It is hard being a Christian

[exhausted]

Be devout, be honorable, loyal, moral. Give to others, be loving, be a leader, be willing to carry others through tough times. Take care of your sisters, raise a kid on your own, keep on as you will be rewarded.
That is what I was taught, that is how I was raised.
The reward of course for a Christian is everlasting eternity in Heaven.

However, at what point do you lose your ability to fail with maintaining your faith so to speak?
Of course I know some people survive cancer and some don't as to why we can never know how some may be lucky in life and others not.
It is horrid to see innocent children have such illnesses.

However, there is this innate thought of what you put out in the universe returns to you.

This is absolutely bulllllsht and not true.

No matter what I have done and put out there in positively there is no return on it but failure and disgust.
I will continue to remain a Christian but as I may seem bitter, truly instead I am disgusted by society and the absolute worst people in humanity that occupy it today. Life is not always what you make of it, sometimes no matter what you do things don't work out and it is nothing short of disappointing and being a Christian just makes it worse as you are raised with expectation that things do work out and if not you will have peace within. This **** isn't always true.

Life may be harder as a Christian.

Does anyone else struggle with this?

 

[Atom Smasher]

Life IS harder as a Christian, and it's supposed to be.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

He also said that we Christians WILL face persecution and will be hated for being associated with him.

God allows the rug to be pulled out from under us for several reasons. The bible says that he is refining us like silver. He also says that he chastises those whom He loves. Every hardship in life should drive us to our knees seeking him out, IF we are truly believers and have submitted ourselves to him.

He doesn't leave us where he finds us. He uses the Refiner's fire to work the rebellion out of us.

PM me if you want to carry on privately. I might have some insights for you. Most Christians eventually have a crisis of faith. Even Job, who suffered massively, had a crisis of faith and yet God said that through it all, including his questioning God, Job did not sin.

 

[exhausted]

Life IS harder as a Christian, and it's supposed to be.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

He also said that we Christians WILL face persecution and will be hated for being associated with him.

God allows the rug to be pulled out from under us for several reasons. The bible says that he is refining us like silver. He also says that he chastises those whom He loves. Every hardship in life should drive us to our knees seeking him out, IF we are truly believers and have submitted ourselves to him.

He doesn't leave us where he finds us. He uses the Refiner's fire to work the rebellion out of us.

PM me if you want to carry on privately. I might have some insights for you. Most Christians eventually have a crisis of faith. Even Job, who suffered massively, had a crisis of faith and yet God said that through it all, including his questioning God, Job did not sin.

"in this world you will have trouble. "

Man ain't that the truth.
And I have known this for years, continued to just put my head down and carry one thing after another like a machine I programmed myself to do. At what point do you just get tired of waiting for something to go your way? I am at that point.

 

[Billtx49]

Being a Christian means having a giving attitude, however some types of women will take advantage of that type of attitude…

 

[exhausted]

Being a Christian means having a giving attitude, however some types of women will take advantage of that type of attitude…

Yep.
And give nothing back in return but stress and cruelty.

 

[Billtx49]

Yep.
And give nothing back in return but stress and cruelty.

Not all. You’re coming fresh off a cluster B. Not all women are the same. Some are actually semi-sane.

 

[ChristopherColumbus]

I think all the advantages lay with faith:

You have a sense of reality. You learn to cope with suffering. You do not despair. You do not care for your life as much. You do not fear death. You see eros sublimated into logos. You see the technological world as a bubble. You escape the ego. The list goes on....

 

[Atom Smasher]

With today's social climate, I draw a parallel between what happened in the garden with what is happening today.

Please indulge me and for now, let's leave out whether one actually believes the book of Genesis or not. By all means PM me if anyone would like to discuss it, but let's not tank this thread, which could be useful to some.

In the garden, satan did not engage with the man. He went for the woman. And even though Eve ate the fruit first, and the man second, the blame and responsibility rested on the man because Eve was deceived, while Adam was not. Adam was in the position of authority, as God intended and as he hard-wired him.

In like manner, today, to get to the man (the authority), satan goes through the woman. He is destroying us as men by destroying women's hearts and minds as they are the easier target. But we as men are complicit in this, for just as Adam abdicated his authority and allowed Eve to eat, and then he also ate, so have we abdicated our authority and allowed women to run roughshod over us.

Women are incapable of governing themselves or others. God did not create them to be able to do so. He created them as submissive creatures, needing leadership and guidance, but through the satanic media and through politics ("Hey, I'd better say what they want to hear in order to get their votes"), he has stirred up rebellion withing them, and by destroying them [that mission is accomplished], he is destroying us.

Women self-destruct without male leadership. They become quite literally insane. I observe that 97% of them display insanity, if insanity means and impaired ability to reason and understand facts and reality.

