What do you do when you realize that a life pleasing to God, has no chance of being pleasing to you?

Questioning Brother

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What do you do when you realize that you want NOTHING to do with a life of service, you don't want ANY suffering for ANY reason, you have minimal care about spiritual matters, and you want to be materially wealthy and comfortable? Yet, at the same time, you don't want to go to Hell. How can you reconcile the terrible life that God wants you to live, when it is basically everything you DON'T want in life?
 
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Charlie24

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When one hears the Gospel and realizes they are going in the wrong direction and need Christ as their Saviour, if they accept Him, that person is given the indwelling Holy Spirit.

He is the One that gives the desire to please God. You cannot receive this any other way.

The OP is an example of unbelief, not wanting to believe Christ can give you a better life.
 
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Dave L

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What do you do when you realize that you want NOTHING to do with a life of service, you don't want ANY suffering for ANY reason, you have minimal care about spiritual matters, and you want to be materially wealthy and comfortable? Yet, at the same time, you don't want to go to Hell. How can you reconcile the terrible life that God wants you to live, when it is basically everything you DON'T want in life?
In my case, God is my life. By seeking him first he feeds and clothes me. Provides my income free from greed and ambition. I love the freedom he provides from worldly concerns and entanglements. So from my position the worst that could happen to me is to think the way you do. No offence intended.
 
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HTacianas

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What do you do when you realize that you want NOTHING to do with a life of service, you don't want ANY suffering for ANY reason, you have minimal care about spiritual matters, and you want to be materially wealthy and comfortable? Yet, at the same time, you don't want to go to Hell. How can you reconcile the terrible life that God wants you to live, when it is basically everything you DON'T want in life?

There's always the option of simply leading a temperate and successful life. Not everyone is cut out to be a monk.
 
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RaymondG

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What do you do when you realize that you want NOTHING to do with a life of service, you don't want ANY suffering for ANY reason, you have minimal care about spiritual matters, and you want to be materially wealthy and comfortable? Yet, at the same time, you don't want to go to Hell. How can you reconcile the terrible life that God wants you to live, when it is basically everything you DON'T want in life?
You have it backwards. Life in God is joy and peace......It is when you go outside of god that you experience the suffering.

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."
 
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solid_core

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What do you do when you realize that you want NOTHING to do with a life of service, you don't want ANY suffering for ANY reason, you have minimal care about spiritual matters, and you want to be materially wealthy and comfortable? Yet, at the same time, you don't want to go to Hell. How can you reconcile the terrible life that God wants you to live, when it is basically everything you DON'T want in life?
You die and are born again to be a new person that is pleased by what pleases God.
 
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OldWiseGuy

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God doesn't want us to lead life of deprivation and morbid gloom. He wants to give us the 'desires of our heart'. Sadly most people see no possibility of attaining this so they just 'stuff' the thought and go on to live lives, as Thoreau wrote, of 'quiet desperation'.
 
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Questioning Brother

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You have it backwards. Life in God is joy and peace......It is when you go outside of god that you experience the suffering.

"I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:"

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

No, you have it backwards.

"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him."

"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,"

As for me, I reckon that the glory to be revealed will be entirely inadequate compared to the sufferings of the present time.
 
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Maria Billingsley

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What do you do when you realize that you want NOTHING to do with a life of service, you don't want ANY suffering for ANY reason, you have minimal care about spiritual matters, and you want to be materially wealthy and comfortable? Yet, at the same time, you don't want to go to Hell. How can you reconcile the terrible life that God wants you to live, when it is basically everything you DON'T want in life?
I would say there is little understanding of who God is and what He asks of us. I would pray for more wisdom in a matter of much importance.
Blessings
 
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maintenance man

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How can you reconcile the terrible life that God wants you to live, when it is basically everything you DON'T want in life?

I like to use the analogy of an athlete training for the Olympics. In order to have victory you must suffer a difficult training period. That hard work can be a joyous experience as you gradually experience moving closer to your ultimate goal. God does not want you to live a "terrible life" - that's ridiculous - the evidence is all around you in the millions of lives of completely happy Christians. In my view, there is no real joy in the things you site as your goals "materially wealthy and comfortable" - that's a distraction from true joy. The "service" you want nothing to do with is where the real joy is found.
 
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RaymondG

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"For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him."

And how is it that you believe you will suffer? This has little to do with material desires.......for His people are never forsaken or seen begging for bread.

For me....I suffer when I see heaven offered to people and they refuse it.... to, instead, suffer needlessly......like yourself

"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,"

And how do you expect this persecution to look like? If God gives you one million dollars.....and the church looks down on you for it and call you a worshiper of mammon, because of what God gave you.....would this not be persecution....for righteousness sake?

Would you say that you would never want God to give you any money to avoid this persecution?

As for me, I reckon that the glory to be revealed will be entirely inadequate compared to the sufferings of the present time.

I reckon that suffering you have, you may be bringing on yourself.....and It has nothing to do with serving God.

"4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance;"

It is very unlikely that one who has experienced Life.....would turn back and choose death, instead.
However on who have only heard of life....yet never experienced it......can decide to stay in death.

I believe you may have it backwards.
 
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Anthony2019

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What do you do when you realize that you want NOTHING to do with a life of service, you don't want ANY suffering for ANY reason, you have minimal care about spiritual matters, and you want to be materially wealthy and comfortable? Yet, at the same time, you don't want to go to Hell. How can you reconcile the terrible life that God wants you to live, when it is basically everything you DON'T want in life?
I have good news and bad news.
The good news is that God has given you the freedom to live your life exactly how you please. If you don't want to spend your life serving Him, He is not going to make you do it. If you want a life of pleasure, to enjoy the material things of the world, to be wealthy and wish to pursue happiness in all these things, He is not going to stop you, if that's what you really want. He is gentle and courteous with you and will never force you to do something you do not want to do. That is not the way of love.
The bad news is that you will totally and utterly break His heart. The heart of the One who created you and moulded you. The One who loved you right from the beginning. The One who sent His Son to die for you to set you free, so you could have a beautiful and eternal relationship with Him. The One who sees you as the apple of His eye.
One thing you can be sure of. If you ever have a change of mind and decide to return to Him, you will quickly find He was there all the time, waiting for you to come home. When He knows that you are seeking Him, He will be already running out to meet you and embrace you, accompanied by the rejoicing of all the angels in Heaven.
 
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Questioning Brother

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I have good news and bad news.
The good news is that God has given you the freedom to live your life exactly how you please. If you don't want to spend your life serving Him, He is not going to make you do it. If you want a life of pleasure, to enjoy the material things of the world, to be wealthy and wish to pursue happiness in all these things, He is not going to stop you, if that's what you really want. He is gentle and courteous with you and will never force you to do something you do not want to do. That is not the way of love.

Yes, he has, but he will make sure that the circumstances of your life force you into the way He wants you to go. He will make your attempts to obtain those things fail. He will remove the material things. He will screw up everything you care about having.




One thing you can be sure of. If you ever have a change of mind and decide to return to Him, you will quickly find He was there all the time, waiting for you to come home. When He knows that you are seeking Him, He will be already running out to meet you and embrace you, accompanied by the rejoicing of all the angels in Heaven.

Yes, he is right there, watching the pain and doing NOTHING. He doesn't care.
 
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