truth10

Thank you so much .

Hey everyone, I am a born again, but backslidden believer. Christ has called me back to him, and this time I am determined to stay his. The thing is that right now I'm still very much weary. I'm notas zealous for good as before, and I find it much harder now to do the will of the spirit. First of all, I am in SERIOUS NEED of prayer and encouragement, but secondly I need advice. Take giving as an example. I haven't a problem with it, but say I had a bad experience or a bad day, it becomes almost impossible for me to give then. When I'm normal, then it's okay, but when I have a bad day or bad experience, then it becomes truly difficult. How do I overcome this? Before I was backslidden, Christ made it easy for me after he helped me overcome so much, but right now it's very difficult for me, so can you advise me on how exactly to crucify the flesh, and to be free in Christ once more? I deeply regret going back to the bondage of sin, and this time I am determined by the grace of God to stay free. Please help me (and also pray for me)!

It is easier to do that you think, once you understand the nature of love. If you are wanting to feel love for them, you might be on the wrong track, or at least not the most effective track. Those feelings may or may not come. However, the kind of love we are commanded to do, is not a feeling, it is an action. You do not have to have good feeling toward a person, to be kind to them, to offer help to them, to do good to them. Love is seeking the well being of others. This is something we can choose to do by an act of the will, and while feeling love for a person, makes acting kindly easier, you can hate a person, and act in love. If you can across the person you disliked the most in the world, and they were drowning is a swimming pool, would you not help them anyway? 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ 44“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46“For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47“If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48“Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. You do not need to feel it, to do it, just do it. Thanks. That sounds easier, but still, how do I overcome my fear (wanting to avoid them)? It's very difficult for me to even make eye contact with them. Pray for me please.

Also, what do you do when you're willing to love your enemies, but you feel a debilitating surge of negative emotions come upon. So strongly that it's hard to make eye contact with person because of fear, anxiety etc... Tbh, I don't hate people, I might get slightly angry, but believe me, anger is not what I want to feel. I want to LOVE.

Oh dear sister. Please remember me in your prayers. I have no contact with fellow believers (other than this one person which I converted), therefore It's quite a struggle for me not to go back to the world. Please pray to God for me so that he can better my circumstances.

The best thing to do? Turn to the Scriptures that deal with such. Repeat them every day as a prayer until they become infused into your spirit and you are walking in the Lord's peace. Here's a compilation: http://www.unlockingthebible.org/bible-verses-about-worry-and-how-to-overcome-anxiety/ Thanks.

You start off by treating people the way you want to be treated. Love your neighbor as yourself. Don't put people into categories. Treat each individual as an equal. They're no better than you and you're no better than them. If at all possible, put the needs and wants of others ahead of your own. If your enemy is a nonbeliever, cut'em some slack, the only thing that distinguishes you from them is your belief in God. Loving your neighbor as yourself is the first step in getting along with your enemies. The thing is. Whenever I am around my enemies, I fill up wit anxiety, and it's tormentuous to even make eye contact with them.

How do you explain nonbelievers excusing and forgiving one another? Then pray God for me that he'll not take his Holy Spirit from and me, and that he may strengthen me with his spirit.

Right now I also need as much prayer as possible to not be distracted by worldly things. I am now inbetween walking in the flesh and walking in the spirit, i.e. Lukewarm, and I'm trying my best to overcome Lukewarmness, therefor I NEED prayer.

Forgiveness isn't my problem. I can and do forgive people, but it's feeling love towards them. I want to know how to feel real love towards them. Then your prayers will not be hindered: I do not know if you are spiritually born again... but will speak to you as if you are! Remember being emptied of all that you were because God made you able to see that it was worthless to Him? In that moment you came to Him and ask if He would give to you even though you had nothing to give back and He did! That gift was a new life that can do nothing else but expel the love of God to others... what happens is we slip back into the old man, the old ways, mostly because of the ease of living here as such; It is war and constant pressing to maintain a spiritual walk with God here and it wears us down and we exchange true spirituality for less to ease this situation as if to rest -BUT- true continuance and rest is in prayer alone in the quiet with God! You must have times where you get with Him and pour out your heart to Him-> for He will hear and realign your heart and thoughts so that His Spirit within you is unhindered in the dispensing of God's Love to others- you, as all else around you, just become witnesses of a truly remarkable event of beauty and perfection that is in the Love of God! Love, Steven Ah brother, thank you for your advice. I was (and am) born again, I can assure you at that, but I backslid for a little while, and I'm now back at getting beyond where I was before. The thing right now though is that I don't have any congregation of believers to fellowship with, and it's going to be like that for a while. The Lord made it clear to me that many churches will reject me because his spirit isn't in them.

Forgiveness isn't my problem. I can and do forgive people, but it's feeling love towards them. I want to know how to feel real love towards them.

How do you overcome the anxiety you feel when you're around them?

@ Fez, I wonder the same thing. I'm just as baffled as you. As for the distance, it was a rough guest. Tbh, I just think it's the adversaries working against me. So many irrational things have happened, that I've just learned to accept it. I even think it might just be God's plan for me to love my enemies, and to renounce the world once and for all.

Not coworkers, but neighbours, people from other towns and neighbourhoods, former friends etc... You see about nearly a year ago, this group of youths started this rumour about me being some kind of radical homosexual (when I'm a straight christian). This kind of thing isn't taken too kindly where I'm from and people will shun such people, treat them badly, and some might even kill them. I've been forsaken by many of my 'friends', many family members, school mates etc. All I want to do now is to love those who would probably want to see me dead.

Can you clarify who your enemies are for me? I ask because of this statement of yours... They're people in my island and who live within a 20 mile radius of me. They're a combination of people who hate me and would probably want me dead and of others who're just digusted by me. Many now hate me because of these false rumours people have been spreading about me for almost a year now. These rumours have gotten out of control, you see.