I feel like giving up...

[Nick316]

Let me make this clear: I'm not suicidal.

I made the choice to become a Christian again on easter this year, but ever since then my mind has been riddled with doubts, blasphemies, and struggles. I am mostly over the issue with blasphemy, but now the doubts just kick in.

I've seen a lot of things in the past few days that have completely challenged my beliefs. They've made me wonder if the Bible is just a collection of myths borrowed from other cultures and religions, made me doubt my faith in God as a whole. But what I don't understand is why I keep thinking about God and Jesus. Everyday that I wake up, my thoughts are the same as they were the day before. My mind is never at rest, it seems, and most of the day my thoughts are screaming the same thing over and over. Not always negative things, but positive things too...I would much rather my mind be cleared of all kinds of these thoughts and let me be at peace.

Earlier today I was pretty firm in my beliefs, but just a few minutes ago I started wondering if the universe even needed God. I mean, I've heard from some atheists that the Big Bang could easily occur without a Creator, and that abiogenesis is how life got here. Their arguments seem pretty sound and logical, so I start to wonder why should I still hold on? If I fall away from my faith, can I still come back? One minute I'm a firm Christian, the next I'm wondering if it is even a logical choice.

I've looked through some apologetics sites, read some articles by William Lane Craig, and seen youtube debates, but I just can't come to a stop. I feel like I'll fall too far and just stop believing in God all together. And on top of that, I still am struggling to free my mind of these doubtful, blasphemous restraints.

Any replies or offers of advice are greatly appreciated..

 

[Nick316]

I hate to double post...but I need to say more....

Why do I feel like I'm lying to myself? After I finished typing that, I started saying "God is real, what am I worrying about" but yet I just went through an entire stage of doubt an hour ago? When my doubts go away for some time, I feel as if I am lying to myself..but when the doubts return, I start even considering them...

 

[Tigger45]

Praying for you brother.

 

[Nick316]

Praying for you brother.

Thank you....

What I find odd is that after I posted the second message, I got up and started cleaning up some of my room. I leaned over and found an old dusty New Testament Bible, with my name in it. This copy is from 12 years ago...

This may sound ridiculous, but is this a sign from God?

 

[sdowney717]

Why not? God's word is true.

Let God be true and every man a liar.

How meaningless the universe would be without God to uphold it by the power of His Word?

God’s Supreme Revelation

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,

2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

 

[Tigger45]

Amen! Pick it up, read it and don't look back.

 

[Nick316]

Amen! Pick it up, read it and don't look back.

I'll try to work on that. Thanks!

 

[Nick316]

But...one more thing...

I feel as if I'm offending God by lying to myself...I feel as if I am lying to myself because at one instant I am fully believing, but the next I can be back to doubting. So when I do things like post this thread, and then I think differently right after, I feel guilty because I am wondering if it is wrong in the Lord's eyes.

 

[BFine]

You made the decision to follow Christ, so follow Him.
There is nothing in the bible about Christ teaching his followers/disciples
about other philosophies or doctrines...he taught them about his heavenly
Father and about the Word of God, he taught them how to pray, how to
fight the evil one, how to love others etc.

Get yourself rooted in the Lord and in His Word...those who don't
grow in knowledge of the Lord and His Word will find themselves
carried about by all types of doctrine.

Make a point of getting a Christian mentor or joining a bible study
group at your church for new believers and or those who are struggling
in the faith.

 

[joey_downunder]

But...one more thing...

I feel as if I'm offending God by lying to myself...I feel as if I am lying to myself because at one instant I am fully believing, but the next I can be back to doubting. So when I do things like post this thread, and then I think differently right after, I feel guilty because I am wondering if it is wrong in the Lord's eyes.

It sounds like your faith's being tested. Go to God when this happens. He allows this to happen to help us to grow and mature.

Ask yourself: Did Jesus turn Peter away when he rejected Jesus? http://www.esvbible.org
Matthew 26:30-35, Matthew 26:69-75
Answer: John 21:15-19

It's time for you to start learning about all the factual evidence for Christianity as well. There's many Christian apologetics websites - go to that section of this forum to help you on that journey.

