Trying to believe in god is making me depressed.

[bn123]

(This is my first post an I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this and if so let me know where i can)


i'm 17 and have been a christian all my life, I've always believed god was real and that he was looking after me and I have been attending a youth group ever since I started high school. My faith started to fade about two years ago. I have never felt god or had experienced him and at a youth camp a couple years ago I really wanted to receive god. I had prayed before all the worship services for god to reveal himself to me and at one point during worship, the pastor speaking came around to a couple kids for them to receive the holy spirit. He would put his hand on their head and pray for them and they would fall over. Long story short he came over to me and just pushed me back with his hand. it didn't feel like the holy spirit, i felt nothing. that really discouraged me and ever since then ive been chasing god, but till this day i still haven't felt or experienced anything spiritual or unexplainable.

I know im not in a unique situation in saying this but in the last few years both my grandmothers have past away from cancer, my christian parents marriage has fallen apart and my health has deteriated, chronic knee, hip, back injuries, broken fingers, and a busted neck. I know there common among everyone and i'm not trying to get attention but i prayed for god to fix or help any of these situations and everything just getting worse. Surely if god loved me and cared for me than we would have helped me in my time of need. God and Jesus are constantly on my mind, during the day i'm constantly asking god to help me and i have been praying myself to sleep every night, asking god to help me or just reveal himself to me so i know that he has a plan.

Ive been questioning my faith for a year now and the more i think about it the more my faith in him is failing. ive lost any feeling ive had. atleast when i used to pray i would cry but know i feel empty when i pray.

I'm constantly trying to justify the problems in this world and to try and find how god is in control but its so hard when i hear the stories i do about slaughter and famine and rape and all that stuff. this whole faith thing is consuming me and its making me depressed. i pray for anything from god, just anything so i know god is here but nothing happens. And its harder to believe in god when so many people are doing so much worse than i am, and whilst us Christians in developed countries with a good income and a safe country are praising god, children are starving is 3rd world counties. Where is god then. what are his morals. It makes him seem really sick for letting these things happen.

why is it that the only miracles that i have heard of are either from a couple thousand year old book or explainable by science. we don't ever hear of cancer patients getting over cancer only by prayer. its only with modern medicine that they are healed. how is that god.

i feel like im chasing this relationship with a god that has abandoned me. i just want some honest answers and not a bunch of scriptures. im not suicidal or anthing but im not in a good head space and thats impacting everything in my life. i want to give up on god and just get on with my life but something keeps me from doing that and i dont know why, maybe its cause ive been raised a christian and its what ive always expected.


im feeling depressed thinking about gods promises and how ive never received any of them and I know im young and stupid and i know all this could just be hormones or just my immaturity but i need some help and some answers.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Hi; Hebrews 11 is a good chapter to read about faith.

 

[URA]

I know im young and stupid and i know all this could just be hormones or just my immaturity

Good chance of it. I know I was a lot different 2 years ago, when I was 17. Keep on truckin', work hard, keep a good sense of humor & a stronger sense of hope, and you'll be amazed what happens.

A few ideas for the rest of your post:
--Read the Bible more
--Read a study Bible
--Read people talking about the Bible (Church fathers?)

--Look into the lives of the saints; many saints had despair much like yours. Whether or not you think you should pray to the saints is another discussion, but it's good to see that despairing people can become holy people.

--Exercise, keep busy with good things, try to pick good friends, and try not to worry too much. You've got a long life ahead of you; who can add an hour to their life by worrying? It's good that you're trying to get deeper into your faith, but you must remember that you're on God's clock, not yours. What His will is for you, I'm not sure. Persevere. Try to be a good person.

Praying for you; enjoy life & have a nice day.

 

[drjean]

bn123, no one is a Christian "all their life" especially when so young... I think you mean you lived in a Christian home. Perhaps with the break up of your parents, it's added more confusion to you and that's really hard to deal with I'm sure.

IMO you need to begin with a brand new relationship with God...through Jesus. Seems like you've hunted and others have tried to give you things but of course none of that has worked because it's not what you have needed?

The Book of John is a great book to read and reread... it talks about God's love. Yes, all those verses I'm sure you know already but perhaps haven't taken them "personally"?

