A Sadness for an atheist friend...

[Xalith]

So I was just talking to a friend just now online. I know he's an atheist, therefore I know he hasn't found Christ, sadly.

I'm talking to him and he's talking about some video game that he and I used to play (that I've had very little to no desire to touch these days). He apparently missed a limited-time opportunity for some in-game item and he was not very happy about it, and he's going on about how angry he is, and he's taking the Lord's name in vain (meanwhile I'm here thinking "Lord, why do people have to do that constantly!?") and then he starts going on about how entirely bad his entire day is.

Then it came to me... When I think back over the years, there are a few days where I feel "bleh", but I've very rarely, very seldomly, ever felt this kind of anger and... dread about an entire day.

I honestly can't remember any point in time where I felt the whole day was just so.... cruddy that I felt the need to just go off on a friend about how everything sucks, how life sucks, etc etc etc like this friend of mine does. I've heard similar from other people that I suspect aren't religious whatsoever, and it gets me to thinking... I'm glad I've found Christ.

I'm glad that no matter what happens in the day, I know that I will lie down at night, and the first thing I'm going to do once I stop yawning (for some reason, as soon as I lay down, I have to yawn a few times which makes it difficult to pray), I'll say a prayer and one of the things I say in this prayer, is that I thank Him for the day and everything in the day, good and bad, because I know the good gives me rest, and the bad tests me and makes me stronger.

Then I think about the unsaved, those who've not found Christ, and I feel kinda sad how they seem so angry at life in general, at their environments, at the circumstances in their lives, so angry that they fail to see the good in their lives. Yes, this friend of mine missed one opportunity, but I can name 2-3 things he mentioned earlier in the day that was good. But he had already forgotten about the good amidst the bad things. I'm not trying to judge him or anything, I just feel sad.

I've tried to convince him to at least think about God and Christ... he says he's read the Bible and he doesn't believe because he hasn't seen any 'proof'. I just find it sad, and I've said many a prayer that God will do something that would bring him Home, but it hasn't happened yet.

Ah well.

I just thought I'd share the experience as a reminder that we as Christians (for the most part) have gotten over such small and silly little woes, that they barely affect us. I've very rarely seen a Christian get so worked up over something so petty, to the point they act like their entire day was just nothing but bad things.

I thank the Lord that I don't see life that way, and haven't seen it that way in recent memories. Occasionally I'll come home from a day of work that didn't go so well, and I'll plop down in front of the computer, I might grumble a little to a close friend, but I quickly get over it and at the end of the night, when I lie down... I realize that suffering through the trials makes me a stronger person through His grace, and through His love he helps me through the days.

EDIT: Sorry about missing line breaks... javascript error of some sort. Hope this fixes it.

 

[tturt]

Thanks for sharing about your experiences.

Also, I believe we can pray and ask for the blinders to be removed from unbelievers so they can see Yeshua's light. Based on "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." II Cor 4:4

Again, thanks for telling us about your observations.

 

[JDNC]

It is sad, and it is good to always thank God for everything, especially for calling us out of darkness.
If your friend wants proof, then he should read about the prophecies being fulfilled, even at this very moment I typed this down!

Maybe you could share this with him, show him that this is the year of shemitah and also the year of jubilee!

jesusislord3.tumblr.com/post/115599440973/year-of-the-shemitah

There are no coincidences, God is in control of every aspect!
It is comforting to know.
God bless you all in Christ!

 

[joshuanazar]

Thank you. It is reminders like this that allow christians to cast our troubles on Jesus. As for your friend. He is right. There is no solid proof. If there was then there would be no need for faith. Also, there is no proof that he doesn't exist. In fact, all of the real scientific evidence points to God. Also check out Ravi Zacharias. He is very good at arguing the existence of God from a philosophical viewpoint.