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RE: My not-so "Christian" attitude in trying ... - 11/25/2008 12:22:03 PM
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gr8tful1
Posts: 18
Joined: 9/15/2008
Status: offline
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I agree with some of the posters here that being honest with God can be a step in change. Especially if it is followed with the sincere desire for change. But swear words often prevent our expressing our true feelings and can hinder change. We can swear or we can say for example using your OP example, "things are pretty difficult right now and I am having a hard time dealing well with my anger over my circumstance and understanding how or why this is happening to me". The latter is more productive because it clearly defines the trouble you are having.
I have found that situations change more quickly when I go to God first with my complaint or trouble and give time for His answer or intervention...before I go vent to another person. In the midst of a tough circumstance I'll leave (if possible) to get away and talk* to God about it. (*If you could hear my prayer you might think that it sounds like venting or complaining but in reality its my saying "God, I can't deal with this. I know how I should be handling it but I'm finding it beyond me to do that right now. I need You. HELP!")
Also when I feel cheated by my circumstances or that I deserve something else. I mentally make myself take inventory of God's blessings...especially the small things I take for granted. (like...my sight, my hearing, the ability to walk, heat or cooling in my house, a bed to sleep in, clothes to wear, indoor plumbing, clean water, food to eat, a job...etc.).
I remind myself that there are those who are far worse off than myself and would gladly switch places in a heartbeat for my circumstances and think that things had gotten better for them. This humbles my demanding feelings of entitlement.
Go humbly and honestly to God Knolt. Try replacing your swear words with descriptive words of your feelings, remember God's blessings, practice an attitude of thankfulness for the small things. Persevere, keep pressing forward...don't give up.
Blessings!!!
_____________________________
<><
Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong, sorrows keep you human, failures keeps you humble, success keeps you glowing, but only God keeps you going.
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RE: My not-so "Christian" attitude in trying ... - 12/21/2008 3:14:59 AM
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WanderingLamb
Posts: 17
Joined: 11/10/2005
From: Western WA, USA
Status: offline
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quote:
God already knows what's in our hearts so why should we hide it from him?
Good point. I've come to that realization lately myself. To be specific, I actually cursed God (I'm not proud to say it at all!) But I sure am glad I got that out.. guess God showed me what was in my heart.
Have you ever considered how much anger and unpious, uncivil emotion is in the Psalms? God can take it and we need to express it (or at least expose it and confess it, or get it out into the light). Prayer is heart to heart and it's better to be real and let out your true emotions even if they're not "godly" than to fake sweetness and get nowhere.
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RE: My not-so "Christian" attitude in trying ... - 12/21/2008 1:49:02 PM
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angelion
Posts: 61
Joined: 10/1/2007
From: florida
Status: offline
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i think a lot of people have probably felt angry at God before. Or rather direct their anger at Him. I think you are blaming God for whatever you are feeling or going through. You are not the only one, though, with frustrating circumstances... so don't feel so angry, or alone. for one, Proverbs says that anger rests in the bosom of fools. and for two... if you can get over yourself, and learn to talk to people, or someone or anyone about what you are struggling with, then you might learn:
1. how to cope better with what life brings you,
and 2. how to solve, with God, the problems you are facing.
Basically God is the answer to everything.... sometimes we need others to show us the way to him, or how to see him the Way He wants us to see Him... and sometimes we need others to show us ourselves!!!! like a mirror.... u know...??
Godbless... hope u find the Answer!
_____________________________
x.ashleigh.x
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RE: My not-so "Christian" attitude in trying ... - 12/21/2008 2:33:42 PM
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AbbyGrace
Posts: 660
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: Knolt
Hello everyone. I would like to tell everyone here that i have a bad attitude. in trials and afflictions to be specific. One day on a sunday morning before church someone came up to me and asked me how things were going and my reply was "things are pretty [profanity] right now." I used the [profanity] to describe how things were going. in the church foyer out of all places. I was too angry to say anything less. For a very long time I didn't make any prayer of confession afterward either. frankly, I didn't have any remorse and I still don't.
Here's how i have a tendency to pray to God when i go through trying times. "God, I know in your word it says to be thankful for all your trials and tribulations. Well, I'm not thankful for this at all!!! THIS SUCKS!!! I DESERVE A BREAK!!" Now, I do come around eventually and remember my past deliverances. but to be honest, i'm not into being a "good Christian boy" when i go through difficulties.