Let me share some of my testimony.
I grew up in a large family who went to Sunday School and church every Sunday! To get 8 people ready was quite an accomplishment though I didn't know it at the time how much, being the youngest. I learned so many Bible verses and songs and went through the UMC catechism class and joined the church. But I, too felt like you... where was God? Something happened and suddenly went quit going to church (after I joined so of course I thought it was my fault).

I began to seek God in reading His Word (the family Bible).. and begged my mom to take me to church; there was a new small one just down the road (we lived in the "country side"). We went a few times but I didn't find God there. I had a hole in my heart that was shaped like God and I needed it filled!

Later on someone I had met (who pretended to be a Christian) was angrily yelling at me on the phone about how I wasn't a Christian and I knew nothing about God, that all that Bible learning was good but it wouldn't get me into heaven. I was a sinner and I was going to hell and I needed to quit playing church!

Oh my. He meant it for judging, but God meant it for good (God can use anyone.) I hung up and ran to my room and fell on my knees and apologized to God and repented and asked Him to save me from hell!

Peace came. I crawled into bed totally exhausted and slept.
The next morning I realized that God-shaped hole in my heart was filled!

Now I know not everyone has a big experience like I did and not everyone remembers the exact day (March 20 1967 9 pm) but you WILL remember that you met Jesus, once and for all!

My further advice? Stop working so hard to find God---He's right there waiting for you to invite Him into your life so He can forgive you and smother you with His love!

 

[AvgJoe]

(This is my first post an I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this and if so let me know where i can)


i'm 17 and have been a christian all my life, I've always believed god was real and that he was looking after me and I have been attending a youth group ever since I started high school. My faith started to fade about two years ago. I have never felt god or had experienced him and at a youth camp a couple years ago I really wanted to receive god. I had prayed before all the worship services for god to reveal himself to me and at one point during worship, the pastor speaking came around to a couple kids for them to receive the holy spirit. He would put his hand on their head and pray for them and they would fall over. Long story short he came over to me and just pushed me back with his hand. it didn't feel like the holy spirit, i felt nothing. that really discouraged me and ever since then ive been chasing god, but till this day i still haven't felt or experienced anything spiritual or unexplainable.

I know im not in a unique situation in saying this but in the last few years both my grandmothers have past away from cancer, my christian parents marriage has fallen apart and my health has deteriated, chronic knee, hip, back injuries, broken fingers, and a busted neck. I know there common among everyone and i'm not trying to get attention but i prayed for god to fix or help any of these situations and everything just getting worse. Surely if god loved me and cared for me than we would have helped me in my time of need. God and Jesus are constantly on my mind, during the day i'm constantly asking god to help me and i have been praying myself to sleep every night, asking god to help me or just reveal himself to me so i know that he has a plan.

Ive been questioning my faith for a year now and the more i think about it the more my faith in him is failing. ive lost any feeling ive had. atleast when i used to pray i would cry but know i feel empty when i pray.

I'm constantly trying to justify the problems in this world and to try and find how god is in control but its so hard when i hear the stories i do about slaughter and famine and rape and all that stuff. this whole faith thing is consuming me and its making me depressed. i pray for anything from god, just anything so i know god is here but nothing happens. And its harder to believe in god when so many people are doing so much worse than i am, and whilst us Christians in developed countries with a good income and a safe country are praising god, children are starving is 3rd world counties. Where is god then. what are his morals. It makes him seem really sick for letting these things happen.

why is it that the only miracles that i have heard of are either from a couple thousand year old book or explainable by science. we don't ever hear of cancer patients getting over cancer only by prayer. its only with modern medicine that they are healed. how is that god.

i feel like im chasing this relationship with a god that has abandoned me. i just want some honest answers and not a bunch of scriptures. im not suicidal or anthing but im not in a good head space and thats impacting everything in my life. i want to give up on god and just get on with my life but something keeps me from doing that and i dont know why, maybe its cause ive been raised a christian and its what ive always expected.


im feeling depressed thinking about gods promises and how ive never received any of them and I know im young and stupid and i know all this could just be hormones or just my immaturity but i need some help and some answers.

Well, first off, welcome to CF. I'm glad you found your way here. There are many issues here. I'll try to help with a few of them. For some answers, please click on the following links:

When / How do we receive the Holy Spirit?
What if I don't feel saved?
Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?

