I want to have a personal relationship with God..

[Dri:)]

This is something I've wanted for a long time. A real, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. But I've been feeling really condemned lately. It's like, if I'm doing anything other than reading the Bible, I think I'm worshiping that thing and not God. Because I've read so many things about Christians shouldn't be focused on things of this world, but on Jesus. And I completely understand that. But, so then are my thoughts about my hobbies, such as drawing, and painting, playing the piano, etc. Are those all sinful because it's not God I'm focused on? And I'm making that an idol? I get confused with this sort of thing.

I don't want to have any idols in my life. And I want to worship God in everything I do. But how do I do that with hobbies, and with school? This part doesn't make sense to me. Some people make me feel convicted if everything I do doesn't involve God. Like my hobbies, like I mentioned. Drawing and painting. They make me feel condememed if I spend a couple hours drawing instead of spending time with God. But why can't I do both? Sometimes I feel like people make Christianity/ relationship with God sound like a cult. That all your thought 24/7 have to be about God or your worshiping false gods. That everything you do has to involve God directly. Like I can't draw unless I draw something related to God. Or I can't play the piano, unless it's a song from God. Stuff like that.

I'm not really sure how to find a medium. I pray that God would give me a desire for him, more than the other things in my life. But when I spend time doing other things I feel guilty for not spending time with God. I don't know. I'm not sure if the devils using this to try and make me lose my faith. I'm not sure if Gods trying to tell me something. I'm very overwhelmed with this.

Some advice and prayer would be helpful. I need guidance right now, and I've talked to God about it for awhile now. Thanks!

 

[Jenniferdiana]

You want a personal relationship with him. Then make it personal. Dont worry what others say.

 

[Noxot]

reality is very hard to perfectly understand and measure but being simple like a child and living in the living faith and life that God's grace freely gives to you and wishes to give more of to us all helps a lot.

God himself gave you his Spirit and it is up to you to keep and not defile his innocent and pure image, who is shaping your soul into his likeness and already growing in you. so if you want to know God then know all the goodness in yourself without defilement by unclean spirits. let the bad show you what God is not and the good show you what God is. as you grow in your nearness to God in spiritual maturity when you innocently wish to be with him you shall develop a more sure spiritual discernment. intention matters a lot to God so try to learn what your motives are.

real prayer and real faith is to live as a spirit and to be the image that God has of you in his heart and that you have of him in your heart and so your activities that you do will be as pure as your heart is.

some evil spirits are paranoid and accuse and condemn very much. be thankful to God for how he has made you and besides who is to say how you are to worship God? God will show you more than anyone ever could and he sends the right spirits for your refinement and for your blessing.

 

[Weathering Storms]

This is something I've wanted for a long time. A real, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. But I've been feeling really condemned lately. It's like, if I'm doing anything other than reading the Bible, I think I'm worshiping that thing and not God. Because I've read so many things about Christians shouldn't be focused on things of this world, but on Jesus. And I completely understand that. But, so then are my thoughts about my hobbies, such as drawing, and painting, playing the piano, etc. Are those all sinful because it's not God I'm focused on? And I'm making that an idol? I get confused with this sort of thing.

I don't want to have any idols in my life. And I want to worship God in everything I do. But how do I do that with hobbies, and with school? This part doesn't make sense to me. Some people make me feel convicted if everything I do doesn't involve God. Like my hobbies, like I mentioned. Drawing and painting. They make me feel condememed if I spend a couple hours drawing instead of spending time with God. But why can't I do both? Sometimes I feel like people make Christianity/ relationship with God sound like a cult. That all your thought 24/7 have to be about God or your worshiping false gods. That everything you do has to involve God directly. Like I can't draw unless I draw something related to God. Or I can't play the piano, unless it's a song from God. Stuff like that.

I'm not really sure how to find a medium. I pray that God would give me a desire for him, more than the other things in my life. But when I spend time doing other things I feel guilty for not spending time with God. I don't know. I'm not sure if the devils using this to try and make me lose my faith. I'm not sure if Gods trying to tell me something. I'm very overwhelmed with this.

Some advice and prayer would be helpful. I need guidance right now, and I've talked to God about it for awhile now. Thanks!

