Holding to Faith in times of despair

[EmbracingHim]

During great times of despair, such as family death, divorce, etc. we watch many Christians slide.

Are the majority of believers truly living for God or this current life we have on this earth?

I consider this with sin that occurs without despair. For example 'choosing' a path because it feels good to the flesh [e.g. pre-marital sex] versus choosing the path constructed in scripture that leads to life.

So what and why or do you experience times when it feels we are doing all we can to merely wake up in the morning and survive ... versus holding enjoyment beyond the mourning or whatever despair might exist?

I have a theory that 'we' ourselves have done something to ourselves...whether it be a poor decision or regrets versus the nature of life that is not something we ought not to understand and prepare ourselves for (i.e. such as the evitably loss of *this* life).

So many question 'why' something occurs [I myself try to use logic which can frustrate a person if something 'is' -- but there is no human logic to it].

Should we be asking why and what do you think of back sliding during times of destress in life.

Thanks.

 

[Bernie02]

I think you have some good thoughts here, EH. I used to hold a notion, very common by folks in monotheistic religions generally, it seems, that many who fall into hard times "get religion" as a result of these circumstances. I've since come to believe that we're all of us brought into hard times in order to learn religion.

I've come to believe in my own theology that nary an ounce of sorrow, suffering, affliction, etc. is 'wasted' on a human being. I.e., for every state of affairs in which any human finds him/herself in which produces any content of suffering, there is an equivalent and simultaneous state of spiritual affairs taking place in that person's soul by which any and all of this suffereing produces some good. I see this as what Jesus stated about all being 'salted with fire'. Sometimes the fire produces only a temporary ability to choose between contraries at some fork in the road of our life. Sometimes it produces a more lasting effect, as in erasing the urge for some sin; but always I think suffereing produces in some unseen place in the soul, some good...whether we take advantage of it (where applicable) or not.

 

[tapero]

During great times of despair, such as family death, divorce, etc. we watch many Christians slide.

Are the majority of believers truly living for God or this current life we have on this earth?

I consider this with sin that occurs without despair. For example 'choosing' a path because it feels good to the flesh [e.g. pre-marital sex] versus choosing the path constructed in scripture that leads to life.

So what and why or do you experience times when it feels we are doing all we can to merely wake up in the morning and survive ... versus holding enjoyment beyond the mourning or whatever despair might exist?

I have a theory that 'we' ourselves have done something to ourselves...whether it be a poor decision or regrets versus the nature of life that is not something we ought not to understand and prepare ourselves for (i.e. such as the evitably loss of *this* life).

So many question 'why' something occurs [I myself try to use logic which can frustrate a person if something 'is' -- but there is no human logic to it].

Should we be asking why and what do you think of back sliding during times of destress in life.

Thanks.

I'm editing the post I had here, as going to combine, and may have misunderstood, so I apologize and will repost in just a bit.

 

[Crazy Liz]

Some good thoughts here. I was particularly interested in the OP's emphasis on "WE" in relation to individual "backsliding."

I did some preliminary research for a study a few years ago and found that Christians in times of personal crisis (this particular study was about marital problems) tend to withdraw from their communities, and often their communities don't even notice it until it's too late to be of much help.

In times of despair, I think sometimes our communities need to hold onto faith for us.

Tapero recommends Job.

What happened to Job when he was suffering? Did he reach out to his community? No. His friends came and surrounded him. They sat with him in silence for a long time. Then they argued with each other. But most of all, they were there. They reached out to Job and stayed with him a long time.

That they didn't have the right answers was not the important thing. They didn't come to give Job answers, or they would have spoken up right away. If his friends had not been there, what might Job have done when his wife said, "Curse God and die?" We'll never know.

There is a tendency to look at what Job's friends said, and judge their help by whether they were right or wrong, but I can't remember ever hearing a sermon about the value of their mere presence.

EmbracingHim, is this part of what you were trying to get at?

 

[tapero]

coming back to repost later.. don't like what I had.. edited