 

[God bless Joshua]

To be a christian is not a matter of bodily survival and comfort and luxuries. But to choose to live in God means to obey God and defend the truth of God.

The early church was fed to lions, they were free to deny their faith and save their lives, but they choosed to defend the truth and obey God.

God told us the story of the poor Lazarus waiting to receive mercy from the Rich man's table, Lazarus accepts his fate and God could use his life for His purpose to find out the heart of the people. So this is the total obedience to God.

Even God has His purpose on Lazarus's life and Lazarus served Him by obedience to God without complaining and murmuring and rebelling like the Hebrew did in the dessert. This is what God wants from all of us and that He will test each of us whether we are worthy or not to receive Eternal Life with Him

Dont judge God and curse Him when you dont have bread or water like the Hebrew did in the dessert

Even so you'd be better live in obedience to God until you die faithfully like Lazarus did.

James 1:12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Matt 6:33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Psalm 53:2
God has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men To see if there is anyone who understands, Who seeks after God.

Roman 3:11 there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away; they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.

 

[SolomonVII]

I really have come to appreciate Jordan Peterson's talk on the Bible, and other talks of his too. He is a student of Carl Jung, and he notes how New Ageism superficially translates the message of Car Jung as to mean 'follow your bliss'. Really, the message of Jung is much darker, and it is just the opposite of that. It is something to the effect that the only place where your answers are going to be found is by venturing out to search for them in the darkest, most unappealing, and most terrifying places that you do not want to go into.
It is the difference of regarding one's life being mapped according to rights and entitlements, or being mapped by responsibilities and effort.
The good news of the cross is not a miracle of perpetual bliss. It is about nakedness and blood and guts and excrement being spilt in the most painful and humiliating ways possible.

Life is terrible. Depression is often the correct response to contemplating the future.

And yet, human nature is designed precisely for these kinds of ventures into the terrifying unknowns that challenge us to be all that we can be. It is not only coming to terms with the deepest and the darkest and the most vile aspects of who we are and what the world is, but gaining meaning and purpose through actively engaging in such challenges. Our greatest treasures lie in our Shadows. Creation always comes through mining the chaos and the void.

The answer to despondency and feelings of helplessness do not lie in waiting for a miracle to give our lives meaning. The answer to despondency lies in ' the doing'. The voice of God that Abraham hears calls him forth from the comfort of home and hearth into strange lands filled with ruthless people and greed and lies and opportunity too. The miracle lies on the other side of the blood, sweat, toils and tears that is what we have to offer this world.

Ours is a heroes quest. It is confronting and slaying the dragons in our lives that we find the most terrifying. The miracle only arises in the fact that by applying ourselves fully to the task at hand, we inevitably end up going beyond what anyone would have reasonably considered humanly possible.
Achieving the impossible is the miracle that happens all the time, and the way to that miracle lies on the road to Golgotha, in the blood, sweat, toil and tears that we sacrifice in order to reach that peak.

Contemplating a life of responsibility and toil rather than a life of rights and entitlements is daunting, and heroes are indeed the rarities of human existence. Still, for those who passionately crave miracles, that is the path that one must set oneself on in order to achieve that goal, and that purpose, and that meaning to life.
The alternative is nihilistic acceptance of depression being our lot in life. It is like the sad young man who asked Jesus for healing, and when he heard the answer, he ended up sadly walking away, still replete with his families money, and yet bereft of the lightness of soul that Jesus promised would be the result of following him.

 

[dzheremi]

Hi, bn123. I can relate to some parts of your story quite a bit. My own mother died many years ago when I was 14, also of cancer, and my health has deteriorated for years to the point where now I can barely move due to extensive nerve damage and accompanying pain.

I'm afraid I cannot say much but that I continue to pray for mercy. Remember the paralytic who was healed by Jesus after years in that condition. Such things can and do happen, but if they never do, it is still upon us to be faithful.

And there are people much, much worse off than me who remain faithful. It is these people who are my role models and heroes in the faith, even if they are otherwise nameless.

