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<blockquote data-quote="joey_downunder" data-source="post: 58562170" data-attributes="member: 242214"><p>OK have a bit to catch up on. Several comments deserved special treatment after all. </p><p> </p><p></p><p>That is an issue related your lack of experience of emotions. I am sure God would understand your weakness in that area. You are able to find very good Bible commentaries online to help you understand these sections better. </p><p></p><p>I am concerned there is a note of panic there. God doesn't do things in our own timing.</p><p></p><p>I knew there was no intention to be insulting at all. I thought perhaps you needed some strong confrontation in that department though because consideration of people's feelings is not automatic to you. It must be so hard for you when interacting with other people at times. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /> </p><p></p><p>I firmly believe in your life people are being used by God to speak to you and He has consistently done that throughout your life. </p><p></p><p>That is how careful examination of scripture, meditation on its meanings and so on is so essential for you. For some people, perhaps even non-Christians a quick reading of scripture may be enough to get its underlying message overall. You do not have that "gift" so you need to examine it carefully and from different writers' points of view. Your mind literally needs reprogramming just like mine did. </p><p></p><p>Yes the benefits of "the sick role" are very subtle. It was after my surgery and how people's expectations of me changed I started to miss my condition in a way. Years later when my family moved to my husband's home town, while I was getting to know my mother-in-law who had severe <a href="http://www.medicinenet.com/systemic_lupus/article.htm" target="_blank">systemic_lupus</a> (she died a few years ago from complications) it hit me how much attention and being listening to I had received from loved ones throughout my struggles pre-surgery. It sounds bizarre but I half-envied her at times. </p><p></p><p>Yes they've seen your struggles and how you haven't progressed in any way. They have also heard how you believe you must not have been/ ever been/can't tell if you're a christian. Understandably they've got very discouraged alongside you as well. </p><p></p><p>Don't worry about your past and current experiences. Your experiences will change as your thinking changes. </p><p></p><p>Faith in Christ is <em>successful </em>faith. Faith in anything else is unsuccessful faith. Don't measure your personal faith by answered prayer, emotions and so on. </p><p></p><p>Spiritual is not the same as material/physical realm. It's not always an either/or. Think of the rich young ruler going to Jesus. <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/search/luke+18%3A18-30/" target="_blank">luke 18:18-30/</a> It sounds like he had some faith otherwise he wouldn't have approached Jesus. You're seeking Jesus but you have to identify what is holding you back. It was love of money in that rich ruler's case. It <em>was</em> "it's my life and I'll do what I want to" attitude in my case. (Notice past tense.)</p><p></p><p>It could also be argued that at the time you were not aware of how close you had to <em>keep</em> to God to maintain your faith. Some christians <em>appear </em>to keep their faith easily, you and I do not. </p><p> </p><p>You were not aware of how much your worry about lack of experience itself was silently eroding your faith. As you did not feel worry, you didn't realise you were thinking worry. You took your eyes off God and put them onto your lack of experience/s instead. Anyone's faith will be damaged severely if they continue doing that, no matter how much they may know about the Bible or christian teachings. </p><p></p><p>Isn't that a good sign that the most significant thing was your becoming a believer?!!!!!! <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite5" alt=":confused:" title="Confused :confused:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":confused:" /></p><p></p><p>That sounds like you've got a better perspective than I do in that area. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p>Perhaps that's right - you're doing it as you're typing to me. I met you online for a purpose. I have never met another person who has gone through almost exactly the same mental struggles with faith as I have while typing to you. At times my mouth has dropped. I was where you're at pretty well 5-7 years ago. Of course my very strong feeling side makes me interpret some things differently and God has kindly let me have the thinking "discernment" ability after I returned to Him, but of course He also knew what part I was going to play beforehand. </p><p> </p><p>On a neuropsychological test done approx 2003 the neuropsychologist said I had inplasticity of thought. Not easily adaptable to change. Not easy to change worldviews, related to some brain scarring and surgery. If anyone is not going to change thinking patterns easily it is me. I hope that gives you hope. You are more than your mind biologically speaking. You are a spiritual being as well. Don't let lack of emotions kid you that you don't have a spirit. <em>You have life, therefore you have a spirit</em>. </p><p> </p><p>Since 2002 I have been moved to 4 different states, 5 different cities ranging in size from just over 2000 people - 3.5 million. I have met so many different people, cultures (extremely wealthy people to social welfare recipients, foreigners, aboriginals), different climates. People's mouths drop when they hear where I've been and seen in the process. In the spiritual area I have moved from severe unbelief to being able to defend my faith with far more determination and knowledge than I could ever have done pre-surgery when my thinking wasn't so clear as it is now. God has made me become flexible in a way I could never have been otherwise. </p><p> </p><p>God must have a sense of humour. In your case God seems to have made a non-feeling person far more caring and involved in helping others than the vast majority of feeling people these days. I am an too-emotional, illogical computer-hating housebound person interacting with people all over the world online. <a href="http://www.esvbible.org/search/2+corinthians+4%3A7-18/" target="_blank">2 corinthians 4:7-18/</a> I suppose that way God gets all the glory?!!!!