I always say, to destroy the man, first destroy the woman.

One great thing about the Christian faith is that in the bible, God is very clear about male authority and responsibility. In fact, He lays out the hierarchy of authority in a marital relationship: Jesus is the direct head of the husband, the husband is the direct head of the wife, and the head of Jesus is God the Father. This is the hierarchy that works, when each party embraces their role gladly.

This is how my relationship with my woman is. She is completely submissive to me, but not in a weak, jellyfish way. Her intent is to obey and submit to my authority, but there is a reason she can do that with me. She trusts me implicitly. Not blindly. I have demonstrated trustworthiness by speaking as a man of authority, demonstrating kindness and refinement, and my fiercely protective nature is very evident. This is a biblical model and it works incredibly well. I take how I treat her before the eyes of God VERY seriously. I will answer for that. In turn, she has shown herself worthy by being submissive in a healthy way, and very intent on pleasing God by how she treats me. My bonus is that she is stunningly beautiful, and I don't use that term lightly. She's that one who lights up any room she enters. I am fairly jealous by nature when it comes to my woman, probably more than most of you guys, but it's a non-issue with us. Not once have I ever worried about that because she conducts herself appropriately in every encounter. And you can imagine the looks she gets from other men.

I'm getting a little wordy here... Big surprise, huh? My point is that I absolutely believe that I've been blessed with this relationship because for years I've prayed for God to prepare me for the right woman, and for him to prepare her for me. That preparation means refinement, and refinement means pain.

God says that everyone who follows him through Christ will experience pain and persecution. Pain because he is removing the ugly parts of our character through life circumstances, and persecution because Jesus said, they will hate you (his followers) because they hated me first. That is very true today.

God's entire deal is teaching us to submit to his authority. Mankind's sin is that he seats himself on the throne, presuming to be able to declare what is right and wrong, and being repulsed at the idea of submitting to a higher moral authority. How's that workin' out for you, mankind?

True Christianity (not in name only but in committed faith) will always result in suffering and persecution. But all of this is character-building in the deepest sense. God is serious about getting us to understand that the only way we can run on all 8 cylinders is to submit to his authority. He tells us to not be surprised when tough circumstances come about. Rather, we should expect them. Like I told the OP in a PM, I always ask God to reveal what he wants me to learn in any given trial because I want to get it over with as soon as possible.

 

[Bible_Belt]

Life may be harder as a Christian.

Does anyone else struggle with this?

In North Korea, the Christians meet in secret groups late at night. If they get caught, the punishment is death.

 

[exhausted]

With today's social climate, I draw a parallel between what happened in the garden with what is happening today.

Please indulge me and for now, let's leave out whether one actually believes the book of Genesis or not. By all means PM me if anyone would like to discuss it, but let's not tank this thread, which could be useful to some.

In the garden, satan did not engage with the man. He went for the woman. And even though Eve ate the fruit first, and the man second, the blame and responsibility rested on the man because Eve was deceived, while Adam was not. Adam was in the position of authority, as God intended and as he hard-wired him.

In like manner, today, to get to the man (the authority), satan goes through the woman. He is destroying us as men by destroying women's hearts and minds as they are the easier target. But we as men are complicit in this, for just as Adam abdicated his authority and allowed Eve to eat, and then he also ate, so have we abdicated our authority and allowed women to run roughshod over us.

Women are incapable of governing themselves or others. God did not create them to be able to do so. He created them as submissive creatures, needing leadership and guidance, but through the satanic media and through politics ("Hey, I'd better say what they want to hear in order to get their votes"), he has stirred up rebellion withing them, and by destroying them [that mission is accomplished], he is destroying us.

Women self-destruct without male leadership. They become quite literally insane. I observe that 97% of them display insanity, if insanity means and impaired ability to reason and understand facts and reality.

I always say, to destroy the man, first destroy the woman.

One great thing about the Christian faith is that in the bible, God is very clear about male authority and responsibility. In fact, He lays out the hierarchy of authority in a marital relationship: Jesus is the direct head of the husband, the husband is the direct head of the wife, and the head of Jesus is God the Father. This is the hierarchy that works, when each party embraces their role gladly.

This is how my relationship with my woman is. She is completely submissive to me, but not in a weak, jellyfish way. Her intent is to obey and submit to my authority, but there is a reason she can do that with me. She trusts me implicitly. Not blindly. I have demonstrated trustworthiness by speaking as a man of authority, demonstrating kindness and refinement, and my fiercely protective nature is very evident. This is a biblical model and it works incredibly well. I take how I treat her before the eyes of God VERY seriously. I will answer for that. In turn, she has shown herself worthy by being submissive in a healthy way, and very intent on pleasing God by how she treats me. My bonus is that she is stunningly beautiful, and I don't use that term lightly. She's that one who lights up any room she enters. I am fairly jealous by nature when it comes to my woman, probably more than most of you guys, but it's a non-issue with us. Not once have I ever worried about that because she conducts herself appropriately in every encounter. And you can imagine the looks she gets from other men.

