Why is my faith slipping when I don't want it to? (moved)

[AussieSummer]

...

 

[bdavison]

What is going on!
I've been Christian for 5 years (I'm 21) and have been brought up in a Christian home. I am struggling with finding a church I fit into, I am currently still attending the church I moved to 6 months ago and am involved in their bible study but for some reason I feel 'meh' about God.

I cried out to him for the past 6 months, my boyfriend left me, I was very angry at God for it. I have moved past that but I am scared for myself, I just don't seem to care anymore!

I am inundating myself with Christian music, reading the bible more than ever before and praying so much but I'm not feeling it.

What do I do?

Don't equate faith with feelings. Jeremiah 17:9 says "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?"

Your feelings are not an indicator of your relationship with God. Always remember that. I can tell you that in my life, when I felt at the lowest points, and that He was so far away, that's when He was closest to me. Understand that you are always in God's desire for a close relationship -2 Timothy 2:13 says "if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself"

God is always there, He never leaves us. When you are feeling 'meh', that's when he is right next to you and you have His undivided attention and love.

Here are some things that will help.


1. Develop Daily Time with God
You need to KNOW that God is there for you, and thats hard to do if you never spend time with him. Learn to spend time with God. I don't mean, finding a quiet corner in the house with a cushion, and just being quiet and still. I mean actually spending meaningful time with him. Just the two of you. Reading His Word with intent, and prayer. It's a relationship. You can't have a loving relationship with someone if you never actually spend time with them.

2. Pray Continuously
I think we have given off the wrong impression of what prayer is supposed to be like. Many picture prayer as bowing your head, and closing your eyes, and putting your hands together and then getting all King James'ey with God. You don't need all that to pray. You can pray while you are taking a sip of coffee in the morning, while driving to work, while ordering lunch at mcdonalds…whenever. Say "I'm gonna pray with my eyes open, because I believe God is going to do a miracle, and I want to see it when it happens". Talk to God all day, everyday.

3. Spend time in God's Word
In Romans 10:17, God tells us that "…faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God" If you want faith, you have to spend time in His Word. If you have a mountain that needs to move, its a really good idea to see what God has to say about it right? You can do that by reading His Word . Sometimes we just open up the bible and stick a finger on a verse with the hope that it will apply to our current situation. That's ok, but I would suggest reading the bible with INTENT. Many of the books in the bible are written specifically on a topic or multiple topics. For instance if you want to know what God has to say about what is heaven is like? And you know that Revelation speaks about eternity, and you go to Revelation and see in 22:3-5 "No longer will anything be cursed. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.[bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.[bless and do not curse][bless and do not curse]And there will be no night there -- no need for lamps or sun -- for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever." Now is that not more helpful to the question of "what is heaven like?" than doing the "stick a finger" method and it lands on Numbers 3:21 "To Gershon belonged the clans of the Libnites and Shimeites; these were the Gershonite clans. . Now I know what some of you are thinking…I don't know the Bible that well, to know where to go to see about a specific topic….and that is OK. Can I give you a suggestion that will help you? Start in Genesis where it says "In the beginning" and read as much as you can. Bibles come with this little thingy…(bookmark ribbon)….you can mark your place and come back to it later. Keep reading until you hit the the end of Revelation.

 

[bdavison]

Something else....

Are you involved in a ministry?

God has a purpose for all of us. Are you using your gifts and talents for Him?
The strongest feelings of fulfillment usually come when we are using our gifts and talents as God designed us, and of course being ever thankful for it.

Each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10 NIV)

What are some things that just scream at your heart to act on or share with others?

For me it was children, everytime I thought about them I just felt like I had to do something. So I did, through grace, and the gifts and talents he generously provided, I became a children's minister.

For others it might be choir director, or missionary, or greeter at the door to the church, feeding the hungry,....there's something God has called you to do.

That empty feeling might be because you are missing out on that opportunity.

 

[paul1149]

I am inundating myself with Christian music, reading the bible more than ever before and praying so much but I'm not feeling it.

What do I do?

Don't be discouraged. You may be trying too hard. You've had a lot of change, maybe this is a wilderness season where the Lord wants to do a deeper foundational work. Practice trustful patience, while being persistently faithful to the Light you have. Recall that Paul, soon after he converted, spent several years away in Arabia, where the Lord met him in a unique way and equipped him for his mission in life. The Lord is always faithful. Rule #1 is to trust in Him.

 

[andy b]

AT 21 my advice is to go out and have fun

 

[ToBeBlessed]

Do you have a few Christian friends that you can talk with? Sometimes churches are large and even though we attend, we don't always find close relationships with other people there.