 

[REPHAIAHPEDAHEL]

Philippians 4:6-8 AMP
Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. [7] And God's peace shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. [8] For the rest, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things fix your minds on them.

 

[susyan]

Eph 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

The enemy is throwing all kinds of doubtful questions into your mind... nothing new since Eve when he said to her, "Have God said?..."

You need to rebuild your armour of faith.

How to build faith?

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

You found the bible, it is not an accident. God is speaking to you. Read your bible and listen to Him Believe Him. Take His word for it. Like Abraham did, Abraham believed, and he was counted righteous and God's friend.

Eph 6:11 Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

 

[sdowney717]

Rom 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Also this means.
Let him who has ears to hear hear what the Spirit speaks to the church.

Having 'ears to hear' and 'eyes to see' comes only as revelation of TRUTH from the Father God in Heaven and His Son.

Hearing comes by the word of God directly as in No one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws hm. It is an acknowledgement that ours is a relationship of faith and free gift of salvation due to His mercy and love towards us and not we coming to God on our own power or our own understanding.

Jesus said this too which some may find startling
Luke 10

21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

22 “All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and no one knows who the Father is except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

23 Then he turned to his disciples and said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. 24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Whose choice is it then? You can not know Him unless Jesus is revealed to you by God or Jesus reveals Himself to you as God.

John 17
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.

So be encouraged if you have confessed with your mouth Jesus as lord, believing in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, then you are saved. And this is not of yourselves, it IS THE GIFT of God.

 

[sunshine456]

If it be true it sounds like you are in spiritual battle with the enemy; which deceive, manipulate and fill us full of doubt.

Doubt is a primary weapon the enemy uses to blind us and keep us sedated, so we don't become aware of the truth. The truth that we are in struggles against powers and principalities. it would seem that some of us are attacked more frequently than others and t would be apparent that is because we are more prone to help, aid, rescue and assist others because we have hold of the truth and that can help set the captives free.

The enemy wants us all in LALA land, enslaved with submission and corruption so we are unable to gain the freedom that we can obtain if only through the will of GOD the heavenly father and his son lord JESUS CHRIST.

Always seek discernment by praying to GOD in the name of his son lord JESUS CHRIST first to understand the truth. Interpreting what is causing issues of doubt and disbelief then you will be better able to deal with them or at least understand clearly what is happening.

Praise be to GOD the heavenly father and his son lord JESUS CHRIST forever>>>>>>>>>>>

 

[theophilus40]

I made the choice to become a Christian again on easter this year

Exactly how did you go about becoming a Christian? There are a lot of false teachings about how to become a Christian and as a result there are people who think they are Christians when they aren't. Before trying to deal with any of the problems you mentioned it is essential to make sure you really are a Christian and haven't been mislead by false teachings.

 

[Crandaddy]

I'm on my phone right now, so I can't give you a link, but look up The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism, by Edward Feser. William Lane Craig and other contemporary apologists are good, but if you want the hardcore apologetics, you need to go back a few centuries. The medieval Scholastics would utterly annihilate the so-called "new atheists."

 

[DiscipleHeLovesToo]

Let me make this clear: I'm not suicidal.

I made the choice to become a Christian again on easter this year, but ever since then my mind has been riddled with doubts, blasphemies, and struggles. I am mostly over the issue with blasphemy, but now the doubts just kick in.

I've seen a lot of things in the past few days that have completely challenged my beliefs. They've made me wonder if the Bible is just a collection of myths borrowed from other cultures and religions, made me doubt my faith in God as a whole. But what I don't understand is why I keep thinking about God and Jesus. Everyday that I wake up, my thoughts are the same as they were the day before. My mind is never at rest, it seems, and most of the day my thoughts are screaming the same thing over and over. Not always negative things, but positive things too...I would much rather my mind be cleared of all kinds of these thoughts and let me be at peace.

