HisFirst Posted July 30, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 21 Topic Count: 315 Topics Per Day: 0.11 Content Count: 3,491 Content Per Day: 1.25 Reputation: 2,582 Days Won: 3 Joined: 09/25/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted July 30, 2018 (edited) I'm starting to lose interest in things fictitious, whether books or movies, TV shows. Am I turning into the worlds biggest bore or is this a natural development in the life of a follower of Christ? I feel like I'm wasting my time. * have also been thinking of valuable material possessions in my care that really at the end of the day will not exist and will mean zilch. So I am even looking at things with those eyes and trying not to get too attached to things. Edited July 30, 2018 by HisFirst 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HisFirst Posted July 30, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 21 Topic Count: 315 Topics Per Day: 0.11 Content Count: 3,491 Content Per Day: 1.25 Reputation: 2,582 Days Won: 3 Joined: 09/25/2016 Status: Offline Author Share Posted July 30, 2018 Ha ha, sounds quite sombre!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne222 Posted July 30, 2018 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 32 Topic Count: 478 Topics Per Day: 0.17 Content Count: 6,565 Content Per Day: 2.27 Reputation: 7,644 Days Won: 9 Joined: 06/12/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted July 30, 2018 I been like that for a long time. Fiction holds no interest for me. I think it may be from God's spirit. Seek those things which are above not earthly things. Paul I bet would not be into movies and books of fiction. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis1209 Posted July 30, 2018 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 18 Topic Count: 350 Topics Per Day: 0.13 Content Count: 7,508 Content Per Day: 2.70 Reputation: 5,408 Days Won: 1 Joined: 09/27/2016 Status: Offline Share Posted July 30, 2018 4 hours ago, HisFirst said: have also been thinking of valuable material possessions in my care that really at the end of the day will not exist and will mean zilch. So I am even looking at things with those eyes and trying not to get too attached to things. Speaking of and to myself... As the perverted adage goes, "He with the most toys wins when he dies". Yeah, exactly what was won? I suppose the Lord has opened my eyes a little on the value of human possessions He has blessed me with and in my care and temporary use. The three guys given the 'talents' by their master comes to mind. Most of my life it was about me, me, me, and the things and stuff I could accumulate to make myself happy. At the end of the day, did it make me happy and did it last? No, just wanted better and more and eventually it's going to be useless to me anyway and a waste. Dennis, other than wood, hay and stubble, what treasures do you have stored in Heaven? My attitude, priorities, wants and 'want to's' have changed quite a bit as I've learned what's lasting and the most important things I should be striving for and taking action on. Maybe serving Him better and giving Him all the praise, honor and glory for everything He has blessed me with? Dennis: Lord, at my old age, is it too late to change my greedy and selfish ways and repent. Our Lord: No Dennis, not until your last heart beat, your last breath. Yeah, I've been thinking of those things too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GandalfTheWise Posted July 30, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 24 Topic Count: 40 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,459 Content Per Day: 0.59 Reputation: 2,377 Days Won: 2 Joined: 08/23/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted July 30, 2018 5 hours ago, HisFirst said: I'm starting to lose interest in things fictitious, whether books or movies, TV shows. Am I turning into the worlds biggest bore or is this a natural development in the life of a follower of Christ? I feel like I'm wasting my time. * have also been thinking of valuable material possessions in my care that really at the end of the day will not exist and will mean zilch. So I am even looking at things with those eyes and trying not to get too attached to things. I've gone in streaks. Sometimes I have no interest in fiction, others times I do. I think it's about the stage of life I'm in the midst of at a particular time. Right now, I'm busy with more concrete things and cannot remember the last time I read any fiction. On the other hand, awhile ago when I was at a point where I needed to unwind, relax, and destress for a period of months, I read several fiction books mostly by Christians authors. At the time, it was good for me because I had become too obsessed with solving the problems of the world and needed to take my focus off of those things. Spending hours at a time absorbed in a fictional story was helping me practicing relaxing and not worrying about things. Some authors are much better at telling good thought provoking stories than others. There are times when such stories can bring alive ideas and thoughts in a way that a more factual presentation does not. My wife was not much of a reader over the years (probably because of being too busy) but in the past few years has been reading a lot of fiction from Christian authors. A few years ago, she went to be with her dad who was in the hospital for some testing. She took along a fantasy/sci-fi book (a genre which she rarely reads) by a Christian author that was about the reality of a spiritual world beyond the physical world where one of the main characters (an atheist) was confronted with a Christian parent dying and being in the spiritual world. A few hours after finishing this book in the waiting room, word came back that what was thought to be a bad case of pneumonia was actually advanced terminal cancer. He died comfortably a few days later surrounded by family with my wife at his side nearly constantly for the last few days. Afterwards, reflecting on this, she specifically commented about how reading that fiction story was exactly what she had needed to hear and think about at that time. Reading a strong description of the heartbreak of loss and then the hope of eternity was something God knew she needed right at that time. With regards to material things, over the years my wife and I have taken the view that we are stewards of such things. We lived frugally with minimal debt. We've not been affluent, but we've been comfortable and contented. