Does "God's timing" include our own sin and disobedience?

[WilliamBo]

Hey guys, I feel like I really need to vent about how I'm feeling right now.

Okay, so I've been a Believer for over 6 years now. The whole time I thought I was on fire for Jesus, I've been obsessed with everything Christian for 6 years, studying the Bible, Christian music, Church, Etc. I know I have the Holy Spirit but in all honesty, I never brought myself to actually surrender to God. I get so scared that I'm not saved because I don't feel like I'm being led by the Holy Spirit. I feel like it is impossible for me to do that right now because of so much damage in my soul from a troubled childhood and things I need to overcome first. I've been told by several Christians that it's "all in God's timing" and that I will be "healed and delivered and set free in God's timing, not mine." It literally feels impossible to surrender to God fully right now.


That sounds good and it gives me Comfort and encouragement but does God's timing include our own reblion? I'm also told I'm "choosing to be in darkness" but I literally feel like I can't choose any different until God changes me or gives me The gift of repentance.

Should I just continue to wait on God's timing? I know it's normal to feel fear when facing the unknown but I can't figure out how to remove what is blocking me! Or is it simply a matter of GODS timing that I will finally have the courage, clarity, and discipline to surrender to God in everything?

I just watched a Derek Prince video of him saying that God planned our life before the foundation of the world. But did that plan of salvation include our own disobedience?

 

[Serving Zion]

Hey guys, I feel like I really need to vent about how I'm feeling right now.

Okay, so I've been a Believer for over 6 years now. The whole time I thought I was on fire for Jesus, I've been obsessed with everything Christian for 6 years, studying the Bible, Christian music, Church, Etc. I know I have the Holy Spirit but in all honesty, I never brought myself to actually surrender to God. I get so scared that I'm not saved because I don't feel like I'm being led by the Holy Spirit. I feel like it is impossible for me to do that right now because of so much damage in my soul from a troubled childhood and things I need to overcome first. I've been told by several Christians that it's "all in God's timing" and that I will be "healed and delivered and set free in God's timing, not mine." It literally feels impossible to surrender to God fully right now.

That sounds good and it gives me Comfort and encouragement but does God's timing include our own reblion? I'm also told I'm "choosing to be in darkness" but I literally feel like I can't choose any different until God changes me or gives me The gift of repentance.

Should I just continue to wait on God's timing? I know it's normal to feel fear when facing the unknown but I can't figure out how to remove what is blocking me! Or is it simply a matter of GODS timing that I will finally have the courage, clarity, and discipline to surrender to God in everything?

I just watched a Derek Prince video of him saying that God planned our life before the foundation of the world. But did that plan of salvation include our own disobedience?

The words of Jeremiah 7:13 came to mind as you said all of this "I spoke to you early and often, but you would not have it".. and when I look back on those days before He revealed Himself to me, I see that He'd been speaking to me and I had not been following His voice (because like you, I was rebelling to follow an alternative rationale instead).

The good thing is that you are acting on it: Jesus said "ask and it will be given, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you". If you find that the ones you are asking are not giving what you need, then ask others .. this is how you will know they are His disciples: they love we have for one another. 1 Corinthians 13 says that love rejoices with the truth, and sometimes it will be found in those places where we might not be expecting to find it!

.. so, yeah I just caution you that there are some sorts of people that will try to make you feel better with empty flattery and feel-good philosophy, but keep in mind that it is a fleeting pleasure, a temporary relief: "One who rebukes a man will in the end find more favor than one with a flattering tongue." and "The wisdom of the prudent is to consider his way, but the folly of fools is deception." (Proverbs 28:23 and Proverbs 14:8).

You can't be living in rebellion and expecting to end up in a good place - the way to life is narrow and difficult, and read Hebrews 10:26-31. So if you really do want His blessing, I can already see that He is not furious with you, but it probably is just a matter of talking through the issues to find out why it is that you are not finding joy in doing His will.

 

[bcbsr]

I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

[Joy]

I can relate to this in so many ways. I've had difficulty in surrendering to God, but this is beginning to change.

The question is why is surrender to God difficult? and this is often linked to 'how does one see God?' if we see God as distant and uncaring etc, we won't surrender to Him. It is only by knowing personally that God loves us (John 3:16) and is a loving Father that we can surrender to Him.