That guilt is Satan.
I know it well.
God gave you the gift of art. Why would he make you feel bad for using the gift? Unless you are actively sinning, God will not make you feel guilty, and He NEVER condemns us once we've been washed by His blood.

You're not drawing witchcraft stuff, or occult stuff, are you? If God made the trees, and you're painting a tree, are you not involving God in it? God doesn't want us obsessed with Him 24/7. He does want us constantly connected with Him, but He is our best friend. Talk to Him, or just sit comfortably in His presence, as you would your friends.

 

[Another Lazarus]

are my thoughts about my hobbies, such as drawing, and painting, playing the piano, etc. Are those all sinful because it's not God I'm focused on?

Go ahead with your hobbies,
Drawing and painting is good if people do not draw porns.
Playing music is good if the content of the lyric is good and that people dont get possessed and play satanic music like judas priest/ac dc/metal with satanic lyrics.
In fact when you are smart with piano you can play Gospel songs.

 

[Weathering Storms]

Try some Steven Curtis Chapman; or Newsboys. Modern Christian music is wonderful to dance to.

 

[salt-n-light]

This is something I've wanted for a long time. A real, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. But I've been feeling really condemned lately. It's like, if I'm doing anything other than reading the Bible, I think I'm worshiping that thing and not God. Because I've read so many things about Christians shouldn't be focused on things of this world, but on Jesus. And I completely understand that. But, so then are my thoughts about my hobbies, such as drawing, and painting, playing the piano, etc. Are those all sinful because it's not God I'm focused on? And I'm making that an idol? I get confused with this sort of thing.

I don't want to have any idols in my life. And I want to worship God in everything I do. But how do I do that with hobbies, and with school? This part doesn't make sense to me. Some people make me feel convicted if everything I do doesn't involve God. Like my hobbies, like I mentioned. Drawing and painting. They make me feel condememed if I spend a couple hours drawing instead of spending time with God. But why can't I do both? Sometimes I feel like people make Christianity/ relationship with God sound like a cult. That all your thought 24/7 have to be about God or your worshiping false gods. That everything you do has to involve God directly. Like I can't draw unless I draw something related to God. Or I can't play the piano, unless it's a song from God. Stuff like that.

I'm not really sure how to find a medium. I pray that God would give me a desire for him, more than the other things in my life. But when I spend time doing other things I feel guilty for not spending time with God. I don't know. I'm not sure if the devils using this to try and make me lose my faith. I'm not sure if Gods trying to tell me something. I'm very overwhelmed with this.

Some advice and prayer would be helpful. I need guidance right now, and I've talked to God about it for awhile now. Thanks!

You're describing God as if He is this distant scary fearfully dominant being in the sky, waiting to punish you if you slip up or only give out hand outs when He feels like it. And whats worst is that you're partially blindly basing it off of what others tell you, as if that's a valid way to get to know Him. So first step into having a personal relationship is getting to know God first. Since we are children of God, that means our relationship with Him should be that He is our Father.

So imagine the role of a dad. Protective, leader, provider, make sure there is peace, there's security when he is around, he takes pride in his kids, he is the man of the home, etc. Sometimes he have moments of tough love with his kids, sometimes the kid get rebellious and want to leave, but he doesn't love them any less, and the children always have a place to run to as home.Would a dad expect the kid to be perfect, no. He would instead instill wisdom, discernment, fruits of the spirit, the Holy Spirit, so that when the kids are out there in the world, they know how to judge things, they'll bring back what the dad taught them in remembrance. And when the world is harsh, we have a father to cry to, to talk to one on one.

That's a generic outline of the relationship, for every kid is different, and do different stuff, so God will address some things differently, but the bottom line is that the wishes of a dad is that you honor him. Not be perfect, but to acknowledge him, to seek him, to keep being close to him as like a child, to not forget him when things are getting good, and not to only go to him when stuff gets bad.

I'm not sure how you are studying the bible, with the understand that God is so distant, when throughout the Bible, He dealt with people very personally and intimately. I dunno who the "they" are, but if you understood God for yourself, "their" input on things wouldn't even have as much weight as you're giving them. In that light, "they" wouldn't be the ones to blame, gotta take responsibility on how you connect with God. Once you understand who God is first, then everything else listed in the bible, like the what to dos, and what not to dos, will make sense.

