How can I be convinced Gods way is better then my way of living

[Curiouscallie]

How can I be convinced that God's way of living is better then my way of living. As mentioned I have fallen away I do struggle with spiritual amnesia and am having to relearn everything about God, Jesus, His death and sin all over again. I have recently returned to church albeit not consistently and while receiving counsel from my Pastor he has stated I need to seek out Jesus, repentant and follow Jesus, so on so forth however I dont quite get the importance of this nor am I convinced that Gods way is the way to live. I know I wasn't complete nor content with God when in a relationship with Him, I often felt like it was a one sided relationship, like I was doing all the work in maintaining that said relationship with God and was only acknowledged by God when I'd done something wrong. It was like God had big expectations of me and I had to become dependant on myself to handle life situations etc. While God remained on the sidelines occasionally looking on but more or less looking past me. So very uninvolved. I have struggled all my life with a distorted image of God however I did give Him my all at one time So how can I be convinced living for God is better then living without God when I tried this before and dont understand why my Pastor thinks having God and a relationship with Jesus is what I need in order to change my way of living when if it didn't work before why would it now

 

[Mountainmanbob]

God has the plan and I don't.
Proven over and over again.

Stick close to the Bible and your church and pastor.

Sermons on YouTube by
John MacArthur
or RC SPROUL
or if looking for hard core
Paul Washer

M-Bob

 

[Bluerose31]

How can I be convinced that God's way of living is better then my way of living. As mentioned I have fallen away I do struggle with spiritual amnesia and am having to relearn everything about God, Jesus, His death and sin all over again. I have recently returned to church albeit not consistently and while receiving counsel from my Pastor he has stated I need to seek out Jesus, repentant and follow Jesus, so on so forth however I dont quite get the importance of this nor am I convinced that Gods way is the way to live. I know I wasn't complete nor content with God when in a relationship with Him, I often felt like it was a one sided relationship, like I was doing all the work in maintaining that said relationship with God and was only acknowledged by God when I'd done something wrong. It was like God had big expectations of me and I had to become dependant on myself to handle life situations etc. While God remained on the sidelines occasionally looking on but more or less looking past me. So very uninvolved. I have struggled all my life with a distorted image of God however I did give Him my all at one time So how can I be convinced living for God is better then living without God when I tried this before and dont understand why my Pastor thinks having God and a relationship with Jesus is what I need in order to change my way of living when if it didn't work before why would it now

I have found that being with Jesus is a beautiful way to live. He is a very kind God and protects and nourishes the heart of his followers. He is like a loving Father and is compassionate. He loves you very much. Jesus has helped me cope with how much I have suffered in life. I have suffered a lot and Jesus has made me feel beautiful by loving me perfectly with unconditional love. He loves you with unconditional love too. He wants to help you in your life and wants to support you in everything you do.

 

[joshua 1 9]

How can I be convinced that God's way of living is better then my way of living. As mentioned I have fallen away I do struggle with spiritual amnesia and am having to relearn everything about God, Jesus, His death and sin all over again. I have recently returned to church albeit not consistently and while receiving counsel from my Pastor he has stated I need to seek out Jesus, repentant and follow Jesus, so on so forth however I dont quite get the importance of this nor am I convinced that Gods way is the way to live. I know I wasn't complete nor content with God when in a relationship with Him, I often felt like it was a one sided relationship, like I was doing all the work in maintaining that said relationship with God and was only acknowledged by God when I'd done something wrong. It was like God had big expectations of me and I had to become dependant on myself to handle life situations etc. While God remained on the sidelines occasionally looking on but more or less looking past me. So very uninvolved. I have struggled all my life with a distorted image of God however I did give Him my all at one time So how can I be convinced living for God is better then living without God when I tried this before and dont understand why my Pastor thinks having God and a relationship with Jesus is what I need in order to change my way of living when if it didn't work before why would it now

Were you ever in the army? Before you can go to war you have to go to boot camp. Then you have to fight the war to gain the victory. Or you can just surrender to the enemy and be their slave at their mercy. It is your choice if you want to fight for your freedom or live a life of slavery. Only you can decide, it is your choice to make and no one will make your choice for you.

 

[drjean]

It saddens me that your distorted view of the relationship with God might very well stem from a "church" doctrine or beliefs.

God is involved in our lives to the extent we ask Him to be, allow Him to be. He is not judgmental, and does not upbraid us for our ignorant actions (at times very ignorant.)
While He surely does speak to me through the Spirit within me, I can hear Him through reading His Word, immersing myself in it...

and it's through that immersion that I come to truly KNOW that God is a God of love and wants only good for me, wants to bless me and protect and guide me. My "job" therefore is only to Praise and Worship Him as God.

When bad things happen, it isn't God doing it. But without God we can't get out of the bad situations that satan sends our way. We need God because He is the Only One who is more powerful than evil. God is only GOOD for the believer.

Since you do believe that you trusted Jesus for salvation before (you did say that, right?) then reading verses about the promises of God and how He keeps you sealed in His Hand by the Holy Spirit and how NOTHING (not even we, ourselves) can separate us from HIS LOVE! And when you begin to doubt, read and repeat read and repeat because God keeps His promises!