We learn who God is, by studying God's Word and asking the Holy Spirit to teach us who God really is. (Roms 12:1-2)

You cannot change yourself. It is only by trusting Jesus and believing that His death and His shed blood that we can be cleansed from sin, His resurrection and by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are empowered to live the Christian life. It is God's timing but we co-operate with God by spending time with Him by reading His Word and Prayer.

I hope this makes sense

 

[Richard T]

When you accepted Christ, you were translated into the kingdom of God, you have the new nature, you are born again. The gift is free, but to mature you need to learn to walk in the spirit, whether you feel it or not. (I am sure you know this, but sometimes it bears repeating)

Few come close to fully surrendering to Jesus. Some have even said the closer they come the more conscious they are of their failings. Meanwhile, you are transformed by the renewing of your mind and six years is a good start. If your ground is stony, you might have to keep repeating some things, until you really get it and/or allow God to break the ground more so that you can receive better. (Most of us have these issues, I know I do)

Also, you need a more sure foundation of who you are in Christ, your position with Him now so you are not so performance based. Maintain a sin consciousnesses and sin will abound. See yourself as beloved, holy and the righteousness of God (positionally) and you will better be able to walk in the spirit. This includes your helmet of salvation. You let the devil talk you out of that and it creates a series of "works" mentality of which you are doomed to fail. Romans 3:20 (KJV) 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

All of us have resisted God at times, the bible is full of those great men of God that did. STAY THE COURSE. You will be able to work through the issues.

 

[Emli]

As I understand it, God's timing, His plans, does not include our sinfulness and rebellion in the sense that He has planned it. But He has planned around it. He always gives us a way out of temptation and sins, and He is always leading us, but it's up to us whether we listen to His voice or to ourselves, to other people or to the enemy. God enables us to live righteously, by His Spirit and in our new natures, but we have to commit ourselves to follow His ways. I've found that if we are determined to become like Jesus, then we hear His voice as our Shepherd, and we follow His voice. Then we are being led by the Spirit. But if are determined to live for ourselves, we will dismiss His voice, because we don't want to follow it, because of unbelief and confusion because we don't know the truth yet, because of fear, because of rebellion, or any other sin that we are holding on to. It can take time, but if we choose to live for God, taking up our crosses and obeying His will, and making that our goal in this life, then we are working with God and not against Him. Then He can work in us. He knows when you will come to the point of surrender, and that will be in His timing, because He has already made plans for your life in that moment and not before it. But it is not God's will or His plan that you stay in sin. He allows it due to His mercy and grace, and He is patiently waiting for you to start listening to Him, always working to get you to a place where you will surrender to Him. Your part is to actively choose to read the Word, obey God and put your sinful nature to death everyday, and then have faith that He will keep transforming you.

 

[GTW27]

Hey guys, I feel like I really need to vent about how I'm feeling right now.

Okay, so I've been a Believer for over 6 years now. The whole time I thought I was on fire for Jesus, I've been obsessed with everything Christian for 6 years, studying the Bible, Christian music, Church, Etc. I know I have the Holy Spirit but in all honesty, I never brought myself to actually surrender to God. I get so scared that I'm not saved because I don't feel like I'm being led by the Holy Spirit. I feel like it is impossible for me to do that right now because of so much damage in my soul from a troubled childhood and things I need to overcome first. I've been told by several Christians that it's "all in God's timing" and that I will be "healed and delivered and set free in God's timing, not mine." It literally feels impossible to surrender to God fully right now.


That sounds good and it gives me Comfort and encouragement but does God's timing include our own reblion? I'm also told I'm "choosing to be in darkness" but I literally feel like I can't choose any different until God changes me or gives me The gift of repentance.

Should I just continue to wait on God's timing? I know it's normal to feel fear when facing the unknown but I can't figure out how to remove what is blocking me! Or is it simply a matter of GODS timing that I will finally have the courage, clarity, and discipline to surrender to God in everything?

I just watched a Derek Prince video of him saying that God planned our life before the foundation of the world. But did that plan of salvation include our own disobedience?

"What a man believes in his heart, so he is." For a moment, picture yourself as one who wears a pair of glasses. When you look at your past, your present, and your future, you have been viewing through the lens of these glasses. You have been given the choice(by the gift of free will) to wear these glasses, or to set them down. I would ask you today, to believe in your heart, that you set those glasses down, and begin to read The Word of God, beginning in The Gospel of John Chapter 1. Let, what you read, starting today, become your new glasses. Let The Word of God, become the New lens to enable you to see who you truly are and who He truly is, The Lover of your soul.

 

[Greg J.]

