I need spiritual help

SarahJane · Alley Cat Joined: 20 Nov 2005 Posts: 177

I'm posting an update to this message. I posted this on another site where I posed the same type of question. Please pardon me for copy and pasting this, I cannot think of a better way to express it than I have already expressed it and I want to share what I have learned with anyone else who might have the same struggle that keeps them from a full faith.

I appreciate all of your responses. Thank you to each of you that took the time to read and respond.

I started my journey back with a simple question to a friend of mine: Does desire count? Faith is a gift, feeling the love of God on earth is also a gift, not a guarantee. I do believe that desire counts and what we want in our hearts is more important than any bold proclamation that we can make. I've chastised myself for quite some time now because I had the belief that I must be doing something wrong or I would feel the comfort I was once able to feel. I did everything that I could to attempt to regain that comfort, including examining myself so harshly that I hated myself. I don't think God wants that of me or anyone else.

We are called to love perfectly and that should always be a goal of ours although we know that it is not obtainable by people.

Matthew 5:

43 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

When I was ruled by my emotional faith I was subject to doing things that were not even close to loving my enemies. The same emotional responses that gave me the warm and fuzzy feeling also gave me a quick temper, and a desire for revenge when someone crossed me.

1 Corinthians 13:

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Not once in the Biblical description of love is there a reference to a warm and fuzzy feeling. The love described by the Bible is based in reason and our actions, not in what we feel.

Have I gained in love as I lost the ability to feel the love of God? I think that perhaps I have.

RevJP · Moderator Joined: 18 Apr 2003 Posts: 7003 Location: USA

SarahJane · Alley Cat Joined: 20 Nov 2005 Posts: 177

I think that at times I trick myself into believing that I'll never be good enough. In a way that really motivates me but in another way it makes things much harder for me.

As long as I'm learning and I'm putting out an honest effort I'm going to try not to be quite so hard on myself.
_________________
What's up with that partridge in a pear tree? Give me real estate!

saveme2 · Newbie Alert Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 4

Hi
I am a good listener but a slow reader. You know of course that we all need each other in a kind of fellwoship of Christians. God planed it that way but we need to make a gesture from our hearts as God has given us all freedom of choice in all that we do.

I have some links to articles, ( older sermons actually ) which, maybe old but excellent in quality. My guess is that you will be familiar with the the Book of the Bible in the link,but not so much with the import this person has gleaned from it/them.

http://www.spurgeon.org/index/r_job.htm

once there you may wonder, like I do, how this minister can get so much out of ONE Book of the Bible alone. Clue, Job is not about suffering, although he did suffer in a way.
It's all about love, read the articles at you own pace and you will realise the message in the sermons there , then come back to us here and you can then probably help us out,

cheers

savedme2

saveme2 · Newbie Alert Joined: 18 Dec 2005 Posts: 4