Be encouraged.

 

[Dave G.]

Here is the deal for you and for me too actually. Include Jesus in the things you do. He doesn't want us cut off, He wants Him in everything we do. Start out first in prayer, explaining that you desire Him, that you need Him, that you accept Him and that you trust Him. This will bring in the Holy Spirit and over time give you discernment to know the things you should not be involved in. But now, for instance, I create solo piano music and while I worked hard to learn to play piano in the first place many years ago, I also know that this ability to create my own music is straight from God and only three or so years old, given as a gift to me one particular Saturday afternoon. When I play and new music comes to me, it's with the full knowledge that God is with me, it's as if I am playing to Him and receiving from Him at the same time, sometimes ( now and then) in tears of that reality .

I also do wood turning. This I do not consider as a gift from God beyond the fact that all good things are gifts from God, but not a direct intercession like the piano music was and still is. But when I turn wood I speak to Jesus about it, "what shall we turn today Lord" ? Understanding that He is always with us. Thank him for all things good and bad, every day of your life and for lessons learned. If you do as I said above, you will lose the desire to do the things that are not in God's will for you. For me, legal automobile racing went out the window, that was a great big huge big one, because it was a childhood dream but not Gods dream. Music replaced that back in the late 1970's . Social drinking went out the window, even the one stop one drink stuff or an afternoon single glass of wine, because He took away my desire for that and in fact turned me against alcohol in a big way, I don't even like the look or smell of it anymore. Wood working replaced that.

I believe God loves arts and it's a provision of activities to sooth our souls. If we make it more than that we can loose the soothing aspect and also lose God being in it with us, unless maybe He wants us to take it public as a testimony to His Glory. If that happens, we will do it without anxiety, if He is not in it and it's all our idea, we will be anxious. Always keep God/Jesus/Holy Spirit in the loop.

 

[thesunisout]

This is something I've wanted for a long time. A real, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. But I've been feeling really condemned lately. It's like, if I'm doing anything other than reading the Bible, I think I'm worshiping that thing and not God. Because I've read so many things about Christians shouldn't be focused on things of this world, but on Jesus. And I completely understand that. But, so then are my thoughts about my hobbies, such as drawing, and painting, playing the piano, etc. Are those all sinful because it's not God I'm focused on? And I'm making that an idol? I get confused with this sort of thing.

I don't want to have any idols in my life. And I want to worship God in everything I do. But how do I do that with hobbies, and with school? This part doesn't make sense to me. Some people make me feel convicted if everything I do doesn't involve God. Like my hobbies, like I mentioned. Drawing and painting. They make me feel condememed if I spend a couple hours drawing instead of spending time with God. But why can't I do both? Sometimes I feel like people make Christianity/ relationship with God sound like a cult. That all your thought 24/7 have to be about God or your worshiping false gods. That everything you do has to involve God directly. Like I can't draw unless I draw something related to God. Or I can't play the piano, unless it's a song from God. Stuff like that.

I'm not really sure how to find a medium. I pray that God would give me a desire for him, more than the other things in my life. But when I spend time doing other things I feel guilty for not spending time with God. I don't know. I'm not sure if the devils using this to try and make me lose my faith. I'm not sure if Gods trying to tell me something. I'm very overwhelmed with this.

Some advice and prayer would be helpful. I need guidance right now, and I've talked to God about it for awhile now. Thanks!

The Lord will guide you and show you where the balance is. If you live in guilt and self-condemnation you are going to miss the goodness of the Lord. God is holy, and He is also merciful. You have to understand that this is a growing process and you won't understand all at once. Keep talking to the Lord about the personal relationship you desire to have, and ask Him to deliver you from self-condemnation.

A personal relationship with God is in a sense living cooperatively with God. It is an active thing, where you obey what God is telling you to do in the moment and include God in everything you do in your life. Ideally, you would be thinking about God all the time, but having hobbies isn't sinful, so long as they aren't displacing God as 1st place in your life. Open your heart to the Lord and talk to Him about everything. Tell Him about what you're happy about and what you're sad about. Ask Him for help when you are burdened, and turn to Jesus for healing.

