I Don't Know What I am

[SashaDusty]

It's hard for me to deny that I feel the presence of GOD in my life. That I pray for others, and try to do good things to make up for past transgressions. I would even begin to attend Church again, for the sake of knowledge.

But I'm not quite the Christian yet who throws herself down on her knees and raises her arms to the sky and thinks of Jesus every minute of every day...it seems...excessive. I used to do just that in churches and youth camps, felt the spirit get inside me and really let go, but now not so much...

Is there really such a thing as excessive if you really want to be a Christian?

Is it right that I think of God as a Brother instead of Father? It may be wrong but for the longest time I have thought of him as a loving brother, always beside me, giving me advice and joking around, confiding my secrets in him when I pray like I would a brother.

Whereas, when I picture Father, I picture sneaking around behind his back, worrying if he wants to yell at me, being silent and obeying.

I know that he is above us tiny humans, but Brother is still what comes to mind and is the more loving picture for me.

I don't know what to say other than I have just barely returned to being a Christian, and I have a lot to learn. I am still unsure in my Faith but try hard because I want it to be true.

 

[Harry3142]

It sound like your not being as emotional as you once were is simply a sign that you have matured. Excessive emotionalism can 'flip' very quickly; it's better to have a solid foundation on which to build your life as a Christian.

As for seeing God as a brother rather than a father, with the definition you have for each of those it sounds like a good idea. There are of course some denominations which insist that we identify God as a father-figure. But upon closer inspection they also identify him as a wrathful father. The end result is that they attempt to convince others that in order to avoid his wrath they must obey that denomination's heirarchy absolutely. So if seeing God as an older brother causes you to feel closer to him, go for it.

 

[SashaDusty]

Thank you, this certainly gives me more steam to keep trying. And confidence.

 

[paul1149]

Sasha,

There is no such thing as excessive devotion to Christ, but there is misguided and hypocritical devotion. If you're starting back up again, take your time and make your steps secure. Give God a chance to provide feedback and to direct or redirect you the way you should go.

As far as God as a brother, Jesus the Only-Begotten with His resurrection has become the First-Born of many brothers. So yes, God now is your older brother. But He also is your Father. I wouldn't worry about it at this point. Keep your focus on the Lord and on what He has accomplished for you, and questions like these will be resolved in due time.

 

[Peripatetic]

It sound like your not being as emotional as you once were is simply a sign that you have matured. Excessive emotionalism can 'flip' very quickly; it's better to have a solid foundation on which to build your life as a Christian.

Well said. Excessive emotion can lead to burn-out, in part due to the false belief that those feelings will stay the same forever (kind of like a couple who believes that 50 years of marriage will be like the honeymoon).

People worship in different ways. Some are more private, and there is nothing wrong with that. Consider what Jesus said in Matthew 6:5-8:

5 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

 

[Bible2]

SashaDusty said in post #1:

Is it right that I think of God as a Brother instead of Father?

God is our Father (John 20:17, Matthew 23:9, Matthew 5:16), and he is our brother, because Jesus is God (John 1:1,14, John 10:30, John 20:28) and Jesus is our brother (Matthew 12:50, Hebrews 2:11-18, Matthew 25:40).

 

[1watchman]

The Lord Jesus never spoke of Himself as "our brother", but as our Savior and Lord. He is God manifested in the flesh for salvation. The Creator-God is Jehovah and not our brother, but our Creator and our God. We should never reason or speculate about God, but hold firmly to the Bible. Man has a tendency to try to demote the Almighty God to just like man, which is irreverant.

It should be noted that when the Lord Jesus spoke to the Jews as "my brethren" that was as a man among them, for He was a Jew as the "Son of man"; but His ministry was as the "Son of God". It is that ministry that we today must embrace and realize.

 

[parsley]

We all go through phases of growth and perception. People speak about God and scriptures having so many facets that we see a different view or insight every day.

Being with passionate Christians showed you that there were peers who were truly devoted to God. What you are seeing now, is closer to how you fit more naturally into this faith.

As said above, Jesus' life on earth gave us that personal, approachable contact with God. The father is shown with protective love, but also not putting up with our crud. Since He is creator of all that exists, then it's not unusual that you're a little timid with Him. Just remember that it was His plan to send the approachable Jesus for you.

Jesus told us He would send the Holy Spirit to be with us when He was gone. So they are all on the same page with wanting you supported, talked to, and loved.

It reminds me of how we get cool babysitters that we compare to our parents, but forget that our parents were the ones who hand-picked them. Or substitute teachers that were recommended by our regular teachers. I'm not trying to lower Jesus' authority in these examples, but to show that if the parts of the trinity are One, then they are also of one mind.

Hopefully these will come together more as you develop more trust in Him over the years.

 

[LilLamb219]

1watchman really points you in the right direction...to the Savior.

Some people feel forced into the excessive because of their peers, they see others screaming out AMEN and Hallelujah so they feel compelled to throw their arms in the air as well...hoping to gain some feeling out of it all.

But look to the Savior for your comfort. Look to your Savior for the relationship and don't worry about whether you're doing enough or not. He'll guide you. Ask him to do so

 

[salida]

Its about a relationship with God and he wants your whole heart. Please don't fall in the indifference category. He died for our sins and gave all his heart.