When I consider the evil in the world today, and all the (what I truly believe) end-times events so horrific around us, I wonder how someone without God can survive each day! I think I would die from fear. But Perfect Love casts out fear...what can man do to me? (Especially what can man do that God cannot fix for me?)

I would focus only upon that one element until you are quite comfortable and assured of God's love and salvation for you.

 

[dreadnought]

How can I be convinced that God's way of living is better then my way of living. As mentioned I have fallen away I do struggle with spiritual amnesia and am having to relearn everything about God, Jesus, His death and sin all over again. I have recently returned to church albeit not consistently and while receiving counsel from my Pastor he has stated I need to seek out Jesus, repentant and follow Jesus, so on so forth however I dont quite get the importance of this nor am I convinced that Gods way is the way to live. I know I wasn't complete nor content with God when in a relationship with Him, I often felt like it was a one sided relationship, like I was doing all the work in maintaining that said relationship with God and was only acknowledged by God when I'd done something wrong. It was like God had big expectations of me and I had to become dependant on myself to handle life situations etc. While God remained on the sidelines occasionally looking on but more or less looking past me. So very uninvolved. I have struggled all my life with a distorted image of God however I did give Him my all at one time So how can I be convinced living for God is better then living without God when I tried this before and dont understand why my Pastor thinks having God and a relationship with Jesus is what I need in order to change my way of living when if it didn't work before why would it now

The Lord is showing us the way to paradise. Satan does his best to tempt us to sin and lose that paradise. Take your pick.

 

[Theodoric]

How can I be convinced that God's way of living is better then my way of living.

Quite simply on an outcome basis. How happy are you with your life?

 

[ToBeLoved]

How can I be convinced that God's way of living is better then my way of living. As mentioned I have fallen away I do struggle with spiritual amnesia and am having to relearn everything about God, Jesus, His death and sin all over again. I have recently returned to church albeit not consistently and while receiving counsel from my Pastor he has stated I need to seek out Jesus, repentant and follow Jesus, so on so forth however I dont quite get the importance of this nor am I convinced that Gods way is the way to live. I know I wasn't complete nor content with God when in a relationship with Him, I often felt like it was a one sided relationship, like I was doing all the work in maintaining that said relationship with God and was only acknowledged by God when I'd done something wrong. It was like God had big expectations of me and I had to become dependant on myself to handle life situations etc. While God remained on the sidelines occasionally looking on but more or less looking past me. So very uninvolved. I have struggled all my life with a distorted image of God however I did give Him my all at one time So how can I be convinced living for God is better then living without God when I tried this before and dont understand why my Pastor thinks having God and a relationship with Jesus is what I need in order to change my way of living when if it didn't work before why would it now

If it's not too personal, can you explain a little more about your 'spiritual amnesia'?

 

[Kenny'sID]

How can I be convinced that God's way of living is better then my way of living.

It's cut and dried to me, I don't question it. Though I can see his way is much better, if I could not, it's wouldn't matter...it's his way or the highway.

End of story.

 

[tdidymas]

How can I be convinced that God's way of living is better then my way of living. As mentioned I have fallen away I do struggle with spiritual amnesia and am having to relearn everything about God, Jesus, His death and sin all over again. I have recently returned to church albeit not consistently and while receiving counsel from my Pastor he has stated I need to seek out Jesus, repentant and follow Jesus, so on so forth however I dont quite get the importance of this nor am I convinced that Gods way is the way to live. I know I wasn't complete nor content with God when in a relationship with Him, I often felt like it was a one sided relationship, like I was doing all the work in maintaining that said relationship with God and was only acknowledged by God when I'd done something wrong. It was like God had big expectations of me and I had to become dependant on myself to handle life situations etc. While God remained on the sidelines occasionally looking on but more or less looking past me. So very uninvolved. I have struggled all my life with a distorted image of God however I did give Him my all at one time So how can I be convinced living for God is better then living without God when I tried this before and dont understand why my Pastor thinks having God and a relationship with Jesus is what I need in order to change my way of living when if it didn't work before why would it now

Rom. 8:12-13 - by your conversation it appears you are still living after the flesh. It is good that you recognize you have a distorted image of God, but you are still in denial - that is, denial of God being good (good for you). It is because you don't yet believe in Him, or believe Him. This kind of believing is trust, and is what Jesus meant when He said "whoever hears my words and observes to do them is like a man who built his house on a rock..."

When you question God's way as being not as good as yours, you are judging God (that is, you are sitting in the seat of judgment against God's way). It also depends on what you mean by "God's way." Perhaps you think that some false doctrine you got in your mind is "God's way." You need to get serious about knowing the scripture and discovering what it actually says, as opposed to only following what pastors tell you, because pastors are fallible. You also need to put less stock into your personal subjective feelings, and more stock into what the Bible says.
TD

 

[Curiouscallie]

Quite simply on an outcome basis. How happy are you with your life?

