Christian for the Wrong Reasons

LukewarmLex

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My lazy attempts to seek the Lord are either motivated by fear of hell or done out of guilt. I sometimes feel guilty for ignoring God so I pray. I don't seek him because I love him or want him. I seek him out of selfish ambition. I've asked that he help change my perspective on him so that I can love and trust him but my heart has grown harder against him. Are my attempts to seek him in vain?
 

MustardSeeed

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You have to love God that's the greatest commandment. Maybe the adversary is working against you and it's not really you ... pray and fast ... in the Bible some demons were so tough they could only come out through praying AND fasting
 
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Winken

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My lazy attempts to seek the Lord are either motivated by fear of hell or done out of guilt. I sometimes feel guilty for ignoring God so I pray. I don't seek him because I love him or want him. I seek him out of selfish ambition. I've asked that he help change my perspective on him so that I can love and trust him but my heart has grown harder against him. Are my attempts to seek him in vain?
Nope. He knows you, He has sought you, and as a Christian, you have been found. So what is standing in the way of a daily association with the One who has granted you eternal life? It's done. He did it. So now, what's on your plate?
 
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RC1970

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My lazy attempts to seek the Lord are either motivated by fear of hell or done out of guilt. I sometimes feel guilty for ignoring God so I pray. I don't seek him because I love him or want him. I seek him out of selfish ambition. I've asked that he help change my perspective on him so that I can love and trust him but my heart has grown harder against him. Are my attempts to seek him in vain?
Welcome to CF. :wave:
How do you seek Him?
 
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LukewarmLex

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Nope. He knows you, He has sought you, and as a Christian, you have been found. So what is standing in the way of a daily association with the One who has granted you eternal life? It's done. He did it. So now, what's on your plate?
What's standing in the way? My selfishness. I prefer to dedicate more time to my own pleasure seeking. I tell myself that if I don't pray for the right reasons, don't pray at all. I don't think I have eternal life yet though. I haven't even received the holy spirit yet.
 
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Godlovesmetwo

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My lazy attempts to seek the Lord are either motivated by fear of hell or done out of guilt. I sometimes feel guilty for ignoring God so I pray. I don't seek him because I love him or want him. I seek him out of selfish ambition. I've asked that he help change my perspective on him so that I can love and trust him but my heart has grown harder against him. Are my attempts to seek him in vain?
At least its a starting point. I think our journeys as Christians is one of gradual growth in maturity. I think we are all aiming for acting out of love rather than reward. It takes a while to get there and I'm nowhere near it either.
Maybe we need to start getting that "Eternal reward of Heaven" out of our head. And focus on now, the present moment. Because I believe that our present moment can become the Heaven we are seeking anyway.
 
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Winken

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What's standing in the way? My selfishness. I prefer to dedicate more time to my own pleasure seeking. I tell myself that if I don't pray for the right reasons, don't pray at all. I don't think I have eternal life yet though. I haven't even received the holy spirit yet.
You received the Holy Spirit the split-second you confessed Jesus as Savior. Therefore, the rest of my post fits. Rather than permitting the Holy Spirit to rise up fully inside you, you spend time on selfishness; you spend time on your own pleasure; you aren't clear on the "right reasons" for praying. Obviously, God is right there for you. You're just busy not listening.
 
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LukewarmLex

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You have to love God that's the greatest commandment. Maybe the adversary is working against you and it's not really you ... pray and fast ... in the Bible some demons were so tough they could only come out through praying AND fasting
I don't know how to force a feeling of love towards God. I feel like that's something that has to naturally manifest within me. I'm sure I have the Jezebel spirit on my back. Whether these feelings stem from it or not, I agree with it a lot.

I feel like if my praying and fasting isn't motivated by love, it's pointless.
 
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MustardSeeed

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I don't know how to force a feeling of love towards God. I feel like that's something that has to naturally manifest within me. I'm sure I have the Jezebel spirit on my back. Whether these feelings stem from it or not, I agree with it a lot.

I feel like if my praying and fasting isn't motivated by love, it's pointless.

I'm going to private message you something
 
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zippy2006

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What's standing in the way? My selfishness. I prefer to dedicate more time to my own pleasure seeking. I tell myself that if I don't pray for the right reasons, don't pray at all. I don't think I have eternal life yet though. I haven't even received the holy spirit yet.

Don't put so much pressure on yourself. God accepts our prayers whether they are done for the "right reasons" or not. None of us is perfect. Guilt and fear are perfectly legitimate motivations, especially when you are just beginning. Give yourself time to grow and don't worry about imperfect motivations. God knows that we are selfish, which is why in the OT he entices us with temporal rewards and deters us with temporal punishments. This is the place we all start from. You don't learn to love God in himself in a day. God is patient, and you should be too! :)
 
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LukewarmLex

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Do you study His Word?
I used to but would often stop out of boredom. I'd even pray he kept me focused while reading which worked for awhile. Then I backslid. Recently, I tried reading again but I stop out of boredom. If I'm forcing it, is there a point?
 
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AspieforGod

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My lazy attempts to seek the Lord are either motivated by fear of hell or done out of guilt. I sometimes feel guilty for ignoring God so I pray. I don't seek him because I love him or want him. I seek him out of selfish ambition. I've asked that he help change my perspective on him so that I can love and trust him but my heart has grown harder against him. Are my attempts to seek him in vain?

If you seek God at all your heart can't be against Him. He put His Spirit on you and that gave you the desire to seek Him out.
 
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RC1970

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I used to but would often stop out of boredom. I'd even pray he kept me focused while reading which worked for awhile. Then I backslid. Recently, I tried reading again but I stop out of boredom. If I'm forcing it, is there a point?
Most of the advice you will receive on a forum such as this is going to be very shallow. There is no easy path to Christian fulfillment. There is no 12 easy steps. There is no name it and claim it. The truth is that the Christian life is a call to labor. You must put yourself in the way of grace. By that I mean you must make diligent use of the means of grace. Prayer is just one means. You must also attend church service regularly. Study your Bible. Partake of the Sacraments. And, give of yourself in Christian service.


"Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." ~ Philippians 2:12-13
 
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aiki

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My lazy attempts to seek the Lord are either motivated by fear of hell or done out of guilt. I sometimes feel guilty for ignoring God so I pray. I don't seek him because I love him or want him. I seek him out of selfish ambition. I've asked that he help change my perspective on him so that I can love and trust him but my heart has grown harder against him. Are my attempts to seek him in vain?

The Great War we all face spiritually is who we will serve: ourselves or God. It can't be both. But we can't by ourselves do anything but be selfish. It's our default setting. God has to break us down; He has to put to death our Self. You've asked God to cause you to love Him, but the only way you can truly and properly love Him is when you cease to love your Self. You have to die - not literally, necessarily, but spiritually. This is what Christ explained to his disciples:

Matthew 16:24-25
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.


It is good to ask God to increase your love for Him. But you need also to ask Him to free you from your Self-centeredness. The two things - love for God and death to your Self - go hand-in-hand.

Selah.
 
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NothingIsImpossible

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Well if you fear hell and feel guilt then thats a really good start. What I mean is at least by your own admittance through those words, you must believe God is real. Or else you wouldn't fear hell and wouldn't have guilt.
 
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FireDragon76

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It's easy to be more critical of yourself than God is. My advice is that I agree with the guy that said you need to seek out the means of grace. Aim to be a normal Christian, not a superhero, and learn to be patient with yourself and with God.
 
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