True happiness is not equivalent to easiness. I hope one day to be as truly happy as the woman "Mabsouta" whose story is in that video. It is a true gift of God. (Incidentally, "mabsouta" means "happy" in Arabic. )

 

[Job3315]

(This is my first post an I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this and if so let me know where i can)


i'm 17 and have been a christian all my life, I've always believed god was real and that he was looking after me and I have been attending a youth group ever since I started high school. My faith started to fade about two years ago. I have never felt god or had experienced him and at a youth camp a couple years ago I really wanted to receive god. I had prayed before all the worship services for god to reveal himself to me and at one point during worship, the pastor speaking came around to a couple kids for them to receive the holy spirit. He would put his hand on their head and pray for them and they would fall over. Long story short he came over to me and just pushed me back with his hand. it didn't feel like the holy spirit, i felt nothing. that really discouraged me and ever since then ive been chasing god, but till this day i still haven't felt or experienced anything spiritual or unexplainable.

I know im not in a unique situation in saying this but in the last few years both my grandmothers have past away from cancer, my christian parents marriage has fallen apart and my health has deteriated, chronic knee, hip, back injuries, broken fingers, and a busted neck. I know there common among everyone and i'm not trying to get attention but i prayed for god to fix or help any of these situations and everything just getting worse. Surely if god loved me and cared for me than we would have helped me in my time of need. God and Jesus are constantly on my mind, during the day i'm constantly asking god to help me and i have been praying myself to sleep every night, asking god to help me or just reveal himself to me so i know that he has a plan.

Ive been questioning my faith for a year now and the more i think about it the more my faith in him is failing. ive lost any feeling ive had. atleast when i used to pray i would cry but know i feel empty when i pray.

I'm constantly trying to justify the problems in this world and to try and find how god is in control but its so hard when i hear the stories i do about slaughter and famine and rape and all that stuff. this whole faith thing is consuming me and its making me depressed. i pray for anything from god, just anything so i know god is here but nothing happens. And its harder to believe in god when so many people are doing so much worse than i am, and whilst us Christians in developed countries with a good income and a safe country are praising god, children are starving is 3rd world counties. Where is god then. what are his morals. It makes him seem really sick for letting these things happen.

why is it that the only miracles that i have heard of are either from a couple thousand year old book or explainable by science. we don't ever hear of cancer patients getting over cancer only by prayer. its only with modern medicine that they are healed. how is that god.

i feel like im chasing this relationship with a god that has abandoned me. i just want some honest answers and not a bunch of scriptures. im not suicidal or anthing but im not in a good head space and thats impacting everything in my life. i want to give up on god and just get on with my life but something keeps me from doing that and i dont know why, maybe its cause ive been raised a christian and its what ive always expected.


im feeling depressed thinking about gods promises and how ive never received any of them and I know im young and stupid and i know all this could just be hormones or just my immaturity but i need some help and some answers.

Thank you for being so open and vulnerable. I know youth tend to try to solve their own problems but you being open help others help you.

When I read your post the first thing that came to my mind was to ask you if you dream. Job 33:14-15 says:

For God may speak in one way, or in another, Yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, When deep sleep falls upon men, While slumbering on their beds...

Sometimes we just don’t realize He is talking to us. He can use dreams, visions and impressions (like a movie or image that pops up in your mind). Write those down. When you wake up in the morning do you wake up with a song in your head? What are the lyrics to that song? Or at least what does the line you woke up with say?

I often wake up with a song in me. Lately I’ve been having Christmas songs playing in my head when I wake up, which is unusual with me this time of year and I still don’t know what it means. I read the lyrics and they are about praising our Savior, so I wonder if is my spirit talking to God. Your spirit and the Holy Spirit talk while your mind is asleep. Just because you feel your soul is not hearing God it doesn't mean your spirit is not communicating with Him.

A problem I used to have was that I was expecting God to talk to me just as He was talking to others until I realized He had His own language with me. He uses specific numbers, symbols and words for me to recognize He is present even when I don’t feel Him.

I suggest you watch videos of Todd White. He is an incredible man of God and touches the youth with his testimonies.

Don't be discouraged, God has been speaking to me since I was a little girl but it wasn't until amost seven years ago that I realized it was Him all along.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Christ said we must come to Him as little children and He meant in that faith that you have experienced of His Presence and care for you before grim reality set in. However reality of what is happening on this earth isn’t the reality of God’s purpose for us. Reality is another word for truth. Christ is Truth therefor reality is found only in Him.