We have to take up our cross and follow Jesus. That means we have to deny ourself so that the life of Jesus Christ can be made manifest. The things we want to do, naturally, don't line up with Gods plan for our lives. Therefore we have to deny the desires to do the wrong things so that Gods Spirit will empower us to do the right things. We have to empty ourselves to be filled. If our cup is full of our own will and earthly desires, God cannot pour out His Spirit to give us new life.

 

[vinsight4u]

/nvm

 

[Dave G.]

Here is the deal for you and for me too actually. Include Jesus in the things you do. He doesn't want us cut off, He wants Him in everything we do. Start out first in prayer, explaining that you desire Him, that you need Him, that you accept Him and that you trust Him. This will bring in the Holy Spirit and over time give you discernment to know the things you should not be involved in. But now, for instance, I create solo piano music and while I worked hard to learn to play piano in the first place many years ago, I also know that this ability to create my own music is straight from God and only three or so years old, given as a gift to me one particular Saturday afternoon. When I play and new music comes to me, it's with the full knowledge that God is with me, it's as if I am playing to Him and receiving from Him at the same time, sometimes ( now and then) in tears of that reality .

I also do wood turning. This I do not consider as a gift from God beyond the fact that all good things are gifts from God, but not a direct intercession like the piano music was and still is. But when I turn wood I speak to Jesus about it, "what shall we turn today Lord" ? Understanding that He is always with us. Thank him for all things good and bad, every day of your life and for lessons learned. If you do as I said above, you will lose the desire to do the things that are not in God's will for you. For me, legal automobile racing went out the window ( the works, race car, trailer, engine parts, gears, in fact that whole life) that was a great big huge big one, because it was a childhood dream but not Gods dream for me to carry on with. Music and specifically piano replaced that back in the late 1970's . Social drinking went out the window, even the one stop one drink stuff or an afternoon single glass of wine at home, it was not on His to do list, because He took away my desire for that and in fact turned me against alcohol in a big way. I don't even like the look or smell of it anymore. Wood working replaced that.

I believe God loves arts and it's a provision of activities to sooth our souls. If we make it more than that we can loose the soothing aspect and also lose God being in it with us, unless maybe He wants us to take it public as a testimony to His Glory. If that happens, we will do it without anxiety, if He is not in it and it's all our idea, we will be anxious. Always keep God/Jesus/Holy Spirit in the loop.

 

[Dri:)]

That guilt is Satan.
I know it well.
God gave you the gift of art. Why would he make you feel bad for using the gift? Unless you are actively sinning, God will not make you feel guilty, and He NEVER condemns us once we've been washed by His blood.

You're not drawing witchcraft stuff, or occult stuff, are you? If God made the trees, and you're painting a tree, are you not involving God in it? God doesn't want us obsessed with Him 24/7. He does want us constantly connected with Him, but He is our best friend. Talk to Him, or just sit comfortably in His presence, as you would your friends.

No I'm not. I like drawing nature/people. Things like that. I know the guilt is from the devil, but I don't know why I let it effect me that much. Thank for your comment!

 

[Dri:)]

You're describing God as if He is this distant scary fearfully dominant being in the sky, waiting to punish you if you slip up or only give out hand outs when He feels like it. And whats worst is that you're partially blindly basing it off of what others tell you, as if that's a valid way to get to know Him. So first step into having a personal relationship is getting to know God first. Since we are children of God, that means our relationship with Him should be that He is our Father.

So imagine the role of a dad. Protective, leader, provider, make sure there is peace, there's security when he is around, he takes pride in his kids, he is the man of the home, etc. Sometimes he have moments of tough love with his kids, sometimes the kid get rebellious and want to leave, but he doesn't love them any less, and the children always have a place to run to as home.Would a dad expect the kid to be perfect, no. He would instead instill wisdom, discernment, fruits of the spirit, the Holy Spirit, so that when the kids are out there in the world, they know how to judge things, they'll bring back what the dad taught them in remembrance. And when the world is harsh, we have a father to cry to, to talk to one on one.

