In need

[sandramaeve]

Hello ladies,

I have been floundering in my faith for several months. I left my church because I did not believe everything they were teaching.

I believe in Jesus but there are some other points with which I disagree with my old congregation. I felt like a fraud for just going along with the crowd and not being honest about my beliefs. I became very angry when I left, and didn't want to admit that part of my problem was that I wanted to be part of the world. By that, I mean that I wanted to be part of the liberal community at the college I was attending. I was taking a class in evolution. I won't go into exactly what I do and do not believe because that is not as important as the point I want to make.

Christ is real. He's not "just a man with a message". I don't know where my Christian journey is taking me, but I do believe that there is a perfect God and a perfect plan for us all. Many things in this world confound me. There are many things in the world after which I crave. But the thing I want most of all is for the emptiness inside of me to be filled. I want to know God. I think we should all keep open hearts and open minds when dealing with the world. Because every single person I know struggles with the same temptations and confusion at one point or another.

I know from feedback from you, that playing the part of a Christian is no way to find Christ. My problem was that I was trying to look like a Christian on the outside to mask the fears and doubts I had on the inside.

Let this be my testimony to you: if you have questions, ask them. The answers you find will not disappoint you. Ask, Seek, Knock, for He is the Most Holy, loving God.

PS-You can never know the silent impact you can have on a person, so speak up and be heard. There are people who have touched me who will never even know I was listening.

[stephwhiz]

I will be praying for you. I know that sometimes the path we face as Christians is not always easy and clear and I have been in a similiar situation before. I searched for 2 or 3 years for the church that was right for me and after visiting many churches, God led me to the one that he wants me to be at.

Just stay strong in your faith my friend and fully trust in the Lord. He will not fail you.

Stephanie

[ChamomileFriend]

Praying for you also! I think it is wonderful that you have been so honest about your struggles. Churches will never be perfect bec people are not, but even if we move from one church to another, we will always struggle against the world - and ourselves - between wanting to do what God demands but also wanting to still be accepted by others.
The more you pray the easier it will be to do what God asks and the more distasteful other options will seem.

[Hopeinone]

Sandra
I hope I can encourage you a bit tonight....God is good. I was just thinking of a reponse to your post and praying for you. I went to look at some scriptures, feeling like you have been led astray by those around you in college (regarding "evolution"). It's funny, how when someone is wavering in their faith, the devil puts things like this in thier way (and helps you falter even more).
God led me to this scripture Just for YOU!
I will continue to pray for you, and remember, His word is a light unto Your Path, I pray you will find direction in it.
1 John 4:4-6
4 My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. 5 These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world's language and the world eats it up. 6 But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.
The Message
Stephani

[Mab]

Hi,
I will be praying for you too, May the Lord lead you in the way He wants you to go.

If you enjoy evolution, try getting hold of a copy of Kent Hovin's Creation/Evolution. http://www.drdino.com/
Really good. I enjoyed it loads.

Hope that helps.

[krazee4jc]

Keep your eyes on the lord he'll give you strenght, if we look at man we'll fall.

Jeremiah 33:3
call to me, and i will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

Being a christian isn't easy...the devil works hard to bring us down, the closer you draw to god the more the devil will hit you.
My prayers are with you!

[Webster5]

I just wrote a bit about this "faltering" in faith. So I will reiterate: You are NOT alone. I don't mean because you have God. I mean, because SO many Christians have doubts. Not that they don't love God. They doubt. That is normal. It is human. Examples of Christians who waivered? Jeremiah, Peter, Abraham, Moses and even Mother Theresa. Faltering is not bad. Be happy for the doubt because it is the doubt that makes us dig deeper into knowing our Creator, spending time with Him in prayer, meditation and reading and in the end letting Him love us by letting go. How exciting for you to have this opportunity to do this rather than simply accepting what you hear and read. God must certainly want a closer relationship with you than even you know. AWESOME!! Continued prayers on your journey!

Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.