Staying on Track

[Allen_1988]

I have an issue. To be specific, I am having trouble staying on a good Christian path. One moment I want to be deeply religious, but another moment I despise my faith and even get angry at God.

I want to be a good Christian because I know it is best for me. Mood issues aside, there is something in particular that is bothering me about God. I’m a little embarrassed to talk about it. This specific issue is also hampering my ability to stay on a good Christian path.

I’d like some advice. Have any of you ever had trouble staying faithful? What did you do in order to retain your Christian beliefs and stay on good terms with God? Any other advice and prayers would be deeply appreciated. Thank you.

 

[puregrl]

Honestly, it is very hard at times to stay on the christian path when you live in todays world. Being bombarded with people telling you what the right way to live is and temptations make it very difficult for a person to stay on the straight and narrow. Prayer and bible study has been hamered into me since i was young, that is how to stay close to God. But it is also very helpful to surround yourself with other christians and even have a older mentor who can help you and pray for you. I have found the more i am around those without a strong faith that i start to slip. But when i am with my Godly friends i feel very strong in my faith.

 

[Sketcher]

The way you expressed that, I don't know if it's primarily a spiritual problem, or if there's a mental condition. I'm saying this because of the extreme mood swings. You should see a Christian counselor to just make sure.

 

[The Maltese Momma]

I have been a blood bought born again Christian for almost 26 years and I have never despised God. Been angry? Not really at Him, but more angry at my situation. I guess you could say I get frumpy. The closest I ever came to being angry is when I specifically told God I just didn't want to talk to Him on that one day. Foolish of me, but I did. God can deal with your anger, but I'm concerned about you despising Him. Before I could comment, I'd have to know the whole story.

My first question is are you a blood bought born again? Being 'religious' can be a front. Hindus are religious....being a Christian is different. There are days I don't walk the straight and narrow. Maybe even for a few days, but I know who I am in Jesus and I can't be apart from Him. I deeply love Him. He is all I am. I don't want to disappoint Him, but I do. Have I sinned intentionally? Yep. Am I perfect..... so far from it. My sins alone would have darkened the sky when Jesus was crucified, and I'm not trying trying to be funny.

So, without knowing more, that's all I can comment on. I'm not sure I've helped you at all.

 

[LifebyChrist]

One problem I think is your are burning yourself out, if you being super religious is going to make you upset at God then it would be better then not to be.

Ecclesiastes 7:16 "Do not be overrighteous, neither be overwise--why destroy yourself?"

Ecclesiastes 7:17 "Do not be overwicked, and do not be a fool--why die before your time?"

Besides consider for what are you even struggling for? What do you mean by being deeply religious? Do you mean stressing over little things and reading the bible everyday and then getting angry and burning out?

James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

You don't have to torture yourself, I mean you can do fun things too like go to a museum or watch a movie, write poetry I mean anything you want to do, everything is permissiable but not everything is beneficial just make sure you are not hurting yourself or others and about your problems with God do you want to share them?

 

[Peripatetic]

there is something in particular that is bothering me about God.

Every time I've felt this way in the past, it has been due to misinformation or a misunderstanding of one of His attributes. The more a person reads and understands scripture, the harder it is for a true attribute of God to be troublesome.

 

[bluegreysky]

I have an issue. To be specific, I am having trouble staying on a good Christian path. One moment I want to be deeply religious, but another moment I despise my faith and even get angry at God.

I want to be a good Christian because I know it is best for me. Mood issues aside, there is something in particular that is bothering me about God. I’m a little embarrassed to talk about it. This specific issue is also hampering my ability to stay on a good Christian path.