Do you thank God for what you have and what he has already done? For a long time, I never really took the time to be thankful and I'm still not really good at it, but something about saying all the things that you have that are good really helps.

 

[bling]

There is no one answer.

Do not take this as criticism, but it helps me with my problem of spiritual growth when I stop worrying about myself and try helping others. It can just be visiting someone in the Hospital, trimming a neighbor’s tree too tall for them, showing real concern about the problems of others.

When I get involved with others and their problems mine seem small, I have an unselfish reason to pray and study more.

 

[dysert]

Don't be discouraged. You may be trying too hard. You've had a lot of change, maybe this is a wilderness season where the Lord wants to do a deeper foundational work. Practice trustful patience, while being persistently faithful to the Light you have. Recall that Paul, soon after he converted, spent several years away in Arabia, where the Lord met him in a unique way and equipped him for his mission in life. The Lord is always faithful. Rule #1 is to trust in Him.

I've been in a "wilderness season" myself for many years. I can relate to the OP. I've gotten to the point where I just go through the motions, figuring God will work out whatever He wants to work out. It's really no fun, though.

 

[ToBeBlessed]

I've been in a "wilderness season" myself for many years. I can relate to the OP. I've gotten to the point where I just go through the motions, figuring God will work out whatever He wants to work out. It's really no fun, though.

Not fun at all. Totally agree with you. I've been there quite a few times.

When we do come to the season that we feel more communion with the Lord it is a time of rejoicing when we have had a time in the wilderness.

We have to remember He is always there. Sometimes we feel closer to Him or further away, but that does not change who and what the Lord is.

 

[paul1149]

Understanding the Lord's faithfulness and love really is the key to succeeding in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 8 gives the Lord's purpose for the wilderness experience. He allows it in order to humble us, to teach us not to depend on circumstances - "bread" - but on the hidden manna He will provide - "every word which comes from the mouth of God" (vs 2-3). He is disciplining us the way a good and loving father disciplines his son (vs 4-6).

What's more, the wilderness is not punishment, it is preparation for the promised land that lies ahead (vs 7-10). The Lord needs to forge character in us so that when prosperity comes we will not be ruined by it (vs 11-14).

The Israelites extended their wilderness stay because of their lack of faith, but that does not have to be the pattern. Jesus himself was led into the wilderness by the Spirit, in order to prepare for His ministry. Rather than 40 years, He spent 40 days.

Once we understand that we are not abandoned, that God's faithful guiding hand is at work using the difficulties of the wilderness to mature us in Christ, we can rest in Him and focus on cooperating with His purposes. That takes a lot of the burden off, and gets us out from behind the back side of the mountain that much sooner.

Another good read is the discipline chapter, Hebrews 12.

 

[1watchman]

It may be, AussieSummer, that you are just intellectualizing God??? Have you received the salvation of God in His beloved Son? To have any part in God one must receive the Lord Jesus into their heart and worship Him (see all of John 14). They will then be "born again" by the indwelling Holy Spirit and can then have peace forever in communion with our Savior.

 

[Harry3142]

AussieSummer-

It sounds like you want to regain the 'warm and tingly' feelings you had as a teenager when you first accepted Christ. But like so many other things, we mature to the point at which we no longer get caught up in those feelings. That doesn't mean that you're losing your faith; it means that your faith has matured past that stage. In other words, you've grown up.

Interestingly, in all likelihood this will enable you to do more, rather than less, in the furtherance of the kingdom of God. I found out years ago that the people who could be relied on to roll up their sleeves and go to work on projects where real problems had to be dealt with were not the ones who kept proclaiming, "I love Jesus so much it hurts!" Rather, they were the people who said, "Why not? There's nothing good on TV anyway." The 'Jesus lovers' were many times so heavenly minded that they didn't want to get involved with anything so mundane as helping out the less fortunate. But the 'down to earthers' had no problem with helping out the less fortunate. So which of these 2 types was actually doing the work that Jesus wants of us?

 

[Jeremy E Walker]

What is going on!
I've been Christian for 5 years (I'm 21) and have been brought up in a Christian home. I am struggling with finding a church I fit into, I am currently still attending the church I moved to 6 months ago and am involved in their bible study but for some reason I feel 'meh' about God.

I cried out to him for the past 6 months, my boyfriend left me, I was very angry at God for it. I have moved past that but I am scared for myself, I just don't seem to care anymore!

I am inundating myself with Christian music, reading the bible more than ever before and praying so much but I'm not feeling it.

What do I do?

I attend Elevation Church headquartered in Charlotte NC.

Pastor Furtick last week preached on "I am better under Pressure".

If you can, go to their website and watch his sermon and any other ones you see that you might be interested in. He is a relatively young man and the church is being blessed by God for I have witnessed this first hand.