Hey guys, I feel like I really need to vent about how I'm feeling right now.

Okay, so I've been a Believer for over 6 years now. The whole time I thought I was on fire for Jesus, I've been obsessed with everything Christian for 6 years, studying the Bible, Christian music, Church, Etc. I know I have the Holy Spirit but in all honesty, I never brought myself to actually surrender to God. I get so scared that I'm not saved because I don't feel like I'm being led by the Holy Spirit. I feel like it is impossible for me to do that right now because of so much damage in my soul from a troubled childhood and things I need to overcome first. I've been told by several Christians that it's "all in God's timing" and that I will be "healed and delivered and set free in God's timing, not mine." It literally feels impossible to surrender to God fully right now.

So surrender to God. If he clearly requires (no wondering at all about what he wants) you to go into a situation that may cost you your life, would you do it? Tell God you will, if that is his will. If that is hard atm, remember these things:

God knows everything and he is love. Everything he does is for your long-term benefit (e.g., Romans 8:28). Think of all the bad things that could happen if you didn't do what God wanted (plunged into "hell on earth" such that you started asking God to take your life). Such a thing would not be punishment, it would be the consequences of not doing what God wanted because he wanted to save you from those consequences! Think of how bad things can be even when we are doing what God wants! Satan is always trying to steal, kill, and destroy us, and to lead/drive us away from God. Jesus instructed his disciples to pray to be delivered from evil, which I think meant pray that daily.

The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. (Isaiah 57:1, 1984 NIV)

God will enormously reward dying or suffering according to his will. Both those only exist because of sin, not because God wanted them. And, btw, those events (while maintaining faithfulness to God) bring great power from God to accomplish good on earth.

That sounds good and it gives me Comfort and encouragement but does God's timing include our own reblion? I'm also told I'm "choosing to be in darkness" but I literally feel like I can't choose any different until God changes me or gives me The gift of repentance.

Sometimes his timing includes our disobedience and sometimes not. It's up to God. You'll tend to get the good end of the stick, though, if you seek to stay humble before the Lord.

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:6-7, 1984 NIV)

Besides which you will be able to receive more of the Lord's help through gracious humility.

Speaking about a group of people that included himself and church elders, James wrote:

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. (James 3:2, 1984 NIV)

God knows that until He has perfected you, you will sin. Where we are with God is much less important to God than the direction we are going. Whenever you sin, turn toward God again.

Should I just continue to wait on God's timing? I know it's normal to feel fear when facing the unknown but I can't figure out how to remove what is blocking me! Or is it simply a matter of GODS timing that I will finally have the courage, clarity, and discipline to surrender to God in everything?

Why do you think you are being blocked? Wickedness, sin, and rebelliousness in your heart hinders God from helping you in his desired timing. Wicked, sinful, and rebellious actions require genuine repentance, but afterward there's no longer any hindrance between you and God.

Certainly waiting for blessings from God and deliverance from fear, pain, and suffering can take much longer than we want. Our response in this is to cultivate and pray for patience—and believe the Truth that He has saved us, is saving us, and will save us. He is highly active in the life of anyone who is trying to draw closer to him, even if it doesn't feel like it.

I just watched a Derek Prince video of him saying that God planned our life before the foundation of the world. But did that plan of salvation include our own disobedience?

God's salvation always includes the person's disobedience. In fact, your disobedience doesn't affect salvation on God's end. It affects how easy or hard it is for you to receive the Lord's salvation. Remember that it is God who does the saving, not you. Jesus paid the sin debt for everyone, no matter how evil.

There isn't usually much legitimate reason to be concerned that you are messing up with God

for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13, 1984 NIV)

—unless you have chosen to persist in sinning instead of fighting it (whether or not you fall sometimes), in which case you need to flee whatever is triggering you to sin, attend to your spiritual disciplines (study the Bible, pray, etc.), and ask others for prayer.

 

[WilliamBo]

I can relate to this in so many ways. I've had difficulty in surrendering to God, but this is beginning to change.

The question is why is surrender to God difficult? and this is often linked to 'how does one see God?' if we see God as distant and uncaring etc, we won't surrender to Him. It is only by knowing personally that God loves us (John 3:16) and is a loving Father that we can surrender to Him.

We learn who God is, by studying God's Word and asking the Holy Spirit to teach us who God really is. (Roms 12:1-2)

You cannot change yourself. It is only by trusting Jesus and believing that His death and His shed blood that we can be cleansed from sin, His resurrection and by the power of the Holy Spirit that we are empowered to live the Christian life. It is God's timing but we co-operate with God by spending time with Him by reading His Word and Prayer.

