Force Feeding Yourself Spiritually

[EyezOFire]

A friend and I were talking the other day about the bondage of religion; how religious DUTY will kill LIFE in Christ. Group-Imposed Religion and Self Imposed Relgion. Self Imposed religion directly comes from group imposed religion. Group Imposed religion throws a standard out there that who ever is holiest, it will be evident by how much they pray or how much they read the Bible daily. And if you do things things you will be mature in Christ. If you're charismatic/ pentecostal- how much you pray in tongues, how many signs,wonders and miracles follow you. If your evagelical how many souls you save daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. All of these things get passed down to many believers through group imposed religion, then the believers somehow formulate their own religious code within them.

They constantly feel the "weight" or "burden" to do, do and do more. Read your Bible each and every day", Gotta wake up at 5am everyday to pray for 3 hours. I gotta make sure I give my 10% gross of everything. (Time, Money, Talent etc..and if you dont God can't bless you and you'll be cursed.) I gotta make sure I tell at least one person about Jesus a day. I'm not exaggerating.. This is a daily reality for many people. I used to be one of them, so I know. And even still I'm breaking free of some of these things. These standards are thrown out there for many Christians and they try their best to live up to them. If they dont then they, condemn themselves and it just perpetuates the cycle and really their journey, instead of moving forward they just go in circles, doing the same things , over and over, dealing with them same results over and over. This is religious bondage that looks very Godly but is no value to the flesh- Read Colossians chapter 2. This cycle is not a cycle LIFE, rather it is cycle of DEFEAT. And furthermore it's really really exhausting on you and your families.

The Big Two for many people is reading the Bible and prayer. Let me give you a breath of fresh air, you dont have to read the Bible everyday- you also dont have to have a set time to pray where you lock yourself away for a hour or two. Listen to your heart, just relax and read the Bible when you have the desire to read it, when you intuitively feel the prodding. Dont put a time length on it, if you go 3 months without reading the Bible it's okay, you havent lost the faith and you arent "backsliding" God doesnt force feed people. Religious Christianity causes us to force feed ourselves. Look at what happens if you eat and eat and eat and eat even though you arent even hungry. Your body gets sick.

Thanks for reading, hope it made sense.

Jason

 

[ARBITER01]

If I wanted a lukewarm walk with Christ, I would be open to your suggestions here.

We are to be conformed to the image of HIS Son, that requires us becoming holy, and the only way to do that is spending time with GOD because nothing else is holy besides HIM.

If that requires me to spend a lot of time in prayer drawing nigh unto HIM for that purpose of HIS, then I'm going to do that. If you want to call me religious for wanting to be as close to GOD as I possibly can be, then fine.

 

[SharonL]

That is all legalism - spending time with God is a 24/7 beautiful walk hand in hand with Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit.

He is always with us - we talk to Him, pray - we don't have to be down on our knees with Bible in front of us to worship and spend time with the Master.

He knows our thoughts, knows our hearts and spends every minute with us.

 

[Supplanter]

subscribing to respond later

 

[simpleone]

A friend and I were talking the other day about the bondage of religion; how religious DUTY will kill LIFE in Christ. Group-Imposed Religion and Self Imposed Relgion. Self Imposed religion directly comes from group imposed religion. Group Imposed religion throws a standard out there that who ever is holiest, it will be evident by how much they pray or how much they read the Bible daily. And if you do things things you will be mature in Christ. If you're charismatic/ pentecostal- how much you pray in tongues, how many signs,wonders and miracles follow you. If your evagelical how many souls you save daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. All of these things get passed down to many believers through group imposed religion, then the believers somehow formulate their own religious code within them.

