LeslieAnn

That was helpful.  Thank you for the advice/scripture.  I have a verbally abusive mother which is very hard to deal with.

forgiveness is such a challenge!

15 minutes ago, Yowm said:

I could see this also being written from the other perspective as well.

"Raised in a loose nondenom Church since 4 yrs of age...left in twenties after college to attend a sound Bible-based fundamental Baptist  church.  My former church had “no solid answers” and everyone else was just as uncertain.  I attended Bob Jones University which I loved immensely...another story where they had “sound answers too.” (I could continue)

You see, you were being absolute and judgmental in your assessment, the very thing you were condemning, maybe that is where your war arises?

Yes. I agree.  After being in a judgmental church you became warped that way.  My formative years were spent under that.  But the response falls rather flat in that I am struggling to win this war and live this Christian life properly and I need some advice and one or two answers.  I don’t want to be this person and it is not Christlike.

Raised in strict fundamental Baptist Church since 4 yrs of age...left in twenties after college to attend a sound Bible-based nondenominational church.  My former church had “all the answers” and everyone else was wrong.  I attended Bob Jones University which I disliked immensely...another story where they had “all the right answers too.”

The judgemental approach of that former church almost made me throw the baby (salvation/Christ) out with the bath water but b\c of my illness I knew I needed God in my life to continue in life and endure.  B/c my former pastor focused on the OT God and His fury rather than adding the love of Christ and his sacrificial death that covers our sin, mentally our minds were fixed not on love but judgement.

My major internal battle is that I am very compassionate as a person in heart (one of my spiritual gifts) but can be very judgmental in mind.  So basically a war arises.  I believe it has been from a faulty belief system yet how do I unravel it all??

10 hours ago, Aba said:

I’m right there with you on this. I’m battling it to for various reasons. I just keep thinking.....when Am I going to have my breakthrough? It’s so hard when you are depressed and anxious all the time, it makes it hard to think positive and trust God. I’ll put you in my prayers. *sigh* although that hasn’t been going well either. 

I appreciate your response so much on my post.  Empathy is so important for other human beings.  We may or may not understand the depth of pain people go thru but we can always respond with empathy rather than judgement...that would be Christ’s response.  I look at mental illness as a passageway to demonic oppression/possession.  I have seen it and experienced it.  My friend, I appreciate just a prayer, a single prayer, for it means so much!!  May God bless you on your journey to healing!

5 hours ago, Blood Bought 1953 said:

 

I am glad you benefited from my post...your kind reply meant more to me than you will ever know.Faith need not be complex. Faith is a gift from God and if you have enough faith to believe that Jesus paid the price for your sins and that He bodily rose from the grave,you have enough faith to be saved.That is a promise from God.Believing the promises of God is what faith is.The same One that gave you that faith to believe on HisSon will test your faith from time to time to see that it matures.It is all His doing because He will finish the good work in you that He started.The faith walk is not complex.Its just not easy all the time, but God will give you no more than you can handle.His Holy Spirit in you will gradually transform you into the image of His Son. If you do your part....simply trust Him.....He will do His part , the transforming part.Yes, Faith is not easy—— but at least it is possible....Law keeping is not possible and God made it that way on purpose.The impossible system of keeping the Law to save you or keep you saved is what God calls “perverting His Gospel” and will damn many of the souls you see in here.....RUN, don’t walk from such types.....How are we to live?  The JUST shall LIVE by FAITH!.........not by law-keeping, despite ones best intentions......legalism sounds good to man,it appeals to his pride. It has its roots in Satan....it is VERY subtle.Sorry , I did not mean to go for so long....I just get carried away sometimes...lol.Please take these things to heart, as I will be praying for you ever day. God bless

That you again for your caring post and for your prayers!!  They mean more than you can know.

17 hours ago, Blood Bought 1953 said:

 

Lesley.....I know exactly where you are coming from.For five years I essentially sat on the bed and stared st the floor.Depression is not sadness.Depression is like being dead.Everything pleasurable in your life means nothing anymore.If one has not lived it—- they don’t understand it.Well intentioned people think if you go out in your front yard and do jumping jacks everything will be fine.Doesnt work that way.My Depression came on very slowly , but vanished quite suddenly.Never give up hope.EVERYTHING can change in a day.It was a combination of finding the right drugs and hanging on to faith.Nothing is more important than prayer and I believe the prayers of others was involved in my cure. I am adding my prayers to the many people of faith in this site.   “ blessed ones GO THROUGH valleys of weeping”   God bless you