I remember my teen years doing exactly what your doing in asking Him to reveal Himself to me. He won’t leave you disapointed. I think in handing ones life to Him at a very young age places God directly in charge of that person’s spiritual education rather than thru messengers of guardian angels.

But let’s get to what is causing doubts about God. The fallen world. And what was causing you to believe previously. Grace and truth/reality. Grace hasn’t changed and is still with you. In fact grace is the air you breath because of belonging to Him. Grace is that which you remember enjoying of God. But that was also truth because of seeing the reality of God in Jesus. Truth/reality of the fallen world is what has taken the wind out of your sails. How do you reconcile that knowledge with the knowledge of the Godhead that you previously enjoyed?

Wait on the Lord, trusting. He will move the whole world to teach one person that is being still knowing He is God. He is looking for trustworthy souls to do great works upon their lives. Faithfulness. That’s the perfection that God is looking for because He Himself is totally faithful. That’s all that needs be known for you imho.

When God is silent then practise the presence that you previously felt by just abiding in that and simply say ‘goodnight Jesus, thank you’ and the end of the day and a prayer of thanksgiving for a new day each day. And realize that He will never leave you or forsake you.

The tapes of the horrors of this world being recorded in your brain in recognition of fallen state of the world? well, just let them play themselves out w/o clinging to them. Grab the hem of Christ’s cloak and let Him pull you thru.

Hope some of that made sense. Remembering who it is that we have an account with and that He dwells in the praises of His people is a good reminder to look past circumstances at the spirit behind those circumstances to determine who is really causing the damage (satan) Aligning oneself with God in these matters can be as simple as a prayer morning and night to set ones mind on things above, rather than on things below.

Best wishes on your life adventure!

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Christ said we must come to Him as little children and He meant in that faith that you have experienced of His Presence and care for you before grim reality set in. However reality of what is happening on this earth isn’t the reality of God’s purpose for us. Reality is another word for truth. Christ is Truth therefor reality is found only in Him.

I remember my teen years doing exactly what your doing in asking Him to reveal Himself to me. He won’t leave you disapointed. I think in handing ones life to Him at a very young age places God directly in charge of that person’s spiritual education rather than thru messengers of guardian angels.

But let’s get to what is causing doubts about God. The fallen world. And what was causing you to believe previously. Grace and truth/reality. Grace hasn’t changed and is still with you. In fact grace is the air you breath because of belonging to Him. Grace is that which you remember enjoying of God. But that was also truth because of seeing the reality of God in Jesus. Truth/reality of the fallen world is what has taken the wind out of your sails. How do you reconcile that knowledge with the knowledge of the Godhead that you previously enjoyed?

Wait on the Lord, trusting. He will move the whole world to teach one person that is being still knowing He is God. He is looking for trustworthy souls to do great works upon their lives. Faithfulness. That’s the perfection that God is looking for because He Himself is totally faithful. That’s all that needs be known for you imho.

When God is silent then practise the presence that you previously felt by just abiding in that and simply say ‘goodnight Jesus, thank you’ and the end of the day and a prayer of thanksgiving for a new day each day. And realize that He will never leave you or forsake you.

The tapes of the horrors of this world being recorded in your brain in recognition of fallen state of the world? well, just let them play themselves out w/o clinging to them. Grab the hem of Christ’s cloak and let Him pull you thru.

Hope some of that made sense. Remembering who it is that we have an account with and that He dwells in the praises of His people is a good reminder to look past circumstances at the spirit behind those circumstances to determine who is really causing the damage (satan) Aligning oneself with God in these matters can be as simple as a prayer morning and night to set ones mind on things above, rather than on things below.

Best wishes on your life adventure!

There is also the other side of the coin that you didn't mention and that's trust in the teachings of God that you have received.
When coming to terms with the world one must also come to terms with God in the Old Testament vs the New Testament. How is Emanuel, God with us, the same yesterday, today and forever? The OT depicts God saying, by word and action, things that seem to have a different understanding according to NT (see quoted post)
Our theology regarding God needs to stay congruent with biblical understanding. There are some threads around the forum at this time that are dealing with that topic. You may want read up on some of those as well.