They constantly feel the "weight" or "burden" to do, do and do more. Read your Bible each and every day", Gotta wake up at 5am everyday to pray for 3 hours. I gotta make sure I give my 10% gross of everything. (Time, Money, Talent etc..and if you dont God can't bless you and you'll be cursed.) I gotta make sure I tell at least one person about Jesus a day. I'm not exaggerating.. This is a daily reality for many people. I used to be one of them, so I know. And even still I'm breaking free of some of these things. These standards are thrown out there for many Christians and they try their best to live up to them. If they dont then they, condemn themselves and it just perpetuates the cycle and really their journey, instead of moving forward they just go in circles, doing the same things , over and over, dealing with them same results over and over. This is religious bondage that looks very Godly but is no value to the flesh- Read Colossians chapter 2. This cycle is not a cycle LIFE, rather it is cycle of DEFEAT. And furthermore it's really really exhausting on you and your families.

The Big Two for many people is reading the Bible and prayer. Let me give you a breath of fresh air, you dont have to read the Bible everyday- you also dont have to have a set time to pray where you lock yourself away for a hour or two. Listen to your heart, just relax and read the Bible when you have the desire to read it, when you intuitively feel the prodding. Dont put a time length on it, if you go 3 months without reading the Bible it's okay, you havent lost the faith and you arent "backsliding" God doesnt force feed people. Religious Christianity causes us to force feed ourselves. Look at what happens if you eat and eat and eat and eat even though you arent even hungry. Your body gets sick.

Thanks for reading, hope it made sense.

Jason

Brother, I believe we have to examine ourselves as to why we do things...especially "christian" things like praying, reading the bible, going to church, etc
If it is not because of a love for God and hunger and desire to know Him more and draw nearer to him then I may as well put it all away.
God calls us to seek him with all our heart and soul, to love him above all. If I can ever do that then am sure my every waking moment will be only him on my mind, I would want to know everything about God, I would want to know his words, what he likes and what he dislikes...I would want to imitate him and please him in everything. It would be a love affair..

I am far from this but I am gradually setting my heart to seek him first and not other things....not because of attaining a certain spiritual goal...no...but am realizing that he alone is more worthy than anything i can offer, he is faithful, he is love, he is peace, he is a God who died for me that i may have fellowship with him...

all you said can turn religious of course, but don't let it discount you from reaching into something real and beautiful. Let the Holy Spirit give us a hunger and desire for God like never before...may our soul seek after God as a deer pants for water (ps 42).

 

[Supplanter]

Brother, I believe we have to examine ourselves as to why we do things...especially "christian" things like praying, reading the bible, going to church, etc
If it is not because of a love for God and hunger and desire to know Him more and draw nearer to him then I may as well put it all away.
God calls us to seek him with all our heart and soul, to love him above all. If I can ever do that then am sure my every waking moment will be only him on my mind, I would want to know everything about God, I would want to know his words, what he likes and what he dislikes...I would want to imitate him and please him in everything. It would be a love affair..

I am far from this but I am gradually setting my heart to seek him first and not other things....not because of attaining a certain spiritual goal...no...but am realizing that he alone is more worthy than anything i can offer, he is faithful, he is love, he is peace, he is a God who died for me that i may have fellowship with him...

all you said can turn religious of course, but don't let it discount you from reaching into something real and beautiful. Let the Holy Spirit give us a hunger and desire for God like never before...may our soul seek after God as a deer pants for water (ps 42).

great post

 

[Cassidy]

Force feeding yourself will cause you to regurgitate what you've eaten. Best left up to God to do the feeding when you are hungry.

 

[Seeking Him]

There's a rest for the people of God. Sometimes God can give you a small portion of scripture and there is such life in it you find youself meditating on it for days.

How sweet are your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth. - Psalm 119:103

 

[imperfectchristian]

If it is not the sincere desire of your heart, then it doesn't matter anyway.




Look at 1st Corinthians 13:1-13


1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.



When I was a staff member at a church we were constantly doing stuff, visiting people, praying for people, counseling, helping with this and that, but most of the time it did not bother me at all because it was very fulfilling because I was aware that what I was doing was either directly or indirectly blessing others. On the days where I lost my connection to what brought meaning to my work, it quickly became a nagging weight and annoyance.