I hope this makes sense

I honestly don't know why it's difficult. I don't know where to begin. I know that God loves me but i feel at a standstill. I pray all day long pretty much. I kind of feel like God loves other Christians who are more obedient than me. I don't know what doing God's will looks like for me personally.

 

[WilliamBo]

When you accepted Christ, you were translated into the kingdom of God, you have the new nature, you are born again. The gift is free, but to mature you need to learn to walk in the spirit, whether you feel it or not. (I am sure you know this, but sometimes it bears repeating)

Few come close to fully surrendering to Jesus. Some have even said the closer they come the more conscious they are of their failings. Meanwhile, you are transformed by the renewing of your mind and six years is a good start. If your ground is stony, you might have to keep repeating some things, until you really get it and/or allow God to break the ground more so that you can receive better. (Most of us have these issues, I know I do)

Also, you need a more sure foundation of who you are in Christ, your position with Him now so you are not so performance based. Maintain a sin consciousnesses and sin will abound. See yourself as beloved, holy and the righteousness of God (positionally) and you will better be able to walk in the spirit. This includes your helmet of salvation. You let the devil talk you out of that and it creates a series of "works" mentality of which you are doomed to fail. Romans 3:20 (KJV) 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

All of us have resisted God at times, the bible is full of those great men of God that did. STAY THE COURSE. You will be able to work through the issues.

As I understand it, God's timing, His plans, does not include our sinfulness and rebellion in the sense that He has planned it. But He has planned around it. He always gives us a way out of temptation and sins, and He is always leading us, but it's up to us whether we listen to His voice or to ourselves, to other people or to the enemy. God enables us to live righteously, by His Spirit and in our new natures, but we have to commit ourselves to follow His ways. I've found that if we are determined to become like Jesus, then we hear His voice as our Shepherd, and we follow His voice. Then we are being led by the Spirit. But if are determined to live for ourselves, we will dismiss His voice, because we don't want to follow it, because of unbelief and confusion because we don't know the truth yet, because of fear, because of rebellion, or any other sin that we are holding on to. It can take time, but if we choose to live for God, taking up our crosses and obeying His will, and making that our goal in this life, then we are working with God and not against Him. Then He can work in us. He knows when you will come to the point of surrender, and that will be in His timing, because He has already made plans for your life in that moment and not before it. But it is not God's will or His plan that you stay in sin. He allows it due to His mercy and grace, and He is patiently waiting for you to start listening to Him, always working to get you to a place where you will surrender to Him. Your part is to actively choose to read the Word, obey God and put your sinful nature to death everyday, and then have faith that He will keep transforming you.

"What a man believes in his heart, so he is." For a moment, picture yourself as one who wears a pair of glasses. When you look at your past, your present, and your future, you have been viewing through the lens of these glasses. You have been given the choice(by the gift of free will) to wear these glasses, or to set them down. I would ask you today, to believe in your heart, that you set those glasses down, and begin to read The Word of God, beginning in The Gospel of John Chapter 1. Let, what you read, starting today, become your new glasses. Let The Word of God, become the New lens to enable you to see who you truly are and who He truly is, The Lover of your soul.

So surrender to God. If he clearly requires (no wondering at all about what he wants) you to go into a situation that may cost you your life, would you do it? Tell God you will, if that is his will. If that is hard atm, remember these things:

God knows everything and he is love. Everything he does is for your long-term benefit (e.g., Romans 8:28). Think of all the bad things that could happen if you didn't do what God wanted (plunged into "hell on earth" such that you started asking God to take your life). Such a thing would not be punishment, it would be the consequences of not doing what God wanted because he wanted to save you from those consequences! Think of how bad things can be even when we are doing what God wants! Satan is always trying to steal, kill, and destroy us, and to lead/drive us away from God. Jesus instructed his disciples to pray to be delivered from evil, which I think meant pray that daily.

The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. (Isaiah 57:1, 1984 NIV)

God will enormously reward dying or suffering according to his will. Both those only exist because of sin, not because God wanted them. And, btw, those events (while maintaining faithfulness to God) bring great power from God to accomplish good on earth.

Sometimes his timing includes our disobedience and sometimes not. It's up to God. You'll tend to get the good end of the stick, though, if you seek to stay humble before the Lord.

