Just doing a little thinking today...

[cbudc]

Before I start I know that most of us are really happy and that there are good christian marriages that are wonderful but this is what I was thinking.

Being in the military and especially my career field I'm not around very many Christians. Today, when I was at work I was talking to my friend Lisa who is a very nice girl. She's married and has a kid and yet she was still complaining about little things in her life. It got me thinking. I see so many non-christians that are so happy and content in their lives. It even seems like so many of them have just about everything they want. but yet I see and hear of so many of us on here and around that are not happy with their life situation. I for one am not. I do put my faith in the Lord and I know the only true happiness is through Him but how are all these non-believers so happy and what seems to be so blessed? I do feel blessed in many ways. I have a lot of things to be thankful for and I am. Just wondering if any of you look at people or know people that just seem to be so happy and content but yet they don't have a clue who God is or they do but refuse to have anything to do with Him? I just all too often see so many Christian brothers and sisters who are sad, depressed and don't feel like their life is fulfilling.

 

[Living4Him03]

I guess it really depends on what fulfilling means to Christians versus what it means to the world. The world often focuses on obtaining material posessions, making money, having kids, etc. The tangible things that will all pass away someday are things the world focuses on. As Christians, our focus should be serving God with our talents, spreading the Gospel, and honoring Him with our lives, which means being in the world and not of it. Doing this is often very difficult, especially when you are mainly surrounded with non-Christians at school or at work. The focus when you're out in the world is on making money, having that new big screen tv, obtaining what's bigger and better. Even human beings in this world are looked at as possessions in many ways. It is sad, but there is hope in Christ and staying true to His Word. Hope that helped. Thanks for serving our country, by the way

 

[Dak man]

I have thought about that too. I think that part of the reason that some christians (myself included) is that our very faith in god makes the various pains of life, at times, worse. For an atheist, when is taken from them they see that they are dead and being a human being they are sad. But for christians, I think some of us look at it the same way, but also feel that GOD took them away, GOD didn't want us to have them etc....
And that somehow GOD betrayed our trust in him, which makes the hurt and confusion much stronger. I don't think it's a particularly healthy way to view it, but I know that I have fallen into that state of mind several times.

 

[JPPT1974]

I have thought about that too. I think that part of the reason that some christians (myself included) is that our very faith in god makes the various pains of life, at times, worse. For an atheist, when is taken from them they see that they are dead and being a human being they are sad. But for christians, I think some of us look at it the same way, but also feel that GOD took them away, GOD didn't want us to have them etc....
And that somehow GOD betrayed our trust in him, which makes the hurt and confusion much stronger. I don't think it's a particularly healthy way to view it, but I know that I have fallen into that state of mind several times.

Faith in God is not just in good times but also in bad times. Not just an atheist dies a physical death but sadly and much more worse...a spiritual death.

 

[plum]

I think my disatisfaction with life, when that happens, is because I compartmentalize my life. Work is one one section. Family is in another, friends... the list of sections goes on. And then there's God. He gets his own special section.
But God should be in EVERY section. overflowing from one to the next...

and i think that's what is at the root of my own personal difficulties.

 

[Glorianna]

Could this have something to do with we know exactly all the sin in the world? Most non-Christians seem not to care about all of the problems in the world because they are just content in their own little worlds and don't look at the outside problems. It might also have something to do with the fact that we know Satan is waging spiritual battles all the time. This is a very frightening and saddening thought! Just my two cents guys.

 

[cbudc]

I guess it really depends on what fulfilling means to Christians versus what it means to the world. The world often focuses on obtaining material posessions, making money, having kids, etc. The tangible things that will all pass away someday are things the world focuses on. As Christians, our focus should be serving God with our talents, spreading the Gospel, and honoring Him with our lives, which means being in the world and not of it. Doing this is often very difficult, especially when you are mainly surrounded with non-Christians at school or at work. The focus when you're out in the world is on making money, having that new big screen tv, obtaining what's bigger and better. Even human beings in this world are looked at as possessions in many ways. It is sad, but there is hope in Christ and staying true to His Word. Hope that helped. Thanks for serving our country, by the way

I think you're absolutely right and on more than one occasion I have found myself judging my happiness on materialistic things. I just need to learn to accept everything as it is and be happy with I what I do have. Which like I said I am but you know sometimes you just want something so bad and you don't get it but someone else has it. JEALOSY at it's finest. Haha, OH well, and by the way, you're more than welcome for serving. I love it, just wish there were more Christians at work. Instead I'm around tool throwing, temper flarin, potty mouths. But I've learned to let it go, but it makes me mad at the same time because sometimes when you're around stuff like that it grows on you. Anyways, you're welcome. I love it.

