I keep getting hurt by some Christians

[Observer]

I'm following God as best as I can. I've asked him into my life and I pray many times a day about everything/anything. I have a strong desire to do the right thing by God. I'm waiting on Him to help me with all of these things, and I'm waiting on Him to help me understand Jesus better. I'm also doing everything I feel I can do right now, so I don't feel like I can "do" anything further to hurry my spirituality along with God.

The problem I keep encountering is cold, militant and judgmental conversations with some Christians. I don't understand it and it's really hurting me. I've had a number of Christians question me, and it was more of an interrogation. They ask me if I'm Christian or not and I say that I can't answer it, but they still demand an answer. To say yes feels wrong to me because I'm so weak right now and I haven't been doing this for very long, but to say no and agree that I'm on satan’s side is completely wrong as well. They're never interested in where I'm at, not if it's under the "proper Christian" bar.

A guy just a few minutes ago kept asking me if I'm a Christian, which obviously isn't a bad thing to ask, but he wouldn't accept my answers or where I'm at and kept demanding me to give him a black and white answer. The part where he asked if I'm "real" or not made me feel really judged and hurt. I'm waiting and waiting and praying and trying so hard and these people just treat me like I'm worthless, at least until I become a proper Christian. I feel like I can never be "proper" anything... because I'm trying so hard to listen to God but I'm still not where they are.

I told that guy that he hurt me and I feel he was being inconsiderate, and he said that's just conviction from God that I'm feeling. I don't feel bad because of conviction, I just feel so utterly helpless. But maybe he's right, maybe I should feel conviction for following satan but I just don't see how I follow evil. This guy had never spoken to me before, and he was treating me like I was anti-God and not interested in Him, and going out all weekend partying and doing all of these horrible things that I need to be reprimanded for. I'm of course a sinner, but I feel I do an okay job of following God morally, even if I'm not advanced in my path. But they don't care, they still just attack me because I'm not quite good enough.

It shouldn’t even affect me because God's judgement should be all that matters... but they feel so powerful to me and they hurt me... maybe God does think/feel the same way they do toward me... maybe He feels I'm following satan too. But it just makes no sense to me because I find myself choosing God over satan. I don't know how to handle any of this. I know these people's intentions are usually for God, but they categorize me and judge me at the same time and it just ends up as an attack.

Thanks for reading

 

[tapero]

Dear Observer, I am so sorry that people are treating you this way. There are all types of beliefs on this board and in the world and some Christians just don't realize how they are affecting another person's feelings. You don't have to reveal anything more than you want to, and it sounds to me that you have chosen Christ, and there is nothing more spiritual than that.

Don't worry about being like someone else, just be the wonderful person that you are. Just be honest in your answers and disregard anything you know to be untrue.

A relationship with God is growing in all of us, a little at a time. We are all in different places in our walk with God.

You have a sensitive heart, and that is a great thing to have.

I hope this has helped some. Love, Tapero

 

[Petunia]

If you believe in Christ and have accepted Him, then what you are is a 'baby Christian'. You've just started out, everything is new to you. You need time to grow up in the Lord and grow out of the sin in your life. That could take some time. So it may help for you to find a church where you feel comfortable. By putting yourself under the leadership of a loving pastor who will take responsibility for you and care for you. When you feel overcome by other Christians pressuring you, go to your pastor. When you feel life is pressuring you, go to your pastor. When you get into a situation and don't know a way out, go to your pastor. He should in turn take you to the Lord in prayer. When you grow up in the Lord, you will be able to do all of this for yourself with confidence.

Both Paul and Jesus spoke of 'baby Christians'. And warned of not offending them and causing them to stumble.

God's love is gentle and patient. Unfortunately, some of us Christians aren't. Some people are just roughhounds.

 

[tapero]

Awesome!

 

[Kevin85]

Dear Observer,

I to am sorry that you had to go thru that. I can understand what you are going thru. About 3 yrs ago I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior and I became Christian. Then alot of things happened to my family, friends, and my beautiful and wonderful fiance. Instead of being strong and helping my family thru the problems. I fell with them. My heart broke into a million peaces. I turned away from god and everything that I was. I felt alone and I felt that God wasn't there for me. But really I turned my back on him.

The thing that I didn't relize that I was doing at the time was I was effeciting my family, friends, and my relationship w/ the women I wanted to marry. My fiance was a strong Christian and she tried to help me thru my problems. But I couldn't excepted what had happened. I didn't realize that satan had tore my family apart and ripped my faith away from me. It effected my whole family and my fiance and I unfortunetly split up. I was tore apart.