I'm getting a little wordy here... Big surprise, huh? My point is that I absolutely believe that I've been blessed with this relationship because for years I've prayed for God to prepare me for the right woman, and for him to prepare her for me. That preparation means refinement, and refinement means pain.

God says that everyone who follows him through Christ will experience pain and persecution. Pain because he is removing the ugly parts of our character through life circumstances, and persecution because Jesus said, they will hate you (his followers) because they hated me first. That is very true today.

God's entire deal is teaching us to submit to his authority. Mankind's sin is that he seats himself on the throne, presuming to be able to declare what is right and wrong, and being repulsed at the idea of submitting to a higher moral authority. How's that workin' out for you, mankind?

True Christianity (not in name only but in committed faith) will always result in suffering and persecution. But all of this is character-building in the deepest sense. God is serious about getting us to understand that the only way we can run on all 8 cylinders is to submit to his authority. He tells us to not be surprised when tough circumstances come about. Rather, we should expect them. Like I told the OP in a PM, I always ask God to reveal what he wants me to learn in any given trial because I want to get it over with as soon as possible.

Makes perfect sense and that is how I grew up. However, I can not find a woman that is not a spoiled entitled brat wanting to run the show. Dont get me wrong, I can easily back off and let things go on and step up when needed, however these girls have to control everything to a sick degree.

Like I mentioned before, my ex was not religious yet wanted to control the religion.
My ex had 100 bucks to her name , tons of debt, I have none besides my home and car and lots saved up, I am very responsible, yet she wanted to control the money.
I have my own home, she lives at home with parents, wanted me to sell my home for one she preferred even though she cant contribute, all to CONTROL where we lived as many homes where beneath my home....haha...unreal.
It goes on and on.

What does it take to find a good christian woman? 39 years in church and I have yet to find one.

 

[Julian]

Yes it is difficult. We are all born sinners we can only try to be Christ-like and Lord knows how hard alot of us are failing myself included. The world is in the grip of evil, every facet of it almost. The only thing I can enjoy is nature and sometimes the goodness and kindness of a person...but nowadays I feel like most people are extra sh1tty. Zero morals, everyone drugged up and fukking eachother. we really are in sodom an gomorrah and living in the end times.

 

[BeTheChange]

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.

Proverbs 31:10


I am no longer a Christian but it's difficult to deny there are gems of wisdom in the Bible.

My mother, who is a devout Christian keeps pushing me to attend church, even if just to meet a good woman, as she's hinting at grand kids.

I'm starting to think she might be right and the only way to find a woman of worth may be through the church.

 

[zekko]

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

Being a Christian means having a giving attitude, however some types of women will take advantage of that type of attitude…

"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." - Matthew 7:6, one of my favorites.

 

[corrector]

Be devout, be honorable, loyal, moral. Give to others, be loving, be a leader, be willing to carry others through tough times. Take care of your sisters, raise a kid on your own, keep on as you will be rewarded.
That is what I was taught, that is how I was raised.
The reward of course for a Christian is everlasting eternity in Heaven.

I thought being a Christian meant being born-again by receiving Jesus Christ into your heart and establishing a personal relationship with God that is maintained with prayer, reading the Bible, and fellowship with other believers with evidence of progressive spiritual growth over time leading to what you are talking about above. What you mentioned above sounds like works that even atheists could find good sense in doing and understand being a "decent human being" or a "good person". Most religions would also agree with that.

However, at what point do you lose your ability to fail with maintaining your faith so to speak?

John 6:67-68 " Then Jesus said to the twelve, Will you also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life?"

Of course I know some people survive cancer and some don't as to why we can never know how some may be lucky in life and others not.
It is horrid to see innocent children have such illnesses.

The name of Jesus is higher than any name, including cancer. Phil 2:9
The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us (if we are born-again): Romans 8:11.
Psalm 91:10 "No evil shall befall thee, neither shall any plague come night thy dwelling".

It's better to look at these verses than what's going on out there. The words are inspired by God and have an inherent life in them which can supernaturally change things as it's tapping into what Jesus accomplished on the cross so that we could live a supernaturally abundant life where you don't have to worry about these issues.

I will continue to remain a Christian but as I may seem bitter, truly instead I am disgusted by society and the absolute worst people in humanity that occupy it today. Life is not always what you make of it, sometimes no matter what you do things don't work out and it is nothing short of disappointing and being a Christian just makes it worse as you are raised with expectation that things do work out and if not you will have peace within. This **** isn't always true.