That's a generic outline of the relationship, for every kid is different, and do different stuff, so God will address some things differently, but the bottom line is that the wishes of a dad is that you honor him. Not be perfect, but to acknowledge him, to seek him, to keep being close to him as like a child, to not forget him when things are getting good, and not to only go to him when stuff gets bad.

I'm not sure how you are studying the bible, with the understand that God is so distant, when throughout the Bible, He dealt with people very personally and intimately. I dunno who the "they" are, but if you understood God for yourself, "their" input on things wouldn't even have as much weight as you're giving them. In that light, "they" wouldn't be the ones to blame, gotta take responsibility on how you connect with God. Once you understand who God is first, then everything else listed in the bible, like the what to dos, and what not to dos, will make sense.

Be encouraged.

Thanks for your comment! definitely makes me reevaluate myself. Not sure whereto go from here. I have been reading the Bible everyday for awhile now. It's not like I'm not going to God myself. I talk to him a lot, and pray he would help me change my views on him/things in my life. I do let peoples words have a bigger impact on me then they should, and I've been praying for God to help me with that. I'm just struggling.

 

[salt-n-light]

Thanks for your comment! definitely makes me reevaluate myself. Not sure whereto go from here. I have been reading the Bible everyday for awhile now. It's not like I'm not going to God myself. I talk to him a lot, and pray he would help me change my views on him/things in my life. I do let peoples words have a bigger impact on me then they should, and I've been praying for God to help me with that. I'm just struggling.

Yeah Ive been on that same road, listening to others about what God means to them thus how best to approach them. Until I went through my own struggles and approached God myself, and He became very much real and very much a Father for me. That type of understanding of Him, now no one else can take that away. You gotta just kinda tune others out sometimes, and hear it from the horse's mouth, well God's mouth lol.

Start fresh, write down the questions and concerns you have, and approach the Bible that way. Sometimes we can just read the Bible, but without any purpose. It seems like you have concerns about what is pleasing to God. Ask Him, seek the Word, pray about it, and don't rush doing this, take your time.

 

[Dri:)]

Here is the deal for you and for me too actually. Include Jesus in the things you do. He doesn't want us cut off, He wants Him in everything we do. Start out first in prayer, explaining that you desire Him, that you need Him, that you accept Him and that you trust Him. This will bring in the Holy Spirit and over time give you discernment to know the things you should not be involved in. But now, for instance, I create solo piano music and while I worked hard to learn to play piano in the first place many years ago, I also know that this ability to create my own music is straight from God and only three or so years old, given as a gift to me one particular Saturday afternoon. When I play and new music comes to me, it's with the full knowledge that God is with me, it's as if I am playing to Him and receiving from Him at the same time, sometimes ( now and then) in tears of that reality .

I also do wood turning. This I do not consider as a gift from God beyond the fact that all good things are gifts from God, but not a direct intercession like the piano music was and still is. But when I turn wood I speak to Jesus about it, "what shall we turn today Lord" ? Understanding that He is always with us. Thank him for all things good and bad, every day of your life and for lessons learned. If you do as I said above, you will lose the desire to do the things that are not in God's will for you. For me, legal automobile racing went out the window ( the works, race car, trailer, engine parts, gears, in fact that whole life) that was a great big huge big one, because it was a childhood dream but not Gods dream for me to carry on with. Music and specifically piano replaced that back in the late 1970's . Social drinking went out the window, even the one stop one drink stuff or an afternoon single glass of wine at home, it was not on His to do list, because He took away my desire for that and in fact turned me against alcohol in a big way. I don't even like the look or smell of it anymore. Wood working replaced that.

I believe God loves arts and it's a provision of activities to sooth our souls. If we make it more than that we can loose the soothing aspect and also lose God being in it with us, unless maybe He wants us to take it public as a testimony to His Glory. If that happens, we will do it without anxiety, if He is not in it and it's all our idea, we will be anxious. Always keep God/Jesus/Holy Spirit in the loop.

Thank you for taking the time to comment!! It means a lot to me. I think a lot of the time I do neglect God, and don't understand that he's with me. So I think speaking to him about daily things will help me. Like you mentioned talking to Jesus about the wood turning. I like that idea, or just talking with God. I will do that more!