Earlier today I was pretty firm in my beliefs, but just a few minutes ago I started wondering if the universe even needed God. I mean, I've heard from some atheists that the Big Bang could easily occur without a Creator, and that abiogenesis is how life got here. Their arguments seem pretty sound and logical, so I start to wonder why should I still hold on? If I fall away from my faith, can I still come back? One minute I'm a firm Christian, the next I'm wondering if it is even a logical choice.

I've looked through some apologetics sites, read some articles by William Lane Craig, and seen youtube debates, but I just can't come to a stop. I feel like I'll fall too far and just stop believing in God all together. And on top of that, I still am struggling to free my mind of these doubtful, blasphemous restraints.

Any replies or offers of advice are greatly appreciated..

what the ungodly have no theory for is what led to the big bang to begin with...

think about this - if you can believe that there is no God when there is no conclusive proof that there is no God, then you can believe that there IS a God when there is no conclusive proof that there is a God - it's a choice that you must make once and for all if you would know God (and also miss hell, which pales to insignificance compared to the joy and peace that comes from knowing God).

you may have noticed that your doubts increase as you listen to doubters, in the same way that your doubts decrease as you listen to reborn believers speaking in faith - you magnify what you focus on.

Php 4:4-8 GNB May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice! (5) Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon. (6) Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. (7) And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with Christ Jesus. (8) In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.

 

[Nick316]

Exactly how did you go about becoming a Christian? There are a lot of false teachings about how to become a Christian and as a result there are people who think they are Christians when they aren't. Before trying to deal with any of the problems you mentioned it is essential to make sure you really are a Christian and haven't been mislead by false teachings.

I'm not exactly sure. As a smaller child, I went to a Christian summer camp, went to church sometimes with parents and grandparents. I didn't pray at all, except for at Church and with my grandmother. My grandparents are devout Christians, my mother and father are Christians too but we don't go to Church all that often.

Most people go to church on Easter, we did too. After hearing the sermon, we went home and I started worrying about things like the unforgivable sin. In the last few years before this Easter, I wasn't really into religion or worrying at all. I believed in God and Jesus, but never really thought about it.

Anyway, after I started researching into the unforgivable sin, I was wondering if I had committed it. This drove me into deep depression and anxiety, and for about a month this continued. I prayed, read the Bible, even cried some. I can remember accepting Christ again about two months ago, as I wasn't even sure if I was actually saved before and wanted to be sure. Fast forward two more months, and here I am. My mind is loaded down with thoughts about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the bad ones are pretty much gone but it seems like I'm trying too hard to keep the bad ones out and as a result I can't stop thinking about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

In the last few months I have also familiarized myself with a lot of apologetics and creationist websites, and that has helped me strengthen my belief. I haven't read the Bible completely, but I've read parts of it here and there. Mostly chapters of the New Testament, but I've read a good bit of Genesis too. I want to get into reading the entire Bible, but I'm easily distracted and can't seem to focus. I'm pretty forgetful as well. I've had quite a bit of arguments with atheists and agnostics over creation, evolution, Christianity, and God. I've mostly won them, but some of the things they've said also seemed to drive doubt into my mind.


I apologize if this post is kind of sloppy with the grammar, but I really just poured anything I could remember into it.

 

[theophilus40]

I can remember accepting Christ again about two months ago, as I wasn't even sure if I was actually saved before and wanted to be sure. Fast forward two more months, and here I am. My mind is loaded down with thoughts about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, the bad ones are pretty much gone but it seems like I'm trying too hard to keep the bad ones out and as a result I can't stop thinking about God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

The fact that you have been thinking a lot about God since you accepted Christ shows that your conversion was probably real. One effect of being a Christian is that there is a strong desire to know God better.

 

[DreyDay]

Life is simple, but many of us make it way too complex:

God intended to create an awesome universe, you included.

What are you doing today to fulfill that intent?

What interests, hobbies, drive do you have that gets you up every morning that you're striving toward? Get in touch with that, align yourself with an unstoppable faith and see what awesome things will come about in your life.