I’d like some advice. Have any of you ever had trouble staying faithful? What did you do in order to retain your Christian beliefs and stay on good terms with God? Any other advice and prayers would be deeply appreciated. Thank you.

you have to make your own path, with God's help of course. Part of the problem here is everyone thinks you aren't a good christian unless you're routinely and rigidly involved in a particular church and going to all the group meetings and the worship halls and stuff every week rain or shine or flu or so tired you want to fall on your face. All the politics and the competition for "most righteous" can really burn a person out fast.
I've begun forming my own path where I attend different churches at different times and go where I feel the good vibes... a bible study in one place, a worship night in a different one... or sometimes I dont go at all but I am working on a plan for at home. its like home-schooling only for your soul. Reading motivational books and praying different ways straight from the heart + meditating and spending time out in nature. that sort of thing. I'm struggling real bad right now because of changing jobs and its stressful but my goal is to get all that personal spirituality up and running strong so next challenge I'm not in a rut.
You could do the same! just ask other strong people for guidance and accountability that's the key...

 

[JackBauer]

I've definitely been there a few times, and I can say, it really stinks. Sometimes it seems like your whole world view is just one big cycle that randomly changes depending on your mood and what ideas you have worn out in your mind. The only thing you can really do is just play it cool and practice moderation, particularly involving matters and thoughts of Christianity. I mean yeah sure, we are supposed to be constantly in prayer yada yada, but sometimes we just need to take a step back and breathe.

 

[E.C.]

I’d like some advice. Have any of you ever had trouble staying faithful? What did you do in order to retain your Christian beliefs and stay on good terms with God? Any other advice and prayers would be deeply appreciated. Thank you.

You could be burning yourself out, you know.

Besides, every Christian has their spiritual dry-spells. The best thing to do is to find a way to bring oneself out of it and to have a balanced spiritual life afterward. I personally find reading the lives of the saints to be very edifying, especially those who were martyred during and after the Bolshevik Revolution.

 

[salida]

Get good habits.

Take one day at a time and get some inspirational friends that love God by their actions. Read the bible and pray daily. Get involved in a serious church. Its a life long lifestyle and you will know God more and more. True faith is demonstrated by actions than then the feelings will come. Feelings alone are like a roller coaster. Feel free to email me if have questions.

Also, keep yourself separated from vulgar movies and t.v. Remember with a computer its garbage in and garbage out-same with a human.

Do you have the holy spirit? He will give you the power to live a christian life. Human effort alone can't do this. Pray and you will get it. This will give you the inner strength to live the christian life.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Allen 1988. Jesus gave us two Commandments: " Love God with all our hearts, with all our souls and with all our minds. 2) Love our neighbour as ourself." Then Jesus points out: " on these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." Love is what God wants from us, selfless and no strings attached. That is easy to rember and once seriously started, will become a habit, and become easier and easier. You will find that people treat you the same, (on the whole) that people like knowing you and you`ll enjoy life. Jesus will give you His Love and Joy to share with others, the Holy Spirit will empower you with His Love, and God will forgive you, everytime you stumble. Jesus told us: " ask and ye will receive," and God will forgive us every time as we forgive those who sin against us. Treat all you know and all you meet as you would like to be treated, with kindness and consideration, let your love grow, Allen, and before long you will be the person God approves of, and keeps blessing. I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, sister in Christ. P.S. You will never know until you try, and then realise how much you were missing.

 

[Rao]

One moment I want to be deeply religious, but another moment I despise my faith and even get angry at God.

...

Mood issues aside, there is something in particular that is bothering me about God. I’m a little embarrassed to talk about it. This specific issue is also hampering my ability to stay on a good Christian path.

I see you don't want to reveal the specific issue, so I'm not going to ask it to you.

Just ask yourself, are you sure you're angry at God or are you angry at people who tell you how God is?

If you find out it's the latter, take a break from religious people for a while. Keep going to the Church but avoid discussions and confrontations (including online forums), participate in charity and volunteer activities but not theological classes. Spend this break time in reading the scriptures but also books on theology and (if you feel like) on the lives of the Saints, and thinking. Learn to listen to your conscience in a fully honest way and not to bend it to what is convenient for you through less-than-honest rationalizations and neither silence it in the name of obedience to one congregation. You might either realize you were wrong and then be gladly back agreeing to your fellows, or you might otherwise become more confident in your different belief; either way, you would be probably able to stop your anger.