 

pleasurable

16 hours ago, Blood Bought 1953 said:

 

Lesley.....I know exactly where you are coming from.For five years I essentially sat on the bed and stared st the floor.Depression is not sadness.Depression is like being dead.Everything pleasurable in your life means nothing anymore.If one has not lived it—- they don’t understand it.Well intentioned people think if you go out in your front yard and do jumping jacks everything will be fine.Doesnt work that way.My Depression came on very slowly , but vanished quite suddenly.Never give up hope.EVERYTHING can change in a day.It was a combination of finding the right drugs and hanging on to faith.Nothing is more important than prayer and I believe the prayers of others was involved in my cure. I am adding my prayers to the many people of faith in this site.   “ blessed ones GO THROUGH valleys of weeping”   God bless you

 

pleasurable

Wow I am rejoicing for you...your depression has disappeared!!  I know what that is like when I am mildly manic!!  

I am starting to exercise; I know it has helped in the past...eating right is hard for just one person on a really  tight budget!

i love your statement never give up and everything can change in a day (you had me in tears).  I know life can change on a dime and that faith plays a major role; why is faith so complex yet Jesus says it’s simple?

18 hours ago, Justin Adams said:

I apologize if my response is not helpful. Modern counselling is often based on the same dichotomy of the so called sciences. Women especially have gravitated to this modern form of Gnostic inspired form since females are naturally vulnerable and have that God given nurturing ability.

If your counselor is female and if they have not gone the Fraud and Jungian route, but rather the biblical route, then they may be of real help.

I also know what depression is, but rather than give you silly ideas to follow, I gave you some reality.

You have been fighting this for far too long to just continue. I offered a different approach. If you will take the ideas and research them, you might find that diet (as suggested by others) and a fresh mental approach could give you a differing perspective.

Psychology never fixes anything. However it does get you plenty of interesting labels. Labels are for soup cans, not for a child of God. He made us in His image - free, self-willed and creative. Free to succeed and free to fail. We all have the attributes of the Lord High God. If we recognize this and act like it, then what mere man says in his blundering way to understand himself will fall far short of who we are designed to be. 

There has been some good advice and compassion showed to you. I do hope that you will see that straight talk is also fueled by compassion. A hand up, not a hand out...

Thank you Justin for your response back; I do appreciate what was said by you and do agree.  FYI my Christian therapist is female and will be using a scriptural approach.  I also agree to “you are what you think” and that I need to think about what I am thinking about.  I also understand that my DNA from both parents bloodline has severe mental illness and deep anxiety and fear issues.  Suicide runs on both sides.  My dear father passed away because of it. I also agree with you the importance of faith and prayer...just know that someone with mental illness find it extremely hard to concentrate and remain focused in prayer and reading scriptures.  I’m just saying it is not an easy road and a lot of people don’t understand or grasp the depth of suffering it causes.  I believe that is why Jesus healed so many people who were demon-possessed.  I am beginning to perceive that mental illness is a total work of the devil and that some can become possessed thru mental illness.  The enemy is out for the mind.  Well now that I have opened up to you...please pray for me.  I need it

Just now, LeslieAnn said:

Thanks for the wonderful advice mixed with compassion. I appreciate your lack of judgement and your practical advice.

My heart is confirming with your advice that I do need to start exercising slowly  and watching more what I eat!

49 minutes ago, Wayne222 said:

      It's very hard to be depress. It makes everything else harder. Also some of the great men of the bible got depress. Abraham Lincoln a very great president fought depression. One thing I do know simple things like exercise can lessen it a great deal. Just start off slow. Ten minutes per day to start.  And cutting out sugar and sugar products will help. Eating healthier and adding fruits and veg to your diet also helps. We are made to function in certain ways. We were not created to eat bad. I am not saying you do but some people do a lot. I know if I don't exercise I feel not well. Try it for 30 days and see if things don't get better. Gods blessing to you.

 

Thanks for the wonderful advice mixed with compassion. I appreciate your lack of judgement and your practical advice.

My heart is confirming with your advice that I do need to start exercising slowly  and watching more what I eat!

1 hour ago, Justin Adams said:

Shrinkism is the tip of a very ugly iceberg of frustration and chasing your tail. Founded by occultism and based on their Jungian and Freudian misapprehension of humans without spirits it is not surprising. Modern shrink stuff just puts the spin on the old Gnostic stuff.

