Is there something wrong with me?

[Ezra]

 Yet I cannot affirm that I wholeheartedly take pleasure in it but view them as essential duties.  Is there something wrong here?

Perhaps bringing souls to Christ will give you the joy you desire, since we know for a fact that there is rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents. There was also rejoicing when the prodigal returned to his father (Luke 15:1-32).  "We should make merry and be glad..."

[Marilyn C]

I am a very devout believer.  I go to church and worship often, I have been saved, I seek God's will continually, I walk with Christ daily and I share Him with others.  But here is the thing:  although I read the Scriptures twice a day and pray frequently, I don't really enjoy it.  I know that I am commanded to do it and that I must to live in Christ.  Yet I cannot affirm that I wholeheartedly take pleasure in it but view them as essential duties.  Is there something wrong here?

Hi again graywolf,

 

I think you are trying to get pleasure from the wrong source. God`s word tells us about Jesus but the pleasure comes from walking with Him, as you said you do. I suggest you take a short phrase about God/Jesus & meditate on it, ie. think on it for a while, let the Holy Spirit open that thought up & He will enlarge your heart to know Him more. It is the Lord Jesus Christ that we receive the pleasure of knowing, nothing else really as they are all temporal things.

 

Marilyn.

[electricaluser]

I am a very devout believer.  I go to church and worship often, I have been saved, I seek God's will continually, I walk with Christ daily and I share Him with others.  But here is the thing:  although I read the Scriptures twice a day and pray frequently, I don't really enjoy it.  I know that I am commanded to do it and that I must to live in Christ.  Yet I cannot affirm that I wholeheartedly take pleasure in it but view them as essential duties.  Is there something wrong here?

Learning is like food in that once we don't eat we crave to eat, and if we don't eat enough or only eat one thing we get sick.

[Guest shiloh357]

I fail to see how that is an adequate analogy of learning.

[Your closest friendnt]

I am a very devout believer. I go to church and worship often, I have been saved, I seek God's will continually, I walk with Christ daily and I share Him with others. But here is the thing: although I read the Scriptures twice a day and pray frequently, I don't really enjoy it. I know that I am commanded to do it and that I must to live in Christ. Yet I cannot affirm that I wholeheartedly take pleasure in it but view them as essential duties. Is there something wrong here?

Brother,I have found my self in similar situations

Falling into the hands of sencere people, what they suggest may work and may be Godly suggested, but that does not means, it is the will of God for you, to have thoses burdens upon your shoulder. Perhaps missions for young people. Almost at the end of the marathone race, they want you to start at the beginning.

I believe the way you feel is from God.

He trying to tell you, don't try to save yourself from hell, you are his, you are under his blood as long as you believe with as litle faith, just like a mustard seed. Before this .....or that......before all those things, faith was preach in his name.

You will find it interesting how huble was Peter who accepted redirection from Jesus all the time.

Find your peace in his name.

Even those that are call upon his name, I know that you will never renounce your faith, so find your rest in him. He has a nice place waiting for you in heavens as soon as you leave this body,

In the mean time don't judge. Your self too hursly, have a beer or two, even thought Jesus had a drink of red wine before he died and he said is good, and he said I would like to have another one, he got vinegar instant......don't need to be correct in this one. Rest from anxieties.

Jesus loves you they way you are, I know what you are thinking, but you are not one of them who want to have a reward from Jesus because they did good things in his name, with the income of the works of iniquities (under payed work, overpricing, forced production, same pay, promise benefits, think something yourself, Jesus said: what do you want reward for the good you did, you still ow a lot to the people you took advantage of, go make right and come back.

Dear brother, Jesus is not judging faith in this example, only works for reward. He never say you go to hell, even thought you beleive in me,

Actually he might say: don't present your works to me, before your faith,

Your faith is accepted, your works rejected,

You are mine because, I bought you with my blood.

[Pamelasv]

I have to read the bible outloud. It helps my focus and seems to bring more of the Holy Spirit in with me.  I really enjoyed reading this thread because got to see everyone's experiences and some good advice.  Thanks for asking the question.  

[JohnD]

Sometimes this can stem from a confidence issue.

I recall a time when I was convinced about the subjectivity of scripture rather than the objective truth it actually is. Fearing constantly that someone somewhere would come up with an contrary interpretation that could not be easily explained / disproved. Especially when I went head to head with cultists (who are extremely convicted and convinced by what they believe to be true). 