Life may be harder as a Christian.

Does anyone else struggle with this?

The Bible says not to be conformed to this worlds (i.e. the system, it's values and beliefs) but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:12). I am not hearing in your post anything about praying, believing God on His word, or if your faith is really in Jesus or some egalitarian values that Christianity also happens to have. Assuming, at face value that you are a Christian and are saved, then you sound like you are "saved and stuck" and have the wrong mind-set, then the best advice is to tune into faith teachers like Joel Olsteen, Andrew Wommack or Joseph Prince and that should sort you out. I don't believe you can lose your faith/salvation except if you actually renounce being a Christian in order to gain some benefit in this life for doing so. It sounds like you are frustrated but I don't see how renouncing or disowning your faith will make you feel better about your life. What could you possibly gain by doing so? It sounds like you need some direction that's all.

 

[exhausted]

I thought being a Christian meant being born-again by receiving Jesus Christ into your heart and establishing a personal relationship with God that is maintained with prayer, reading the Bible, and fellowship with other believers with evidence of progressive spiritual growth over time leading to what you are talking about above. What you mentioned above sounds like works that even atheists could find good sense in doing and understand being a "decent human being" or a "good person". Most religions would also agree with that.



John 6:67-68 " Then Jesus said to the twelve, Will you also go away?
Then Simon Peter answered Him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life?"



The name of Jesus is higher than any name, including cancer. Phil 2:9
The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us (if we are born-again): Romans 8:11.
Psalm 91:10 "No evil shall befall thee, neither shall any plague come night thy dwelling".

It's better to look at these verses than what's going on out there. The words are inspired by God and have an inherent life in them which can supernaturally change things as it's tapping into what Jesus accomplished on the cross so that we could live a supernaturally abundant life where you don't have to worry about these issues.



The Bible says not to be conformed to this worlds (i.e. the system, it's values and beliefs) but to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:12). I am not hearing in your post anything about praying, believing God on His word, or if your faith is really in Jesus or some egalitarian values that Christianity also happens to have. Assuming, at face value that you are a Christian and are saved, then you sound like you are "saved and stuck" and have the wrong mind-set, then the best advice is to tune into faith teachers like Joel Olsteen, Andrew Wommack or Joseph Prince and that should sort you out. I don't believe you can lose your faith/salvation except if you actually renounce being a Christian in order to gain some benefit in this life for doing so. It sounds like you are frustrated but I don't see how renouncing or disowning your faith will make you feel better about your life. What could you possibly gain by doing so? It sounds like you need some direction that's all.

Thanks for the response.
I'm frustrated beyond belief.
Tired of watching the good suffer and the bad get away with whatever. Of course that is only in this world, this temporary world.
Sadly I am genetically programmed for this world.
Joel is very uplifting i listen to him from time to time.
I do just fine when no one comes in and asks for my trust and betrays me.

 

[Dash Riprock]

What does it take to find a good christian woman? 39 years in church and I have yet to find one.

You could investigate matchmaking services in your area. One of the largest and best is It's Just Lunch. They interview all members in detail and vet them. They don't accept just anyone. If you told your contact there you wanted to date only christian women in such and such age range, etc. etc., they would set you up with these types of women. If you're in a larger city, this is a no-brainer. The women you would meet would be of MUCH higher quality than what you're describing. Of course it costs money, maybe a few thousand to join and then a monthly fee. So it depends how important it is to you. You could also try ChristianMingle.com but internet dating is a long shot proposition at best.

Good luck.

 

[Bible_Belt]

The name of Jesus is higher than any namel.

Ultimately, yes, but not down here. The "Prince of this World" is not Jesus, quite the opposite, actually. OP sounds disgusted with humanity, but humanity being disgusting is a constant theme of the Bible, from beginning to end.

 

[exhausted]

Yep I'm disgusted alright. By just about everything at thos point.

 

[Red Legg]

OP as long as you realize that you cannot "become" a Christian, God has choosen you before the world was even created or he did not choose you (Ephesians 1:4) if God does not give you the strength to obey then you will not because you are not chosen,look up all the verses that have to do with "predestination" you are either a vessel of wrath or mercy.You do not choose Jesus rather Jesus chooses you.My Reformed 2 cents worth...

 

[exhausted]

OP as long as you realize that you cannot "become" a Christian, God has choosen you before the world was even created or he did not choose you (Ephesians 1:4) if God does not give you the strength to obey then you will not because you are not chosen,look up all the verses that have to do with "predestination" you are either a vessel of wrath or mercy.You do not choose Jesus rather Jesus chooses you.My Reformed 2 cents worth...

I was born a warrior for God in many ways. I've always known this inside.
Shamefully this human genetic programming has stifled me and made me yearn for a wife and family. It sucks.