If you ditch you psycho-heresy and focus on the scriptures - all of them. You might find yourself out of that box you find yourself in. Shrinks want you to vortex to the beginning in ever decreasing spirals down to nothing. Self IS nothing. Yahweh IS everything.

Thus you will find yourself immobilized with inner stagnation unless you throw off the mind of man and attempt to put on the mind of Christ. His load is easy and His burden is light.

This advice is not helpful especially if you would have fully read my response to therapy.  I have only sought out Christian therapy and do not consider secular therapy or psychology helpful.  I have acknowledged to God that I am nothing and He is everything!!

1 hour ago, brakelite said:

While I appreciate that immediate chemical imbalances in the brain may require medication, in the long run it is God's desire to see you healed. There are natural ways to regain normalcy which bring peace and joy. Exercise...proper diet...sound sleep patterns...rest...and constant friendly fellowship with like-minded individuals who don't judge you for your illness....as well as good Bible study that remembers the promises of God and reminding yourself every day of who you are and can be in Christ (positive thoughts based on God's declarations as to how much you are loved and how precious you are to Him etc...we are what we think)....prayer and faith in God all contribute to a better lifestyle. Good sound Christian counselling that isn't predicated on worldly principles and philosophy is also recommended.

Very good advice...I need to start exercising right away!!  Also stop isolating and trying to be upbeat and not letting people in about my pain.

I am not turning away from God and we all have repentance to do everyday.  I just happen to like psychology and there are great CHRISTIAN psychologists whom I have seen and currently seeing.  That is not the issue that I am in error for I am Christian in psychology.  

During the past two weeks I have had a slight change in medication.  It becomes very difficult to stay focused during your devotions and prayer when you are in mental torment and fear.  This is more a mental issue than spiritual issue.  I can do so much more with my life however I am bound by this.

Hope this helps.

Thank you!!!   Will keep you updated on my therapy sessions!

To everyone who has been praying about my verbally abusive mother .... someone is paying for 6 visits for me to see a therapist from my church!!

Amazing news!  Someone is paying for 6 sessions of therapy to cover the issues with my mom!!

5 hours ago, NOONE7 said:

still praying!! How are you and your mom doing?

Sometimes things get worse before things get better.  I can see the enemy behind it all so am struggling to keep it separate from my mom personally.  I can see a lot of pride, anger and frustration coming at me and now she has refused me to come to her own home.  Her love is very conditional and she needs therapy for all her anger and frustration but because of pride she feels she can handle things on her own which she can't.

I truly appreciate your prayers!  It is hard to fight when you are fighting with mental issue as well.

Thank you for your Christian advice!  It is unsettling how as my mother has gotten older she is more self-centered, manipulative and domineering.  I have trouble with setting boundaries with her due to intimidation and being "bulldozed" by words.  Sometimes her words are shockingly cruel and there is no response that I can even think of; I'm caught that off guard! 

Still seeking too!

50 minutes ago, NOONE7 said:

Praying!!

Thank you again NOONE7!!  God bless!!

2 hours ago, Skyward Believer said:

I pray that our Lord and Savior will soften the heart of your mother and open her eyes to the wrongs she was inflicted to you with her sharp tongue to become a better Christian and mother with you in peace and harmony in Jesus name... Amen! 

God Bless... LeslieAnn

Thank you SkywardBeliever for your godly wisdom & advice

On 1/30/2018 at 6:45 AM, PersecutedOne88 said:

I prayed for you, leslieAnn. Keep on praying that your relationship with your mother would improve and there would be lasting harmony between you two. God bless. 

Thank you for your godly prayers persecuted one88; there is wisdom in your guidance.

Manic-depressive adult with a wounded spirit over mother's cruel and divisive words that only seek to belittle and shun.

Necessary to forgive, necessary to set boundaries but words sting!

3 hours ago, listener24 said:

I will not enter in the discussion about the questions itself.

It is a complex question that would deserve attention and cannot just be solved with throwing few slogans.

However, just wanted to point out that the user who opened this thread is being personally attacked for just asking this question and trying to present some ideas that he is considering, and he is being called "non Christian" just because he was reasoning.

So please let's be more careful before throwing judgments about who is a "true Christian".

Each one of us will be judged by Jesus, regardless how happy we are to assign to ourselves etiquettes like "born again" and judge other people's salvation.

So again, let's be careful in throwing judgment on other people's "real Christianity" and therefore salvation. Especially with some people who are just trying to understand more.

I'm so proud of your post, your godly discernment of this spiritual "shunning" and for understanding that this person is seeking and struggling with answers!!