I definitely have been losing the things that are not in Gods will. Along with people I know he doesn't want me to be around at this time. I've been reading the Bible a lot more recently. And I ran across a page that said something like "People see God everyday, but they don't recognize him". And that hurt my heart. Because I know I don't acknowledge him as much as I could me.

I'm on the path to better things! Thanks for your encouragement!

 

[Dri:)]

Yeah Ive been on that same road, listening to others about what God means to them thus how best to approach them. Until I went through my own struggles and approached God myself, and He became very much real and very much a Father for me. That type of understanding of Him, now no one else can take that away. You gotta just kinda tune others out sometimes, and hear it from the horse's mouth, well God's mouth lol.

Start fresh, write down the questions and concerns you have, and approach the Bible that way. Sometimes we can just read the Bible, but without any purpose. It seems like you have concerns about what is pleasing to God. Ask Him, seek the Word, pray about it, and don't rush doing this, take your time.

Thank you so much! I will defienetly do that! Thank you for your encouragement!

 

[Dave G.]

Thank you for taking the time to comment!! It means a lot to me. I think a lot of the time I do neglect God, and don't understand that he's with me. So I think speaking to him about daily things will help me. Like you mentioned talking to Jesus about the wood turning. I like that idea, or just talking with God. I will do that more!

I definitely have been losing the things that are not in Gods will. Along with people I know he doesn't want me to be around at this time. I've been reading the Bible a lot more recently. And I ran across a page that said something like "People see God everyday, but they don't recognize him". And that hurt my heart. Because I know I don't acknowledge him as much as I could me.

I'm on the path to better things! Thanks for your encouragement!

Sounds to me like you are on a good path !

 

[Andy centek]

This is something I've wanted for a long time. A real, personal, intimate relationship with Jesus. But I've been feeling really condemned lately. It's like, if I'm doing anything other than reading the Bible, I think I'm worshiping that thing and not God. Because I've read so many things about Christians shouldn't be focused on things of this world, but on Jesus. And I completely understand that. But, so then are my thoughts about my hobbies, such as drawing, and painting, playing the piano, etc. Are those all sinful because it's not God I'm focused on? And I'm making that an idol? I get confused with this sort of thing.

I don't want to have any idols in my life. And I want to worship God in everything I do. But how do I do that with hobbies, and with school? This part doesn't make sense to me. Some people make me feel convicted if everything I do doesn't involve God. Like my hobbies, like I mentioned. Drawing and painting. They make me feel condememed if I spend a couple hours drawing instead of spending time with God. But why can't I do both? Sometimes I feel like people make Christianity/ relationship with God sound like a cult. That all your thought 24/7 have to be about God or your worshiping false gods. That everything you do has to involve God directly. Like I can't draw unless I draw something related to God. Or I can't play the piano, unless it's a song from God. Stuff like that.

I'm not really sure how to find a medium. I pray that God would give me a desire for him, more than the other things in my life. But when I spend time doing other things I feel guilty for not spending time with God. I don't know. I'm not sure if the devils using this to try and make me lose my faith. I'm not sure if Gods trying to tell me something. I'm very overwhelmed with this.

Some advice and prayer would be helpful. I need guidance right now, and I've talked to God about it for awhile now. Thanks!

 

[Andy centek]

Hello DRI

I found in my life that walking with God is accomplished in minor ways. The important thing, seems I, is to be aware of those rare moments when you just sense that He is there. A certain thought, a focus on a tree or an animal. These show His handy work that surrounds all of us everyday.
I too,had at one time put a lot of focus on worldly things such as music and armature radio. I always had the desire to learn of God however. Then, in small steps, His Spirit started to open my thinking on how these things were also a gift from Him;I just did not realize for a long time.
Some times we learn of Him in what we might call strange ways. However, He is always at the helm! That is, for those who truly desire to seek Him.
I would suggest that you just ask and believe and it will be shown to you the path that you will have to walk. Consider the apostle Paul and others, and what they went trough. Yet they kept their minds on the goal and the gift.

I pray this helps you brother.

AndyC