Then I was led to:

2 Peter 1:20–21 (AV)

²⁰Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

²¹For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

This blew my mind! The entire Bible came in this method of inspiration. So the entire Bible is ONLY to be interpreted by the Holy Spirit who wrote it.

No personal interpretation (yours, mine, or anyone's), no tradition of man, including Church tradition... the interpretation of the Holy Spirit alone.

When you see this, the Bible (when we are led / tutored by the Holy Spirit) opens up to you in ways you cannot imagine and becomes the book you cannot put down!

You will see how very entangled most are in the traditions of men when it comes to bible interpretation (even the Church). And how this was the basis for most of the historic Jewish errors. And now the Christian errors. Take the so-called Apostle's creed:

"I believe in God the Father creator of heaven and earth." Tenet one is unbiblical. God the Son created all things in the beginning alone by himself! See John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:13-16, and Isaiah 44:24. Also John 1:14 says the ONLY BEGOTTEN of the Father is Jesus (his body see also Hebrews 10:5 and Hebrews 1:5). The Father was there (1 John 1:2) as was the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2) but God the Word (who became God the Son in the incarnation) acted alone by himself in creation of all things created in the beginning.

The Lord's prayer... is rather the disciple's prayer. John 17 is the Lord's prayer. The Great Commission is the commission of Jesus as Christ (Messiah) at his baptism pronounced by the Father "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." The traditional great commission is rather the believer's or servant's commission. 

The Baptism of the Spirit (faith in Jesus) is the required baptism for salvation. John the Baptist said as much in Matthew 3:11.

Etc.

Try to put the Bible down now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Your closest friendnt]

Sometimes this can stem from a confidence issue.

I recall a time when I was convinced about the subjectivity of scripture rather than the objective truth it actually is. Fearing constantly that someone somewhere would come up with an contrary interpretation that could not be easily explained / disproved. Especially when I went head to head with cultists (who are extremely convicted and convinced by what they believe to be true). 

Then I was led to:

2 Peter 1:20–21 (AV)

²⁰Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

²¹For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

This blew my mind! The entire Bible came in this method of inspiration. So the entire Bible is ONLY to be interpreted by the Holy Spirit who wrote it.

No personal interpretation (yours, mine, or anyone's), no tradition of man, including Church tradition... the interpretation of the Holy Spirit alone.

When you see this, the Bible (when we are led / tutored by the Holy Spirit) opens up to you in ways you cannot imagine and becomes the book you cannot put down!

You will see how very entangled most are in the traditions of men when it comes to bible interpretation (even the Church). And how this was the basis for most of the historic Jewish errors. And now the Christian errors. Take the so-called Apostle's creed:

"I believe in God the Father creator of heaven and earth." Tenet one is unbiblical. God the Son created all things in the beginning alone by himself! See John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:13-16, and Isaiah 44:24. Also John 1:14 says the ONLY BEGOTTEN of the Father is Jesus (his body see also Hebrews 10:5 and Hebrews 1:5). The Father was there (1 John 1:2) as was the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2) but God the Word (who became God the Son in the incarnation) acted alone by himself in creation of all things created in the beginning.

The Lord's prayer... is rather the disciple's prayer. John 17 is the Lord's prayer. The Great Commission is the commission of Jesus as Christ (Messiah) at his baptism pronounced by the Father "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." The traditional great commission is rather the believer's or servant's commission. 

The Baptism of the Spirit (faith in Jesus) is the required baptism for salvation. John the Baptist said as much in Matthew 3:11.

Etc.

Try to put the Bible down now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I like your post, but does not really matter if I like it or not, the truth is not establish by likes,  I like the fact that you dare to confront, and you confront with a deep thought. The holy fathers (out of great respect) they knew the scriptures, of the Gospels and the epistles, that EMANUEL refered to the LORD GOD and they had not any doubt about it.

they also new that they will be examine, by others who read the scriptures, just like us today. Why then they Title the creed "Apostolic" when the Apostles teach that if you want to know something about Jesus  before his birth, who was and what he did, as Jesus said:"before Abraham I was" and Jonh the Baptist who was older than Jesus said: " he was before me" Jesus said" I am the Lord who gave you the Sabath, and the one you are worshiping on the Sabath, he said: " Jerusalem I have sent my prophets to you and you kill them one by one , now is my turn, to be put me to death also". I was with the Father, and I know him, and no one else does, he has never reveal him self to know one, telling us that Adam has not met the Father.