Honestly that is something that I think we all struggle with some days more than others....to hold on to the meaningfulness of things. For me and I think for the rest of us as well, we find and rediscover the meaningfulness of what we do not in what we do, but in our relationships. For example, If things are not right with me and my wife, I am going to have a very difficult time being of any use to someone else.

I know my deepest inspiration comes from the Lord through my relationships and is supported and held up by my friendships and relationships. As a family we are all tremendously important to one another and are all inter-connected to each other through our Saviour.

Force feeding as you put it is nothing but trying to fill an area in our life with something that was never meant to be there. Sometimes we need to pray, sometimes we need to read Scripture, sometimes we need to laugh, sometimes we need to cry, sometimes we need to share deeply with someone else, sometimes we just need to relax, sometimes we need do something for someone, sometimes we need someone to do something for us.

The Holy Spirit is the only one who knows where all the pieces of the puzzle go. Our part is following His leading. If He leads us to pray for two hours in our closet, He will give us the grace to pray sincerely for two hours. When we are following the Lord's leading and trusting in His strength, then His grace is sufficient.

 

[EyezOFire]

That is all legalism - spending time with God is a 24/7 beautiful walk hand in hand with Jesus being led by the Holy Spirit.

He is always with us - we talk to Him, pray - we don't have to be down on our knees with Bible in front of us to worship and spend time with the Master.

He knows our thoughts, knows our hearts and spends every minute with us.

exactly...

 

[EyezOFire]

If it is not the sincere desire of your heart, then it doesn't matter anyway.




Look at 1st Corinthians 13:1-13


1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.



When I was a staff member at a church we were constantly doing stuff, visiting people, praying for people, counseling, helping with this and that, but most of the time it did not bother me at all because it was very fulfilling because I was aware that what I was doing was either directly or indirectly blessing others. On the days where I lost my connection to what brought meaning to my work, it quickly became a nagging weight and annoyance.

Honestly that is something that I think we all struggle with some days more than others....to hold on to the meaningfulness of things. For me and I think for the rest of us as well, we find and rediscover the meaningfulness of what we do not in what we do, but in our relationships. For example, If things are not right with me and my wife, I am going to have a very difficult time being of any use to someone else.

I know my deepest inspiration comes from the Lord through my relationships and is supported and held up by my friendships and relationships. As a family we are all tremendously important to one another and are all inter-connected to each other through our Saviour.

Force feeding as you put it is nothing but trying to fill an area in our life with something that was never meant to be there. Sometimes we need to pray, sometimes we need to read Scripture, sometimes we need to laugh, sometimes we need to cry, sometimes we need to share deeply with someone else, sometimes we just need to relax, sometimes we need do something for someone, sometimes we need someone to do something for us.

The Holy Spirit is the only one who knows where all the pieces of the puzzle go. Our part is following His leading. If He leads us to pray for two hours in our closet, He will give us the grace to pray sincerely for two hours. When we are following the Lord's leading and trusting in His strength, then His grace is sufficient.

This is a well put post my friend...I like your train of thought here. it is so about relationship, not only with God but with others. Life is found outside of Christian things such as prayer and Bible reading. Jesus is into playing Tennis with your wife, or going to the park with your kids. Jesus is into having friends over for dinner. I think we miss Jesus by being deadset locked into doing only Christian things. There is nothing wrong with Bible reading or prayer. There is a problem when someone imposes those things upon you. It places you in bondage. Statements like "We need to be a praying people" or "We gotta get on fire for God." When people hear those sort of statments- whether knowing or unknowingly a little thought creeps in and say "Yeah, I do need to pray more, read more, give more, volunteer more, serve more, show-up more, witness more etc" They come into the agreement of the standard that's expected of them by someone else. Then self determination says okay I'm going to live up to this and do all these things like I'm supposed to. If you listen carefully, you can hear it all day long. Follow what He's laid on your heart dont even set a time frame for it. If God leads a person into waking up at 5am everyday to pray for 3 hours, then there's grace to do it and furthermore that is just for that person, not for every single believer.

 

[imperfectchristian]

Amen.

 

[EyezOFire]

If I wanted a lukewarm walk with Christ, I would be open to your suggestions here.