 

[carmi]

Today, when I was at work I was talking to my friend Lisa who is a very nice girl. She's married and has a kid and yet she was still complaining about little things in her life. It got me thinking. I see so many non-christians that are so happy and content in their lives. It even seems like so many of them have just about everything they want.

I am in a quandary on this. I have no desire to wish anyone ill. Having said that, it is very difficult to witness to happy and content unbelievers. They are happy and content, they have or see no need for the Saviour.

They are successful in the pursuit of their personal happiness, the emphasis is on "their personal" happiness which often means that others are left out or stepped upon. I am talking here in general terms, I am not referring in particular to your friend Lisa. And there are always exceptions.

As a believer it is more difficult to pursuit your own personal happiness. Because once you have the Lord Jesus Christ in your life, He does make His presence known. You know that God can search your heart, that God knows your very thoughts - so you know He can see you and what and how you are doing. Not that easy to "just go for it!" And often we face the choice: making ourselves happy or making God unhappy with the things we do. And if God is unhappy with you - He sure has a way of letting you know.

 

[JPPT1974]

I think you're absolutely right and on more than one occasion I have found myself judging my happiness on materialistic things. I just need to learn to accept everything as it is and be happy with I what I do have. Which like I said I am but you know sometimes you just want something so bad and you don't get it but someone else has it. JEALOSY at it's finest. Haha, OH well, and by the way, you're more than welcome for serving. I love it, just wish there were more Christians at work. Instead I'm around tool throwing, temper flarin, potty mouths. But I've learned to let it go, but it makes me mad at the same time because sometimes when you're around stuff like that it grows on you. Anyways, you're welcome. I love it.

So does everybody else. Don't get hard-headed or prideful. Also I also have a huge temper to boast. But you are all human too well.

 

[mbotz72]

I can totally understand where you are coming from cbudc. I often, and even more so in the last few weeks, have felt very strange- almost lethargic, depressed, always tired, anxious, and just get in weird phases. I then look at those around me and think of some of the people I have got to work with, such as orphans in Mexico or those I met at the soup kitchens this summer, who have nothing, but are so incredibly happy. I have been trying to stop all my negative thoughts when they enter my head and think a positive thought and say a prayer on how blessed I really am, rather than feel sorry for myself. It has been helping and I think Satan has been tempting me now than ever with self-degrating thoughts. I keep telling myself 'mind over body'. So much of how we feel is about the thoughts we think during the day and the things we put into our minds.

 

[fishstix]

Today, when I was at work I was talking to my friend Lisa who is a very nice girl. She's married and has a kid and yet she was still complaining about little things in her life.

Marriage and children don't bring contentment/fulfillment in and of themselves. Neither do things like fame, fortune, etc. Certainly they can be wonderful things, but it takes a lot more than that for anyone to be truly fulfilled.

I just all too often see so many Christian brothers and sisters who are sad, depressed and don't feel like their life is fulfilling.

I think that another reason for this is that depression is more of a vicious circle for Christians than for non-Christians. It can be for either, but for Christians there can be an added factor of having the feeling "I'm a Christian so I should be happy and joyful not depressed - so I must be a bad Christian or maybe I'm not really even a Christian at all" That can lead to guilt over being depressed and further depression. Well meant attempts by others to encourage them to snap out of it can be taken to mean "You're not allowed to feel that way if you're a Christian" or "You must not be a Christian" and end up discouraging them even more. Christians certainly have access to the best source of comfort and encouragement possible - God Himself, but they may also have an additional reason to have feelings of guilt and depression over being depressed in the first place.

 

[TriptychR]

I think that another reason for this is that depression is more of a vicious circle for Christians than for non-Christians. It can be for either, but for Christians there can be an added factor of having the feeling "I'm a Christian so I should be happy and joyful not depressed - so I must be a bad Christian or maybe I'm not really even a Christian at all" That can lead to guilt over being depressed and further depression. Well meant attempts by others to encourage them to snap out of it can be taken to mean "You're not allowed to feel that way if you're a Christian" or "You must not be a Christian" and end up discouraging them even more. Christians certainly have access to the best source of comfort and encouragement possible - God Himself, but they may also have an additional reason to have feelings of guilt and depression over being depressed in the first place.

I can relate to this. Whenever I start to feel down about my situation, I begin to feel worse because I'm feeling down in the first place. I begin to think that, as a Christian, I'm supposed to find all my joy and hope in God, so if I'm not feeling either I must be doing something wrong. Then the thought that I'm doing something wrong makes me feel ever worse. It just cycles.