 

[BNR32FAN]

(This is my first post an I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this and if so let me know where i can)


i'm 17 and have been a christian all my life, I've always believed god was real and that he was looking after me and I have been attending a youth group ever since I started high school. My faith started to fade about two years ago. I have never felt god or had experienced him and at a youth camp a couple years ago I really wanted to receive god. I had prayed before all the worship services for god to reveal himself to me and at one point during worship, the pastor speaking came around to a couple kids for them to receive the holy spirit. He would put his hand on their head and pray for them and they would fall over. Long story short he came over to me and just pushed me back with his hand. it didn't feel like the holy spirit, i felt nothing. that really discouraged me and ever since then ive been chasing god, but till this day i still haven't felt or experienced anything spiritual or unexplainable.

I know im not in a unique situation in saying this but in the last few years both my grandmothers have past away from cancer, my christian parents marriage has fallen apart and my health has deteriated, chronic knee, hip, back injuries, broken fingers, and a busted neck. I know there common among everyone and i'm not trying to get attention but i prayed for god to fix or help any of these situations and everything just getting worse. Surely if god loved me and cared for me than we would have helped me in my time of need. God and Jesus are constantly on my mind, during the day i'm constantly asking god to help me and i have been praying myself to sleep every night, asking god to help me or just reveal himself to me so i know that he has a plan.

Ive been questioning my faith for a year now and the more i think about it the more my faith in him is failing. ive lost any feeling ive had. atleast when i used to pray i would cry but know i feel empty when i pray.

I'm constantly trying to justify the problems in this world and to try and find how god is in control but its so hard when i hear the stories i do about slaughter and famine and rape and all that stuff. this whole faith thing is consuming me and its making me depressed. i pray for anything from god, just anything so i know god is here but nothing happens. And its harder to believe in god when so many people are doing so much worse than i am, and whilst us Christians in developed countries with a good income and a safe country are praising god, children are starving is 3rd world counties. Where is god then. what are his morals. It makes him seem really sick for letting these things happen.

why is it that the only miracles that i have heard of are either from a couple thousand year old book or explainable by science. we don't ever hear of cancer patients getting over cancer only by prayer. its only with modern medicine that they are healed. how is that god.

i feel like im chasing this relationship with a god that has abandoned me. i just want some honest answers and not a bunch of scriptures. im not suicidal or anthing but im not in a good head space and thats impacting everything in my life. i want to give up on god and just get on with my life but something keeps me from doing that and i dont know why, maybe its cause ive been raised a christian and its what ive always expected.


im feeling depressed thinking about gods promises and how ive never received any of them and I know im young and stupid and i know all this could just be hormones or just my immaturity but i need some help and some answers.

My friend it sounds like God is in fact working in your life. We often don’t see it while we are in the tough times in our life. Before I became a Christian my life was super hard and it seemed like the world was coming down on me. And it was. But if I had never experienced those hard time I would’ve never turned to God for help and I would’ve most likely never come to know Jesus. Now your situation is much different than mine. Your already a believer which is great. But you are worrying and not trusting in God to do His will. Remember that He knows what is best for you. He could possibly be working on your trust in Him. You are on the right path my friend stay the course. Seeking help from other Christians is a great idea. Don’t worry about how the other kids fell down when the pastor touched them. I’ve never experienced anything like that either and who knows if those who fell down really experienced anything at all? The fact that you turned here for help is showing that God is working in you. I guarantee if you stay strong in your faith and accept God’s will He will bless you with more than you can possibly imagine. When you pray and ask God for something add the phrase if it be your will Lord, I accept your will because I know that you know what is best for me. Allow God to mold you into the person He wants you to be. Always remember that it is not over until it’s over and God is always working towards His plan. Just because things don’t seem right now doesn’t mean that they won’t make sense later on. God will not forsake you but He will test you. Trials and temptations are our best opportunities to show God that we can remain faithful to trust in Him. So when your experiencing hard times use them to your advantage. Show God that you can endure and trust in Him. Stay the course my friend your doing great. I guarantee you will not regret it and your blessings will be greater than you can imagine.

 

[W2L]

Trying to not believe in God makes me depressed. Without God where is the hope? Where is the beauty that was once my life? I have only ashes now. Its when i wait on Him, and Seek Him, that i find joy, peace, and rest. It took me time to learn this, and i am still learning it, so i would recommend patience.