We are to be conformed to the image of HIS Son, that requires us becoming holy, and the only way to do that is spending time with GOD because nothing else is holy besides HIM.

If that requires me to spend a lot of time in prayer drawing nigh unto HIM for that purpose of HIS, then I'm going to do that. If you want to call me religious for wanting to be as close to GOD as I possibly can be, then fine.

What part of the day are you not spending with God ? Does He not live inside of you ?

 

[enoch son]

This is funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what makes you think christians after some 1500 years would figure out "Ha this isn't working let try something else," wouldn't that mean they would a brian storm. And say "Ha let's see what God say's"

 

[Deba]

OK I guess I have a spiritual eating disorder. I'm hungry everyday sometimes more than once a day. Sometimes for 2 or 3 days I'll go on a binge and do nothing else but read, worship and meditate. I don't find it a strain at all. They are special wonderful times just for me to be with Jesus.

It doesn't mean we're not together all the time, but rarely are other times about me. I guess for Jesus, I'm a high maintenance woman. (But He's never complained.)

 

[ARBITER01]

What part of the day are you not spending with God ? Does He not live inside of you ?

Maybe the question should be for you, and stated something like this "are you in the will of GOD or are you just playing church?"


One of the subjects The Lord shows me at times deals with the safeguards GOD has placed within Christianity. For instance, if a Christian wants to be conformed to GOD's Son, as we each are called to in scripture, that person must have the desire from GOD and pay the price alone with GOD, but on the other hand cannot do it by themselves without active prayer from the body of Christ.

Once they finally reach their destiny in Christ and GOD anoints them for the ministry HE has for them, their foremost attention is to be on the body of Christ.

Another one; for a person to have unity in The Spirit within their church, they must first have it with The Lord Jesus themselves, and then the result within their church will just be the byproduct of that close relationship they maintain with The Lord,... or else they wrongly have a relationship with their church instead.

I guarantee you this, you will not be what The Lord wants you to be if you yourself do not go through the wilderness He places before you, but you cannot go through that wilderness alone without the body of Christ actively praying for you, and you cannot be what GOD wants you to be without acting upon that desire HE has placed within you to be it. If you sit back and refuse to walk the upward slope HE has placed before you, the body suffers.

GOD has so designed our walk with HIM in such a way that it is actively intertwined with the body of Christ. Both must coexist, but each person is responsible to GOD for their own actions and non-actions.

I think what the OP wants to promote here would be called "churchianity" where people have a relationship with their church instead of their Lord. That is ok if people want to take those chances,... I'm not.

 

[EyezOFire]

Maybe the question should be for you, and stated something like this "are you in the will of GOD or are you just playing church?"


One of the subjects The Lord shows me at times deals with the safeguards GOD has placed within Christianity. For instance, if a Christian wants to be conformed to GOD's Son, as we each are called to in scripture, that person must have the desire from GOD and pay the price alone with GOD, but on the other hand cannot do it by themselves without active prayer from the body of Christ.

Once they finally reach their destiny in Christ and GOD anoints them for the ministry HE has for them, their foremost attention is to be on the body of Christ.

Another one; for a person to have unity in The Spirit within their church, they must first have it with The Lord Jesus themselves, and then the result within their church will just be the byproduct of that close relationship they maintain with The Lord,... or else they wrongly have a relationship with their church instead.

I guarantee you this, you will not be what The Lord wants you to be if you yourself do not go through the wilderness He places before you, but you cannot go through that wilderness alone without the body of Christ actively praying for you, and you cannot be what GOD wants you to be without acting upon that desire HE has placed within you to be it. If you sit back and refuse to walk the upward slope HE has placed before you, the body suffers.

GOD has so designed our walk with HIM in such a way that it is actively intertwined with the body of Christ. Both must coexist, but each person is responsible to GOD for their own actions and non-actions.

I think what the OP wants to promote here would be called "churchianity" where people have a relationship with their church instead of their Lord. That is ok if people want to take those chances,... I'm not.