How can they say, that Jesus created all things, when everybody understood that when Jesus was born, all those things were created. And to say also that Jesus was the one who breath the life into Adam, and later expell them from the Garden, not a good profile for Jesus (and the flood,), and the Egypt,.....

they very well new the apostolic teachings, that Jesus created all things before he comes in the flesh as been the Lord God, the Christ to be, that'he had created all things as the Lord God. What was the problem they were facing? And if you want to know, that if you lived that time and speak out they way you have, they would have put you to death, and exomunicate you, and maybe even burned you alive to purge you, that maybe your soul be saved. What was their problem? What they were afraid off? Whom they were protecting? 

Why the scripture say: "one like you" with a birth certificate just like one of you, born from one of your women, you are going to leave me and follow him, and do what he tells you. Not what I have told you, but some else, greater than what you got from me, if not why would be the need for somebody else.

Think about that some one like us, is going to lead us, to go where? And why? And what is the need of him anyway!!

 

[thereselittleflower]

Sometimes this can stem from a confidence issue.

I recall a time when I was convinced about the subjectivity of scripture rather than the objective truth it actually is. Fearing constantly that someone somewhere would come up with an contrary interpretation that could not be easily explained / disproved. Especially when I went head to head with cultists (who are extremely convicted and convinced by what they believe to be true). 

Then I was led to:

2 Peter 1:20–21 (AV)

²⁰Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

²¹For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

This blew my mind! The entire Bible came in this method of inspiration. So the entire Bible is ONLY to be interpreted by the Holy Spirit who wrote it.

No personal interpretation (yours, mine, or anyone's), no tradition of man, including Church tradition... the interpretation of the Holy Spirit alone.

When you see this, the Bible (when we are led / tutored by the Holy Spirit) opens up to you in ways you cannot imagine and becomes the book you cannot put down!

You will see how very entangled most are in the traditions of men when it comes to bible interpretation (even the Church). And how this was the basis for most of the historic Jewish errors. And now the Christian errors. Take the so-called Apostle's creed:

"I believe in God the Father creator of heaven and earth." Tenet one is unbiblical. God the Son created all things in the beginning alone by himself! See John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:13-16, and Isaiah 44:24. Also John 1:14 says the ONLY BEGOTTEN of the Father is Jesus (his body see also Hebrews 10:5 and Hebrews 1:5). The Father was there (1 John 1:2) as was the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:2) but God the Word (who became God the Son in the incarnation) acted alone by himself in creation of all things created in the beginning.

The Lord's prayer... is rather the disciple's prayer. John 17 is the Lord's prayer. The Great Commission is the commission of Jesus as Christ (Messiah) at his baptism pronounced by the Father "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." The traditional great commission is rather the believer's or servant's commission. 

The Baptism of the Spirit (faith in Jesus) is the required baptism for salvation. John the Baptist said as much in Matthew 3:11.

Etc.

Try to put the Bible down now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John D,  I completely agree with you   -  the entire bible is only to be interpreted by the Holy Spirit.   no personal interpretation.

The question then that must be asked is, how do you know which interpretation is the interpretation of the Holy Spirit's?

[Guest Butero]

I am a very devout believer.  I go to church and worship often, I have been saved, I seek God's will continually, I walk with Christ daily and I share Him with others.  But here is the thing:  although I read the Scriptures twice a day and pray frequently, I don't really enjoy it.  I know that I am commanded to do it and that I must to live in Christ.  Yet I cannot affirm that I wholeheartedly take pleasure in it but view them as essential duties.  Is there something wrong here?

I don't know that anyone always enjoys denying the flesh and following Jesus.  As Christians, we certainly want his approval, but we are human, and we do struggle from day to day with the flesh.  I don't know of any command to read scriptures twice a day, but that is certainly a good practice.  It has probably helped you overcome things you may have otherwise fallen into.  I would never want to suggest you stop doing the things you are, as they are good works and will help you not only in this life, but will lead to you having treasures in heaven. 

The only thing I would say is you should stop being so hard on yourself, and know there is nothing wrong with you for becoming weary.  It is the battle of the flesh and the Spirit.  As crazy as this sounds, maybe you need a vacation from the responsibility?  Take a week and make it just about you, with no necessity to follow your current routine of reading scripture twice a day and witnessing.  Then return to serve the Lord when the week is up as in times past.  You can have job burn out in the natural.  I don't know why you wouldn't need to recharge the batteries in the spiritual work.  It is something to consider.  Regardless of that, to me, you are perfectly normal except you seem to be trying to live the life beyond what the average Christian does, and I applaud you for that.