oak Posted June 17, 2011 Group: Senior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 67 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 503 Content Per Day: 0.09 Reputation: 31 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/14/2008 Status: Offline Share Posted June 17, 2011 I think a lot of my problems are caused by wanting to live the best of the world and the best of nearing myself to Christ. I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebula Posted June 17, 2011 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.75 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.94 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Hey Oak - It sounds to me like you need to learn how to spend time alone with the Lord. And I don't mean "bed time prayers" or reading the Bible. I mean learning how to spend time with Him as you would a friend. It might help to put out an empty chair and imagine Jesus sitting there, and then start talking to Him as if He were there. Praying the Father's love over you in a way that you can feel it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oak Posted June 17, 2011 Group: Senior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 67 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 503 Content Per Day: 0.09 Reputation: 31 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/14/2008 Status: Offline Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 Hey Nebula, Thanks for breaking the ice and for your recommendation. However, I know this is not an easy topic and I don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebula Posted June 17, 2011 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.75 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.94 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Ok Oak, I am not understanding then what you are struggling with. When you said: "Anyway, I know there must be Christians that manage to live a life of relative contentment and keep their faith. Would they / you tell me their secret?" I answered the question as best I could. Contentment and faith come out of your time in the Lord's presence. It doesn't matter the surrounding you are in, the circumstances you are going through, the people you are associated with. If you are "in the Lord" rather than "in the circumstance," then you contentment and faith is easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 17, 2011 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 1 John 2:15-17 God Has A Way Of Drawing His Children Back To Him Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Revelation 3:17-19 Bless His Holy Name Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fez Posted June 17, 2011 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 683 Topics Per Day: 0.12 Content Count: 11,128 Content Per Day: 1.99 Reputation: 1,352 Days Won: 54 Joined: 02/03/2009 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/07/1952 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Ok Oak, I am not understanding then what you are struggling with. When you said: "Anyway, I know there must be Christians that manage to live a life of relative contentment and keep their faith. Would they / you tell me their secret?" I answered the question as best I could. Contentment and faith come out of your time in the Lord's presence. It doesn't matter the surrounding you are in, the circumstances you are going through, the people you are associated with. If you are "in the Lord" rather than "in the circumstance," then you contentment and faith is easy. I get where you are both coming from. It is difficult to live in the world without it invading your faith. What I find difficult is that I love Jesus and have a strong faith in Him. I live under His grace. I have a wonderful marriage, no debt, and a good job in a field I love. But comes the time when that job invades my faith (often), and I have come to realize that only if I am "A dead man walking" (dead to the things of the world), can I live a life of contentment and peace. The only way I personally can do that is through constant prayer (which South and I do together at least twice a day, and me more by myself), staying in the Word, lots of fellowship like church, home group and prayer meetings. And even then I keep that fellowship fresh. We experiment at home group with different learning techniques and sharing (starting a praise and worship evening soon), lots of Church courses, and leaders meeting, and of course outreach to Mozambique. This keeps me centered in the Word, so that when I am having a really bad week at work, I can rest on that foundation. Does it work? Most of the time, but I am only human and at times I get frustrated and despondent. But even in that state the foundation of my faith and the promise of things to come does not waver. (my biggest fear is that one day it will, so I guess I have some work to do in my walk still) Make sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nebula Posted June 17, 2011 Group: Royal Member Followers: 10 Topic Count: 5,823 Topics Per Day: 0.75 Content Count: 45,870 Content Per Day: 5.94 Reputation: 1,897 Days Won: 83 Joined: 03/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 11/19/1970 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Make sense? Does to me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterH Posted June 17, 2011 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 9 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 196 Content Per Day: 0.04 Reputation: 11 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/22/2011 Status: Offline Share Posted June 17, 2011 I think Fez said it well. The secret to having a life of contentment is realizing that this isn't your life anymore you have given it to Jesus. You are a dead man walking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodetoad Posted June 17, 2011 Group: Junior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 8 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 86 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 4 Days Won: 0 Joined: 05/14/2011 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/06/1953 Share Posted June 17, 2011 Last Sunday's sermon was about this: God is not concerned so much with your happiness as with your holiness. Kind of connects. For me, it kind of helps that 'having fun' has never really worked, so the expectation of it has faded. Meaning that thinking if I can arrange a given set of circumstances, then I will 'have fun' has never panned out. For me, expecting fun is a kind of selfishness that has never worked, I think I never understood what 'fun' really is. Having any expectations at all, either positive or negative, seems to work less as time goes on. Worldly successes are so fleeting, public recognition and all that, that it just isn't very enticing any more. What does work is staying in the now. That is where I best find God. I wouldn't exactly call it fun, more a contentedness or enjoyment. Doing music engages the brain, but is a very 'now' thing. Messing around in the garden, watching things grow. Solving computer problems. Fooling with animals. Grinding rocks. These are things that I rest in from work and distressing issues, to me they reflect God, and I can talk to Him while doing them. Maybe part of it is getting old, but I wouldn't go back to the highs and lows of my youth, I like cruising along in a contented middle. And we can't go back anyway. Don't know if this addresses your issue... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oak Posted June 17, 2011 Group: Senior Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 67 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 503 Content Per Day: 0.09 Reputation: 31 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/14/2008 Status: Offline Author Share Posted June 17, 2011 5 in 1 post follow up. Nebula - I truly appreciate your replies, I just felt that you framed your answer in a way that this is just my problem. That Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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