with me, not asking to make it big or anything.. if it happened, cool. But just for fun..
It just doesnt seem like what i'm asking should be hard.. but its been almost impossible. I've prayed and prayed.. I dont know what i'm doing wrong.