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:6-7, 1984 NIV)

Besides which you will be able to receive more of the Lord's help through gracious humility.

Speaking about a group of people that included himself and church elders, James wrote:

We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. (James 3:2, 1984 NIV)

God knows that until He has perfected you, you will sin. Where we are with God is much less important to God than the direction we are going. Whenever you sin, turn toward God again.

Why do you think you are being blocked? Wickedness, sin, and rebelliousness in your heart hinders God from helping you in his desired timing. Wicked, sinful, and rebellious actions require genuine repentance, but afterward there's no longer any hindrance between you and God.

Certainly waiting for blessings from God and deliverance from fear, pain, and suffering can take much longer than we want. Our response in this is to cultivate and pray for patience—and believe the Truth that He has saved us, is saving us, and will save us. He is highly active in the life of anyone who is trying to draw closer to him, even if it doesn't feel like it.

God's salvation always includes the person's disobedience. In fact, your disobedience doesn't affect salvation on God's end. It affects how easy or hard it is for you to receive the Lord's salvation. Remember that it is God who does the saving, not you. Jesus paid the sin debt for everyone, no matter how evil.

There isn't usually much legitimate reason to be concerned that you are messing up with God

for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. (Philippians 2:13, 1984 NIV)

—unless you have chosen to persist in sinning instead of fighting it (whether or not you fall sometimes), in which case you need to flee whatever is triggering you to sin, attend to your spiritual disciplines (study the Bible, pray, etc.), and ask others for prayer.

Thank you all very much for your wonderful responses.

I'm not "choosing" sin in the sense that I purposely go out and do worldly stuff like bars, clubs, worldly movies, etc but I feel stuck in darkness. I feel like I'm in a maze of darkness and I'm stuck in the middle of the maze and can't find my way out.

I pray all the time for God to do something drastic to make me let go of whatever I'm holding on to, it's insane how tightly I am holding onto things for so long now.

 

[Emli]

I pray all the time for God to do something drastic to make me let go of whatever I'm holding on to, it's insane how tightly I am holding onto things for so long now.

Just let go. It's that easy. Trust Jesus and fall into His arms.

 

[Greg J.]

Thank you all very much for your wonderful responses.

I'm not "choosing" sin in the sense that I purposely go out and do worldly stuff like bars, clubs, worldly movies, etc but I feel stuck in darkness. I feel like I'm in a maze of darkness and I'm stuck in the middle of the maze and can't find my way out.

I pray all the time for God to do something drastic to make me let go of whatever I'm holding on to, it's insane how tightly I am holding onto things for so long now.

It is possible that you are in a "dark night of the soul"—a description someone once tied to an experience that many Christians have at some point. Anecdotally, it can last for up to 3-7 years. It is a period where a Christian does not perceive God's presence in their lives, and as a result God feels far away, and one's life can feel empty and confused. It results in anguish if not pain. It is a time where we need to choose to believe God's promises and Word and trust he will deliver us from it in time.

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5, 1984 NIV)

(and many others)

 

[Bobber]

I know I have the Holy Spirit but in all honesty, I never brought myself to actually surrender to God.

I know you shouldn't reveal too much of personal stuff but it'd help a little to know to what degree you're not surrendering to God. I mean one might be doing all things of the flesh without hesitation and they'd be in a different category as someone who is weak in some area but really want free.

I get so scared that I'm not saved because I don't feel like I'm being led by the Holy Spirit. I feel like it is impossible for me to do that right now because of so much damage in my soul from a troubled childhood and things I need to overcome first. I've been told by several Christians that it's "all in God's timing" and that I will be "healed and delivered and set free in God's timing, not mine." It literally feels impossible to surrender to God fully right now.

Give you an example of why more info here may be needed. I've seen some spouses of whom their other wasn't faithful. They separated and didn't want to go back. Others would say you need to forgive them but to them that's translated as if you don't reconcile you haven't forgiven therefore you haven't surrendered to God. You see that's a misunderstanding of truth. One can forgive with out reconciling God leaves that up to them and therefore they need not think they haven't surrendered to God. It's hard to give you REAL good advice unless there's a little bit more detail. You don't need to provide it however for it might for sure be too personal but don't take to heart all advice on this site. If a person had more detail they might give a different answer.

I'm also told I'm "choosing to be in darkness" but I literally feel like I can't choose any different until God changes me or gives me The gift of repentance.