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie T Posted July 30, 2018 Group: Senior Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 528 Content Per Day: 0.21 Reputation: 102 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/26/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted July 30, 2018 (edited) 6 hours ago, HisFirst said: I'm starting to lose interest in things fictitious, whether books or movies, TV shows. Am I turning into the worlds biggest bore or is this a natural development in the life of a follower of Christ? I feel like I'm wasting my time. * have also been thinking of valuable material possessions in my care that really at the end of the day will not exist and will mean zilch. So I am even looking at things with those eyes and trying not to get too attached to things. In all honesty, I think the more we allow God to control us, the more we can see Him in fiction that we often would have shunned due to concern of not appearing to others to be totally devoted to studying the Scriptures. (Yes, God can often be found in fiction.... after all, are not parables [just like many books] fiction based upon a true concept? And, it is written that Jesus only spoke to the crowds in parables.) Edited July 30, 2018 by Willie T 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frienduff thaylorde Posted July 30, 2018 Group: Mars Hill Followers: 17 Topic Count: 18 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 13,256 Content Per Day: 5.30 Reputation: 1 Days Won: 62 Joined: 07/07/2017 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/25/1972 Share Posted July 30, 2018 11 hours ago, HisFirst said: I'm starting to lose interest in things fictitious, whether books or movies, TV shows. Am I turning into the worlds biggest bore or is this a natural development in the life of a follower of Christ? I feel like I'm wasting my time. * have also been thinking of valuable material possessions in my care that really at the end of the day will not exist and will mean zilch. So I am even looking at things with those eyes and trying not to get too attached to things. EXACTLY SISTER . GOD is at work in you and in all who do BELEIVE and follow Christ . I want everyone here to leap up and praise the LORD . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fidei Defensor Posted July 30, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 18 Topic Count: 165 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 3,997 Content Per Day: 1.56 Reputation: 2,607 Days Won: 15 Joined: 04/29/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted July 30, 2018 (edited) 13 hours ago, HisFirst said: I'm starting to lose interest in things fictitious, whether books or movies, TV shows. Am I turning into the worlds biggest bore or is this a natural development in the life of a follower of Christ? I feel like I'm wasting my time. * have also been thinking of valuable material possessions in my care that really at the end of the day will not exist and will mean zilch. So I am even looking at things with those eyes and trying not to get too attached to things. I went through this and continue to go through this. It’s normal it’s what the Apostle Paul calls a mature Christian, “Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. 15 Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things. If you disagree on some point, I believe God will make it plain to you.” (Phillipians 3:8, 5), “As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world's interest in me has also died,” (Galtians 5:14 NLT) And the Apostle John and James say: “Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you, Forr the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world.” (1 John 2:15-16) “You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” (James 4:4) Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy,and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven,where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21) “8 “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’” (John 15:8-25) “I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do.17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.” (John 17:14-19). You are not being somber or going off on any ascetic path, it is simply our lives starting to conform to Scripture; our hearts having no interest in world and only interest in Christ we love. Welcome to the Calvary part of the Christian walk. When the world dies in your heart and you thirst for Christ alone, the living water. Edited July 30, 2018 by Fidei Defensor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Patriot21 Posted July 30, 2018 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 27 Topic Count: 338 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 15,712 Content Per Day: 2.45 Reputation: 8,530 Days Won: 39 Joined: 10/25/2006 Status: Offline Birthday: 02/27/1985 Share Posted July 30, 2018 I still enjoy fiction reading. Dont get me wrong i love reading the bible and commentaries and the like-but sometimes I think its good for the soul, at least for me and let my imagination run wild while immersed in a good western novel. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GandalfTheWise Posted July 30, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 24 Topic Count: 40 Topics Per Day: 0.02 Content Count: 1,459 Content Per Day: 0.59 Reputation: 2,377 Days Won: 2 Joined: 08/23/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted July 30, 2018 47 minutes ago, The_Patriot2018 said: I still enjoy fiction reading. Dont get me wrong i love reading the bible and commentaries and the like-but sometimes I think its good for the soul, at least for me and let my imagination run wild while immersed in a good western novel. At the risk of derailing, I grew up reading my dad's Louis L'Amour and Zane Gray books. I think to some extent at a younger age the general theme of right versus wrong and being a man of integrity who could be depended on to do right by people had some influence on me. <back to the topic.> 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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