Hello again Help me to understand because I'm not really sure what you're refering to or how it's tying into what I originally posted. We might be speaking about 2 different things. I was speaking about self-imposed religion as a result from group-imposed religion. Which in turns causes someone to force feed themselves spiritually. Things done in the flesh out of duty, rather than from the heart out of desire.

 

[EyezOFire]

OK I guess I have a spiritual eating disorder. I'm hungry everyday sometimes more than once a day. Sometimes for 2 or 3 days I'll go on a binge and do nothing else but read, worship and meditate. I don't find it a strain at all. They are special wonderful times just for me to be with Jesus.

It doesn't mean we're not together all the time, but rarely are other times about me. I guess for Jesus, I'm a high maintenance woman. (But He's never complained.)

To me sounds like you have the grace to do it, that's different because it stems from a desire your heart. Not out of upholding a duty in a effort to become holy. It's all about following what He's laid on your heart. So no I wasnt implying you have a spiritual eating disorder.

 

[J4Jesus]

Brother, I believe we have to examine ourselves as to why we do things...especially "christian" things like praying, reading the bible, going to church, etc
If it is not because of a love for God and hunger and desire to know Him more and draw nearer to him then I may as well put it all away.
God calls us to seek him with all our heart and soul, to love him above all. If I can ever do that then am sure my every waking moment will be only him on my mind, I would want to know everything about God, I would want to know his words, what he likes and what he dislikes...I would want to imitate him and please him in everything. It would be a love affair..

I am far from this but I am gradually setting my heart to seek him first and not other things....not because of attaining a certain spiritual goal...no...but am realizing that he alone is more worthy than anything i can offer, he is faithful, he is love, he is peace, he is a God who died for me that i may have fellowship with him...

all you said can turn religious of course, but don't let it discount you from reaching into something real and beautiful. Let the Holy Spirit give us a hunger and desire for God like never before...may our soul seek after God as a deer pants for water (ps 42).

Simpleone!
I love what you posted here

 

[sk8Joyful]

A friend and I were talking the other day about the bondage of religion
Group Imposed religion throws a standard out there that who ever is holiest, it will be evident by how much they pray or how much they read the Bible daily. And if you do things things you will be mature in Christ. If you're charismatic/ pentecostal- how much you pray in tongues, how many signs,wonders and miracles follow you. If your evagelical how many souls you save daily, weekly, monthly, yearly.

that was an apt description of "legalistic Fanaticism": doubling of speed, while having no sense of direction; iow the LOST

They constantly feel the "weight" or "burden" to do, do and do more.
Gotta wake up at 5am everyday to pray for 3 hours.
I gotta make sure I give my 10% gross of everything. (Time, Money, Talent etc..and if you dont God can't bless you and you'll be cursed.) I'm not exaggerating.. This is a daily reality for many people. I used to be one of them, so I know. And even still I'm breaking free of some of these things.
If they dont, then they condemn themselves and instead of moving forward... they just go in circles, doing the same things. This religious bondage looks very Godly but is no value to the flesh- Read Colossians chapter 2. This cycle is not a LIFE, rather it is cycle of DEFEAT. And furthermore it's really really exhausting on you and your families.

that was an apt description of "Insane": blindly following the same stupidity, while at the same time expecting wholly different, ie Emotionally healthy outcomes...

And I'm glad you realized that "religiosity" was getting you nowhere, except into a mental hospital, or worse.

I'm glad you are awakening, and are exploring & disvovering & realizing the FRUIT of healthy Spiritual-practices & expressions. Good for you!

Religious Christianity causes us to force feed ourselves.

Look at what happens if you eat and eat and eat and eat, even though you aren't hungry. - Your body gets sick.

Sure, you understand that; but others, particularly those whose other diseases, are under 'religiosity' then made even worse, 'til they have lost twice, or thrice, out on God/Jesus' offered & encouraged lifestyle choices...

Trapped, they exist on effect, rather than cause...
---
Again, Good for you! in you gaining deeper awarenesses in living a converted, passionate Christlike life...