Not happy at all. I spent this past year wanting to end my life. I have been in the hospital three times because of attempts to end my life. I just recently lost my job because of being a victim of sexual harassment. I picked up up a joint after 30 years of staying away from that stuff and now I cant go a day without it. I have no friends, no hope, no future. My life is meaningless, hopeless, and I am just a waste of space, yet I'm trying to find God and understand everything I can about Him as I'm left with an ultimatum suicide or God. Can God be the answer, is His way the answer to a new life or is suicide the answer to end all and have a life of eternal oblivion. I'm conflicted fighting this everyday so no I'm not happy in life I'm miserable beyond words while trying to stay a float

 

[ToBeLoved]

Not happy at all. I spent this past year wanting to end my life. I have been in the hospital three times because of attempts to end my life. I just recently lost my job because of being a victim of sexual harassment. I picked up up a joint after 30 years of staying away from that stuff and now I cant go a day without it. I have no friends, no hope, no future. My life is meaningless, hopeless, and I am just a waste of space, yet I'm trying to find God and understand everything I can about Him as I'm left with an ultimatum suicide or God. Can God be the answer, is His way the answer to a new life or is suicide the answer to end all and have a life of eternal oblivion. I'm conflicted fighting this everyday so no I'm not happy in life I'm miserable beyond words while trying to stay a float

God is not trying to make us miserable by making us keep all these rules. God knows there are consequences to sin and really sin is a game where you or I or anyone usually keeps upping the ante to keep it good or worthwhile.

God is creating in His children spiritual qualities and love and compassion. These things are naturally just against self.

It’s not that God wants to punish us but the speliritual things are usually opposite from the material things of self.

I look at it like God is creating in me a being for heaven not a being to satisfy self on earth.

 

[Curiouscallie]

If it's not too personal, can you explain a little more about your 'spiritual amnesia'?

I forgot everything I was taught about God, Jesus the Holy Spirit and scriptures I once knew very well. I have suffered much trauma over the years, and most recently, I attribute this to memory loss of God and everything pertaining to Him. So its like having to learn from scratch. Coming to this forum asking questions I ponder has been a help in receiving answers as it has given me some clarity, something to dwell on and new understanding of the questions I had no understanding of. The more I reread the answers along with the added scripture given the more sense it makes and is now sinking in with with clarity rather then being washed away immediately as it son often has before.

 

[Theodoric]

Not happy at all. I spent this past year wanting to end my life. I have been in the hospital three times because of attempts to end my life. I just recently lost my job because of being a victim of sexual harassment. I picked up up a joint after 30 years of staying away from that stuff and now I cant go a day without it. I have no friends, no hope, no future. My life is meaningless, hopeless, and I am just a waste of space, yet I'm trying to find God and understand everything I can about Him as I'm left with an ultimatum suicide or God. Can God be the answer, is His way the answer to a new life or is suicide the answer to end all and have a life of eternal oblivion. I'm conflicted fighting this everyday so no I'm not happy in life I'm miserable beyond words while trying to stay a float

Well, first let me say I appreciate your honesty in sharing that, and I don't take it lightly. I will add you to my personal daily prayer list; we don't know each other but God knows both of us.

To get back to my point about the "outcome basis", would you agree this is the result of "your way of living"? How could God's way not be better than that? What you need most right now is a strong and LOVING fellowship of local believers who will help to carry you until you can stand strong in your own faith. You can't do this alone on a mountain.

Also, if you can find one, a Christian therapist can be very helpful in the short term. Chronic depression becomes chemical in nature, and you may find drug therapy to be needful to get the recovery process started.

Keep in touch on these boards and let us know how you're doing. There is a wide range of people who post here, and I haven't been here that long myself, but from what I've seen we're mostly good and well-intentioned.

God Bless and lead you to His pathway, His comfort, and His truth.

-Larry

 

[tdidymas]

I forgot everything I was taught about God, Jesus the Holy Spirit and scriptures I once knew very well. I have suffered much trauma over the years, and most recently, I attribute this to memory loss of God and everything pertaining to Him. So its like having to learn from scratch. Coming to this forum asking questions I ponder has been a help in receiving answers as it has given me some clarity, something to dwell on and new understanding of the questions I had no understanding of. The more I reread the answers along with the added scripture given the more sense it makes and is now sinking in with with clarity rather then being washed away immediately as it son often has before.

I just thought, you might want to consider joining a Celebrate Recovery group - Home
if one is available to you. It is like an AA but Christ-based, a safe environment to confess whatever you need to, in order to be healed from your addictions (whatever they may be). For example, I'm currently working on my addiction to junk foods, and having a support group helps. One of the devil's key tools is isolation. (James 5:14-16)
TD

 

[ToBeLoved]

I forgot everything I was taught about God, Jesus the Holy Spirit and scriptures I once knew very well. I have suffered much trauma over the years, and most recently, I attribute this to memory loss of God and everything pertaining to Him. So its like having to learn from scratch. Coming to this forum asking questions I ponder has been a help in receiving answers as it has given me some clarity, something to dwell on and new understanding of the questions I had no understanding of. The more I reread the answers along with the added scripture given the more sense it makes and is now sinking in with with clarity rather then being washed away immediately as it son often has before.

Good. I’m so glad that tge community here is a help to you.

God bless you.