I rededicated my life about 3 months ago and started going back to church. And the thing that I realize was that God wants us to stand firm and strong. He is our strength in a time of darkness. Now my family is starting to go back to church. And I am stronger then I was before. Sometimes we have to go thru bad things to make us stronger. To show us to put god first. Because it is all about him.

If I had the chance to go back and do it again I would have stood strong. And not fallen when the problems w/ my family started. You effect the people around you wether you see it or not. When you are strong in your faith you can help bring nonbelievers to know Christ and you can bring believers closer to Christ. But you also can get someone to doubt god if you are not strong. If you have ask god into you life and you except him as your personal savior then I promise you that you are saved and you can proudly call your self a Christian. Then after that you will want to show and tell people about god and tell them that you are Christian.

I will keep you in my prayers and If you have the chance to sit down and talk to a pastor or a christian that will not judge you then please do so. You should try and surround yourself w / Christians that will help you and not judge you.

Take care and God bless,
Kevin85

P.s. I just wanted to ask that you keep me in your prayers for I am still going thru problems w/ my loved ones and I am trying to rebuild a relationship w/ god that satan managed to tear apart.

 

[dews]

First of all, i would like to encourage you that based on what have posted you are indeed a Christian and born again. There is a common hypocrisy among some Christians that they expect way too much from each other and especiailly from those that are newly born again. For example, when a baby is newly born, the child's mother doesn't just leave the baby to go and live on his own, feed himself, dress himself, or change his own diaper- as this is impossible. What i am trying to say is that you have started upon a lifelong learning process that grows slowly and deeply with "baby steps" each and every day as you continue to seek God. Never mind what these people say, continue to seek God, be yourself with Him and also don't be so hard on yourself. Your gift of salvation from the Father is just that- A GIFT. You need not work for it or try to prove that you are worthy of it. Your admission has already been paid for and God loves you just as you are right know. If you can remember one thing, remember that you are now God's precious child, He is your Father and He will take it upon Himself to help you get closer to Him, to grow you spiritually and to begin to inject into your life your purpose in life. God Bless you, I think it is awesome that you have decided to follow God and it is awesome how you are standing up to adversity through it all as well.

 

[indagroove]

I wonder what their definition of "proper Christian" is. I feel they are lacking in compassion, therefore, they are not fully Glorifying God themselves. Just tell them that Jesus is my Lord and savour, and you feel a very personal relationship with Jesus. Then blurt out, will you sit down and pray for me and my relationship?


There is a difference in Earthly Wisdon, and Heavenly Wisdom "James 3" Some people think they are God's gift to the rest of us, but they are Boasting.


Again.....
This is about your relationship with Jesus. That's it. You work on that relationship, and all else falls in line.

God Bless you !

 

[matthewgoh]

Hi Observer,

Don't let man judge you, and don't be discouraged by them. Forgive them and be patience with them, since no one is perfect. Our Lord teaches us to love God and love our neighbours, and by doing so, you will live a happier life. God bless.

 

[hoek]

Sadly enough, there are a lot of people out there who are like that - regardless of religion - who have nothing better to do than judge other people against an impossible measuring stick. I would encourage you to let their hurtful comments roll off your back and not cause you to stumble in the faith that you have chosen to follow. Easier said than done I know, but their disrespect for you is only a reflection upon themselves, not you.

 

[Stinker]

Observer, what church have you been attending? To at least know this much may help us to help you more.

 

[ArohaB]

Dear Observer,
God is your Father and you are a new born Christian, it would show Him no greater pleasure than you run to Him with these concerns and attacks that you are experiencing. That way He can reveal to you who He is and how He wants you to handle life from now on. Going to Him in prayer and into His word (the Bible) is where you need to find your answers and strength. Remember to exercise patience and quietness so you can hear that still small voice.
Most of all continue on and on for He is bigger and better than we can ever imagine when we first face Him.
God Bless You and Keep You
your sister in Christ.

 

[Sketcher]

Sorry that happened to you Observer, we really like to know where people are coming from and it just gets out of hand sometimes.

 

[CardinalBaseball]

It shouldn’t even affect me because God's judgement should be all that matters... but they feel so powerful to me and they hurt me... maybe God does think/feel the same way they do toward me... maybe He feels I'm following satan too.

Thanks for reading

God doesn't feel the same way as they do. He knows more than they do. Don't let those people get in your way to God.