You will be encouraged!

Elevation Church

 

[jaysj84]

I saw the first chapter if you like of your post and was grateful. I'm sure she felt peace after reading it. God Bless you in your understanding and compassion Mr bdavison !

 

[LilLamb219]

MOD HAT ON

This thread has been moved to Christian Advice from Struggles by Non-Christians since this forum is a better fit for the thread. A clean up of postings has been done.

MOD HAT OFF

 

[BFine]

What is going on!
I've been Christian for 5 years (I'm 21) and have been brought up in a Christian home. I am struggling with finding a church I fit into, I am currently still attending the church I moved to 6 months ago and am involved in their bible study but for some reason I feel 'meh' about God.

I cried out to him for the past 6 months, my boyfriend left me, I was very angry at God for it. I have moved past that but I am scared for myself, I just don't seem to care anymore!

I am inundating myself with Christian music, reading the bible more than ever before and praying so much but I'm not feeling it.

What do I do?

*Are you holding a grudge against the Lord because your boyfriend left you?
The relation didn't work out because something wasn't right, whether it was
his issue(s) or yours, I don't know nor do I need to know.

What I do know is, that we humans tend to blame God when stuff doesn't
go our way. Forgive, dear one....apply forgiveness.
Anger/resentment, not forgiving-- these things negatively affect ones relationship
with the Lord.

Starting right now, take the first step towards forgiving your boyfriend and stop
blaming God for a relationship that ended.
People will come and go in your life, this I know because I've been through
several heartbreaks-- boyfriends that moved on. A first marriage that ended
due to my husband being unfaithful (a lot) and him being a con artist etc.
I will also include my own faults: Not trusting God, being selfish, backsliding...
that's how I ended up in ungodly relationships...all this I had to work through
and in time I learned to depend upon God and to trust His Word. I'm not perfect
at it but I'm better at it than I use to be, thanks be to God!

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

 

[Emmy]

Dear AussieSummer. Jesus gives us good advice to find it again.
In Matthew 22: 35-40: Jesus tell a Lawyer: " The first and great Commandment is; Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. The second is like it: Love thy neighbour as thyself." Jesus also tells us: "On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
God wants our Love, freely given and NO conditions tagged on. What to do now? We start treating all we know and all we meet as we would love to be treated: kindly and always with friendly words. God will see our loving efforts, and God will Bless us. Matthew 7: 7-10: tells us: " Ask and ye shall receive,"
then we ask for Love and Joy, thank God, and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour: all we know and all we meet, friends and not friends. We keep asking and receiving, then thank God and share all Love and Joy with all around us. People around us will treat us the same as we treat people, Love is very catching.
The Bible tells us: " Repent," and also " Be Born Again." God wants us to change our selfishness into Loving and Caring, God wants our Love with all our beings, and love our fellow-men and fellow-women as we love ourselves.
We will find that we gradually change into the men and women which God our Heavenly Father wants us to become. Let your Love grow, and your

 

[Emmy]

Dear Monitor, I am not finished. May I finish here? Dear Aussie Summer, Let your Love grow and you will find, that your Faith is following. Paul told us in 1) Corinthians: 13: 13:
And now abideth Faith, Hope, and Love, But the greatest of these is LOVE. Let your Love grow, and your Faith will grow again. I say this with love. Greetings fro Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Pal Handy]

What is going on!
I've been Christian for 5 years (I'm 21) and have been brought up in a Christian home. I am struggling with finding a church I fit into, I am currently still attending the church I moved to 6 months ago and am involved in their bible study but for some reason I feel 'meh' about God.

I cried out to him for the past 6 months, my boyfriend left me, I was very angry at God for it. I have moved past that but I am scared for myself, I just don't seem to care anymore!

I am inundating myself with Christian music, reading the bible more than ever before and praying so much but I'm not feeling it.

What do I do?

Have you trully forgiven God?

I know, someone will say that God is perfect and needs no forgiveness but
if in your heart you have accused God of any wrong doing, you need to
repent and ask for forgiveness and let God off the hook by telling Him that
you DO NOT HOLD ANYTHING AGAINST HIM.

Let God off the hook and surrender to Him by confessing to Him that you
know that He has your best interest at heart and so if He removed this
boy friend from your life, it is only because He has someone better for you.

Meanwhile you need to pray that God would make you into the kind of
person He can trust with someone He loves very much and wants to
bring to you in the trust that you will be a blessing to that person and
love them with His love and see them through His eyes.

A good read for you is called Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray...

Here's a link for a Youtube reading of the book.

The first reading is called Absolute Surrender and is about 28 min. long.

Absolute Surrender by Andrew Murray BY LIBRIVOX AUDIOBOOK - YouTube