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="joey_downunder, post: 58562170, member: 242214"] OK have a bit to catch up on. Several comments deserved special treatment after all. That is an issue related your lack of experience of emotions. I am sure God would understand your weakness in that area. You are able to find very good Bible commentaries online to help you understand these sections better. I am concerned there is a note of panic there. God doesn't do things in our own timing. I knew there was no intention to be insulting at all. I thought perhaps you needed some strong confrontation in that department though because consideration of people's feelings is not automatic to you. It must be so hard for you when interacting with other people at times. :) I firmly believe in your life people are being used by God to speak to you and He has consistently done that throughout your life. That is how careful examination of scripture, meditation on its meanings and so on is so essential for you. For some people, perhaps even non-Christians a quick reading of scripture may be enough to get its underlying message overall. You do not have that "gift" so you need to examine it carefully and from different writers' points of view. Your mind literally needs reprogramming just like mine did. Yes the benefits of "the sick role" are very subtle. It was after my surgery and how people's expectations of me changed I started to miss my condition in a way. Years later when my family moved to my husband's home town, while I was getting to know my mother-in-law who had severe [URL="http://www.medicinenet.com/systemic_lupus/article.htm"]systemic_lupus[/URL] (she died a few years ago from complications) it hit me how much attention and being listening to I had received from loved ones throughout my struggles pre-surgery. It sounds bizarre but I half-envied her at times. Yes they've seen your struggles and how you haven't progressed in any way. They have also heard how you believe you must not have been/ ever been/can't tell if you're a christian. Understandably they've got very discouraged alongside you as well. Don't worry about your past and current experiences. Your experiences will change as your thinking changes. Faith in Christ is [I]successful [/I]faith. Faith in anything else is unsuccessful faith. Don't measure your personal faith by answered prayer, emotions and so on. Spiritual is not the same as material/physical realm. It's not always an either/or. Think of the rich young ruler going to Jesus. [URL="http://www.esvbible.org/search/luke+18%3A18-30/"]luke 18:18-30/[/URL] It sounds like he had some faith otherwise he wouldn't have approached Jesus. You're seeking Jesus but you have to identify what is holding you back. It was love of money in that rich ruler's case. It [I]was[/I] "it's my life and I'll do what I want to" attitude in my case. (Notice past tense.) It could also be argued that at the time you were not aware of how close you had to [I]keep[/I] to God to maintain your faith. Some christians [I]appear [/I]to keep their faith easily, you and I do not. You were not aware of how much your worry about lack of experience itself was silently eroding your faith. As you did not feel worry, you didn't realise you were thinking worry. You took your eyes off God and put them onto your lack of experience/s instead. Anyone's faith will be damaged severely if they continue doing that, no matter how much they may know about the Bible or christian teachings. Isn't that a good sign that the most significant thing was your becoming a believer?!!!!!! :confused: That sounds like you've got a better perspective than I do in that area. :) Perhaps that's right - you're doing it as you're typing to me. I met you online for a purpose. I have never met another person who has gone through almost exactly the same mental struggles with faith as I have while typing to you. At times my mouth has dropped. I was where you're at pretty well 5-7 years ago. Of course my very strong feeling side makes me interpret some things differently and God has kindly let me have the thinking "discernment" ability after I returned to Him, but of course He also knew what part I was going to play beforehand. On a neuropsychological test done approx 2003 the neuropsychologist said I had inplasticity of thought. Not easily adaptable to change. Not easy to change worldviews, related to some brain scarring and surgery. If anyone is not going to change thinking patterns easily it is me. I hope that gives you hope. You are more than your mind biologically speaking. You are a spiritual being as well. Don't let lack of emotions kid you that you don't have a spirit. [I]You have life, therefore you have a spirit[/I]. Since 2002 I have been moved to 4 different states, 5 different cities ranging in size from just over 2000 people - 3.5 million. I have met so many different people, cultures (extremely wealthy people to social welfare recipients, foreigners, aboriginals), different climates. People's mouths drop when they hear where I've been and seen in the process. In the spiritual area I have moved from severe unbelief to being able to defend my faith with far more determination and knowledge than I could ever have done pre-surgery when my thinking wasn't so clear as it is now. God has made me become flexible in a way I could never have been otherwise. God must have a sense of humour. In your case God seems to have made a non-feeling person far more caring and involved in helping others than the vast majority of feeling people these days. I am an too-emotional, illogical computer-hating housebound person interacting with people all over the world online. [URL="http://www.esvbible.org/search/2+corinthians+4%3A7-18/"]2 corinthians 4:7-18/[/URL] I suppose that way God gets all the glory?!!!! [/QUOTE]
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