 

[eternal_flame_1988]

I am sorry to hear that there are people who are doing and saying those things to you. They obviously have no consideration for other peoples feelings. When I was a 'baby christian' as Petunia called it...i had the complete opposite. I had Christians being overenthusiastic about my new faith and, as i am a generally shy person, it scared me off a little as i felt thrown into the deep. I wanted the time to develop slowly in my faith.

 

[goldenviolet]

If you believe in Christ and have accepted Him, then what you are is a 'baby Christian'. You've just started out, everything is new to you. You need time to grow up in the Lord and grow out of the sin in your life. That could take some time. So it may help for you to find a church where you feel comfortable. By putting yourself under the leadership of a loving pastor who will take responsibility for you and care for you. When you feel overcome by other Christians pressuring you, go to your pastor. When you feel life is pressuring you, go to your pastor. When you get into a situation and don't know a way out, go to your pastor. He should in turn take you to the Lord in prayer. When you grow up in the Lord, you will be able to do all of this for yourself with confidence.

Both Paul and Jesus spoke of 'baby Christians'. And warned of not offending them and causing them to stumble.

God's love is gentle and patient. Unfortunately, some of us Christians aren't. Some people are just roughhounds.

i will second this post, and add... with spiritual growth you will feel less hurt and more uplifted. also you should do your best to tell them how you feel, or say "i feel discouraged", or even better, ask that person to pray for you (the right now together, or over you prayer). i'm dee.

i hope that you will find many lovely blessings here!

Dear Father, please take our dear little sister Observer, and help her to continue to reach out to us, and help us build her spirit with love and encouragement as you have commanded. dear Lord, i pray that she sees other places to receive growth and fellowship on CF. and Father, i thank you for her. in Jesus name, amen.

 

[LilLamb219]

A guy just a few minutes ago kept asking me if I'm a Christian, which obviously isn't a bad thing to ask, but he wouldn't accept my answers or where I'm at and kept demanding me to give him a black and white answer.

I haven't read the other responses, but I wanted to say that you should tell these "Christians" that YOU are a Christian because Christ died on the cross for the forgiveness of your sins and you have faith that are you forgiven and will be resurrected. That is a sufficient enough answer as to whether or not you are Christian. It's not about anything you do or don't do, it is about Christ and what He has done, is doing and will do for us!

 

[1Cor2v9]

I'm sorry that you have been treated this way by Christians.
God will take you at your pace and he will guide you and show you things when the time is right.
When i was a new believer I came across the hardness and judgement of other Christians and it also hurt me deeply.

I just want to encourage you to keep your eyes on God and forgive christians that are harsh to you. Don't let them become a stumbling block on your journey of faith.

It could also be that the enemy sees the potential in you and he is trying to turn you away from the faith by using Christians to discourage you so that you don't come into the fullness of Gods plan for you.

Bless you

1Cor2v9

 

[CatsandCradles]

What your going through is nothing new.

I think it was Gandhi who said, "I love Christ, but I have a great deal of difficulty loving Christians"

So don't worry, your not alone.

In a way, it might be that those people questioning you are insecure about their own faith and have the need to question someone elses faith in order to justify themselves.

 

[thepianist]

I'm following God as best as I can. I've asked him into my life and I pray many times a day about everything/anything. I have a strong desire to do the right thing by God. I'm waiting on Him to help me with all of these things, and I'm waiting on Him to help me understand Jesus better. I'm also doing everything I feel I can do right now, so I don't feel like I can "do" anything further to hurry my spirituality along with God.

The problem I keep encountering is cold, militant and judgmental conversations with some Christians. I don't understand it and it's really hurting me. I've had a number of Christians question me, and it was more of an interrogation. They ask me if I'm Christian or not and I say that I can't answer it, but they still demand an answer. To say yes feels wrong to me because I'm so weak right now and I haven't been doing this for very long, but to say no and agree that I'm on satan’s side is completely wrong as well. They're never interested in where I'm at, not if it's under the "proper Christian" bar.

A guy just a few minutes ago kept asking me if I'm a Christian, which obviously isn't a bad thing to ask, but he wouldn't accept my answers or where I'm at and kept demanding me to give him a black and white answer. The part where he asked if I'm "real" or not made me feel really judged and hurt. I'm waiting and waiting and praying and trying so hard and these people just treat me like I'm worthless, at least until I become a proper Christian. I feel like I can never be "proper" anything... because I'm trying so hard to listen to God but I'm still not where they are.