No. You can DO what God told you to do. IF and I say IF you're merely talking about forgiveness you CAN do that and MUST now. Forgiveness I think comes a little bit easier when we embrace certain Bible truths. The things that people do wrong towards us are many times and most times have been inspired by the devil on that person to do. If we see that many times they're puppets of a wrong spirit....well, it helps. Father forgive them for they know not what they do.

I just watched a Derek Prince video of him saying that God planned our life before the foundation of the world. But did that plan of salvation include our own disobedience?

I think with all of us will hear from the Lord we missed maybe his perfect will and plan on a number of things. Eph 5:17 says don't be ignorant concerning the will of the Lord but is anyone perfect of having not been ever? I'd say not or at least very few. So God has the potential of what we could have done at many points and to the measure that we've been off of that well we've been off of that plan. Doesn't necessarily mean one won't make heaven their home but each one will be rewarded differently for faithful service.

 

[yuppers]

It sounds like you have a strong desire to follow God. Things can become confusing when you start to go off feelings and being in the flesh. Though God created our bodies he doesn’t base his thoughts of us through human feelings. Jesus died for our sins and short comings so that we can be seen as spotless to God. Even though Jesus died for our sins it doesn’t change how this world works. People make mistakes, they can hurt others, or come short while raising children. As you grow up and become more aware of life you can sometimes look back and see how your childhood was maybe less than ideal. That can be a part of growing up and you have to learn to overcome that past. It can be quite a process for overcoming past trauma. One of the best ways for overcoming past hurts is if you can find someone else to help you through this time. I would recommend finding someone older and more experienced who you feel safe with to talk about private information. As you tell them your struggles they can help find resolutions and any lies you might be believing about things. Depending on your age maybe look for a professional counselor or if you go to a church find a leader there that can help. God didn’t design us to go through life alone so we should find others to help us when we need it.
Hopefully this helps a little bit. I’ll pray that you can find healing and grow closer to God.

 

[Joy]

I honestly don't know why it's difficult. I don't know where to begin. I know that God loves me but i feel at a standstill. I pray all day long pretty much. I kind of feel like God loves other Christians who are more obedient than me. I don't know what doing God's will looks like for me personally.

You say you know God loves you and then you feel God loves obedient Christians more than you. God does not love Christians more because of their obedience. Christians can say the right words and look 'obedient' but we don't know what is really going on in their hearts.

God loves you personally so much that He sent Jesus to die for you you. I would encourage you to read God's Word and think about these things and ask the Holy Spirit to make this Truth a reality for you.

 

[FutureAndAHope]

Hey guys, I feel like I really need to vent about how I'm feeling right now.

Okay, so I've been a Believer for over 6 years now. The whole time I thought I was on fire for Jesus, I've been obsessed with everything Christian for 6 years, studying the Bible, Christian music, Church, Etc. I know I have the Holy Spirit but in all honesty, I never brought myself to actually surrender to God. I get so scared that I'm not saved because I don't feel like I'm being led by the Holy Spirit. I feel like it is impossible for me to do that right now because of so much damage in my soul from a troubled childhood and things I need to overcome first. I've been told by several Christians that it's "all in God's timing" and that I will be "healed and delivered and set free in God's timing, not mine." It literally feels impossible to surrender to God fully right now.


That sounds good and it gives me Comfort and encouragement but does God's timing include our own reblion? I'm also told I'm "choosing to be in darkness" but I literally feel like I can't choose any different until God changes me or gives me The gift of repentance.

Should I just continue to wait on God's timing? I know it's normal to feel fear when facing the unknown but I can't figure out how to remove what is blocking me! Or is it simply a matter of GODS timing that I will finally have the courage, clarity, and discipline to surrender to God in everything?

I just watched a Derek Prince video of him saying that God planned our life before the foundation of the world. But did that plan of salvation include our own disobedience?

When David sinned, God told him that he was going to suffer for that choice, the sword would not leave his family. He also told him, that had he done the right thing God's blessing would have been upon him to an even greater degree, but now it was not.

In your situation I am sure you have not been committing murder like David, so you can have another persons partner. Your sins may be more a result of your suffering, rather than a choice you are making to rebel. I went through a time of sin, and rebellion, yet God still healed me after I repented, and gave me a family and a wife. The bible tells us in job essentially, if we sin, God may let us suffer for a time, but if we repent of our sin, he will bring us out into a time of rich fulfillment. I would say regardless of your current state God's plan is for your healing, and deliverance, to give you a blessed future.