 

[Onetruefreedom]

One thing that helps me with my faith is to focus on and pray for others, it can be easy to get caught up the things in this world as well as your own problems. But the best expression of Christian love is to sacrifice for your neighbor. Be it time/money. Maybe try volunteer work or extra-curricular activities.

Glory be to God.

 

[mama2one]

i'm 17 the holy spirit.
in the last few years both my grandmothers have past away from cancer, my christian parents marriage has fallen apart and my health has deteriated


Ive been questioning my faith for a year now and the more i think about it the more my faith in him is failing. ive lost any feeling ive had. atleast when i used to pray i would cry but know i feel empty when i pray.

I'm constantly trying to justify the problems in this world and to try and find how god is in control but its so hard when i hear the stories i do about slaughter and famine and rape and all that stuff. this whole faith thing is consuming me and its making me depressed. i pray for anything from god, just anything so i know god is here but nothing happens. And its harder to believe in god when so many people are doing so much worse than i am, and whilst us Christians in developed countries with a good income and a safe country are praising god, children are starving is 3rd world counties. Where is god then. what are his morals. It makes him seem really sick for letting these things happen.

why is it that the only miracles that i have heard of are either from a couple thousand year old book or explainable by science. we don't ever hear of cancer patients getting over cancer only by prayer. its only with modern medicine that they are healed. how is that god.
im feeling depressed thinking about gods promises and how ive never received any of them and I know im young and stupid and i know all this could just be hormones or just my immaturity but i need some help

welcome to the forum!

you're only 17 and have experienced a lot of stressful events recently; sorry for your losses
I will leave the spiritual answers to others
however, am concerned about your health and it's possible you do have a type of depression , considering your age and the amt of significant stressors that have happened

would suggest you at least see a medical Dr, have some bloodwork drawn to see if there are any physical factors involved, and see if you may have depression, as well as learn some coping strategies for dealing with stress
something as simple as being low/deficient in certain vitamins can affect the body and can easily be corrected (if your body has vit deficiencies)

the physical body greatly affects the mental, so it would not hurt to see a medical Dr and specifically mention any symptoms of depression you have so they can look into that specifically

 

[Tayla]

i feel like im chasing this relationship with a god that has abandoned me.

Perhaps you need to upgrade your concept of God. Thinking wrongly about God's nature can be disturbing.

 

[KimmyO]

I understand your frustration and doubt, it is ok. God will reveal himself to those who seek him and you are. The hard thing about seeing others "miracles" is that we don't know what they are really going thru. They may be thinking like you, why didn't it happen to me, it seemed unreal, why do others get the healing. That is why we can't put our trust in signs and wonders. It is more about God being with us in the midst of trials rather than him taking them away or healing always. Even Paul in the bible had some health problem that stayed with him, and he continued to put his trust in God. Sometimes the feelings aren't there, feelings come and go, but it is in what we decide to continue in anyway, even when we don't feel it. You have been thru a lot so it makes sense that you feel at a loss and full of sorrow. It is a valley and you will grow in that valley, and your faith will deepen, it just won't be easy. We all go thru doubts, anger and other feelings, but God has big shoulders and can handle our anger and such, He will still always love and be there. Miracles do happen but there are many fake events that have staged "healings" and God doesn't usually do things for show, but in the closets of our life so usually only those close to them know. We can't put God in a bottle and expect him to grant our wishes like a jeanie, so claiming promises given to someone else can be hopeless. Look to what God is saying to you personally, not claiming things like a grab bag. Speak to him, read his word regularly and ask Holy Spirit to show you what you need to hear. Because we live in a fallen world, bad things happen and God could only stop them if he made us all robots. We all have choices and they have either consequences or blessings. Here is a great video about suffering and God. I'm praying for you in this valley, for growth and roots! =) <3 One thing that does help is taking magnesium to calm mind body and spirit, taking ginseng to get rid of those sticky negative thoughts and to eat much less carby foods, grains esp. You will find you body feels better and so does your mind and spirit.

 

[KimmyO]

Oops, I forgot the video link: If I have enough faith will God heal me?

 

[KimmyO]

Here is the video I meant to add: If I have enough faith will God heal me?. You will get thru this! <3