I told that guy that he hurt me and I feel he was being inconsiderate, and he said that's just conviction from God that I'm feeling. I don't feel bad because of conviction, I just feel so utterly helpless. But maybe he's right, maybe I should feel conviction for following satan but I just don't see how I follow evil. This guy had never spoken to me before, and he was treating me like I was anti-God and not interested in Him, and going out all weekend partying and doing all of these horrible things that I need to be reprimanded for. I'm of course a sinner, but I feel I do an okay job of following God morally, even if I'm not advanced in my path. But they don't care, they still just attack me because I'm not quite good enough.

It shouldn’t even affect me because God's judgement should be all that matters... but they feel so powerful to me and they hurt me... maybe God does think/feel the same way they do toward me... maybe He feels I'm following satan too. But it just makes no sense to me because I find myself choosing God over satan. I don't know how to handle any of this. I know these people's intentions are usually for God, but they categorize me and judge me at the same time and it just ends up as an attack.

Thanks for reading

Hello my friend....sounds like you are on the right track....you are right - you are a sinner, just like every single person who has ever lived....there is absolutely nothing you can do about it except what the Bible tells us to do - and that is to accept Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour. We simply put our faith and trust in Him to save us - because we know that we cannot save ourselves. God is faithful.....and He will save you for all eternity.
Ephesians 2:8 & 9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Romans 3:10 "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:"
Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;"
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 10:9 & 10 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Romans 10:13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Hope these scriptures help....you are in my prayers.

 

[spreadlove4alll]

I'm following God as best as I can. I've asked him into my life and I pray many times a day about everything/anything. I have a strong desire to do the right thing by God. I'm waiting on Him to help me with all of these things, and I'm waiting on Him to help me understand Jesus better. I'm also doing everything I feel I can do right now, so I don't feel like I can "do" anything further to hurry my spirituality along with God.

The problem I keep encountering is cold, militant and judgmental conversations with some Christians. I don't understand it and it's really hurting me. I've had a number of Christians question me, and it was more of an interrogation. They ask me if I'm Christian or not and I say that I can't answer it, but they still demand an answer. To say yes feels wrong to me because I'm so weak right now and I haven't been doing this for very long, but to say no and agree that I'm on satan’s side is completely wrong as well. They're never interested in where I'm at, not if it's under the "proper Christian" bar.

A guy just a few minutes ago kept asking me if I'm a Christian, which obviously isn't a bad thing to ask, but he wouldn't accept my answers or where I'm at and kept demanding me to give him a black and white answer. The part where he asked if I'm "real" or not made me feel really judged and hurt. I'm waiting and waiting and praying and trying so hard and these people just treat me like I'm worthless, at least until I become a proper Christian. I feel like I can never be "proper" anything... because I'm trying so hard to listen to God but I'm still not where they are.

I told that guy that he hurt me and I feel he was being inconsiderate, and he said that's just conviction from God that I'm feeling. I don't feel bad because of conviction, I just feel so utterly helpless. But maybe he's right, maybe I should feel conviction for following satan but I just don't see how I follow evil. This guy had never spoken to me before, and he was treating me like I was anti-God and not interested in Him, and going out all weekend partying and doing all of these horrible things that I need to be reprimanded for. I'm of course a sinner, but I feel I do an okay job of following God morally, even if I'm not advanced in my path. But they don't care, they still just attack me because I'm not quite good enough.

It shouldn’t even affect me because God's judgement should be all that matters... but they feel so powerful to me and they hurt me... maybe God does think/feel the same way they do toward me... maybe He feels I'm following satan too. But it just makes no sense to me because I find myself choosing God over satan. I don't know how to handle any of this. I know these people's intentions are usually for God, but they categorize me and judge me at the same time and it just ends up as an attack.

Thanks for reading

I'm glad you were open enough to talk about this. A lot of times, people have a tendancy to get saved and feel as though they have the authority to judge. This is common. I just want to say this.
If God loved you enough to do what he did on the Cross in Jesus, then you should know that his love for you is so intense that you should feel comfortable around him. People who make you feel judged or intimidated are often being controlled by the same spirits that the Scribes and Pharisees had. They wanted Christ murdered.
That type of spirit is one that expects perfection, with no exceptions(no grace). This will not be the last time you deal with that judgemental attitude. The most important thing is to get to know Jesus personally, through reading about his life(in the 4 Gospels), continually talking and praying to him, and meditating on how he would do things if he was in your shoes.