[Edited by moderator - TOS 5]
Hi Knolt,
I hope you are doing better these days. I have read your post more than once, and really didnt know what to say until these past few days, I guess because I have kinda experienced the very same thing you have described here. I just want you to know, that there is nothing wrong with being upset with God, he knows your heart, He knows your concerns and sees all of our struggles...and there is NOTHING we can do or say, that will ever catch Him off guard or throw Him for a loop! I dont for one minute, question your salvation, you are human, and you are merely showing this in your post. It doesnt mean you dont love God, but we have to learn to trust Him and trust is timing...and along with that comes patience, something thats been very very hard for me, but regardless of what I think I know, God knows best, so the best thing we can do, is be honest with God, and I think thats what He wants from all of us...He has ways of showing us, that we are nothing without Him, and He has ways of teaching us that our ways are not always the right ways. We praise Him in the good, but we have to praise Him in the storms as well......He will always bring us out stronger. I hope you are doing well, and Im keeping you in my prayers.
_____________________________
Hebrews 12:14 "Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord." 
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RE: My not-so "Christian" attitude in trying ... - 12/21/2008 9:03:54 PM
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deermousie
Posts: 1946
Joined: 9/26/2007
Status: online
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Your honesty is refreshing, Knolt! I think God prefers a sweaty man struggling with real life than a clean guy in a suit pretending to be godly without getting his hands dirty. Christianity is red-blooded and calls us to virile manhood.
Here's where we all get on the boat: "I'm a sinner and Jesus died to save me because I was so lost I couldn't do a thing for myself." We are never "good enough" to be OK to God based on us, so our relationship with God is always based on His grace. We're forgiven and look to Him with gratitude for it.
We read our Bibles to learn what God wants us to do (Micah 6:8, love the brethren, etc.) and what not to do (don't steal, don't fornicate, etc.), and when we blow it we learn another thing to avoid. We confess (say it was sin) repent (turn away from the sin) and thank God for forgiving us.
So we never have to "pass the test" but live daily with Him, falling and getting up again. And we all fall and get up again; you'd think God would get tired of us, but we were lost when He got us and He knows we're like that. It's His job to make us not like that.
I think as we read our Bibles and God gets our attention, we find out that James 1 and 1 Pet. 1 (talking about trials) is really the bigger picture. It's not about chance, but about God allowing things to happen to us because He's teaching us and shaping our lives (sanctification, really). So when things go south, we can learn to think, "Ah, God has allowed this. He's shaping me to be like Jesus*, and using this. I wonder what the Bible says to do in situations like this. That's great that God cares about me and will change me and make this work out great in the end!"
* Rom. 8:28, 29
Do I do this? Um, sometimes.  I'm still growing, too.
But yeah, we really can respond like this, and it honors God because it's a holy Father teaching His son (you, me) to become like the Son of God. Not works, but growing up and being changed by Him. God is sovereign in the universe - that means He rules. Not chance.
So when bad things happen (and we all get lots of practice at this) we learn that we think God let something slip past His attention (He didn't) or is mean (He isn't), and we can confess our attitude (because it's not true) and pick up the right attitude: He rules, He teaches us, and it ends well, so thank You in advance and what do You want me to learn/do? The Bible is full of answers, but you have to read it to find them. Three chapters a day takes you through it in a year. Then start over. You'll get something new every time.
And there's more good news: God promises that as you walk with Him, covered in His righteousness, He won't withhold any good thing from you. Ps. 84:11 So if you don't have something, it wasn't the best thing for you. Are you holding on to your seat? Because it means if it were the best thing for you, you'd have it. Are you willing to trust God to know and choose for you?
That will be a measure of your growing maturity. God doesn't want a "good Christian boy" - He wants a man wild enough to say, "Anything You want God; I'm trusting You. Bring it on. I know You'll make it work out right."
If you want an example of this, read about Paul in Acts. He had a job to do, and Paul didn't let anyone stop him or scare him or intimidate him. He knew God was in control and he just went full ahead, full speed. It took a Caesar to stop him, and only when God allowed it after many years.
So learn about God and how things are between you and Him (not chance, not mean, but growing up to be like Him by means of His power and grace) and take on the world while praising Him for already winning the battle. Your heart in His hand is mighty in power. Rock on.
_____________________________
Want to know where a certain word or phrase in the Bible is found? www.biblegateway.com Yay!
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RE: My not-so "Christian" attitude in trying ... - 12/22/2008 3:50:38 PM
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hjemerson
Posts: 247
Joined: 3/4/2008
Status: offline
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I think you were honset and Needed some respones to the need . My Question What did the person act or response back to you?
I work with youth and when I ask that or any question I must be ready for the true!
I do hope you have had a GOd given you a break time , But only remember we all have good times and bad but we always have some one with us!
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RE: My not-so "Christian" attitude in trying ... - 1/5/2009 2:45:17 PM
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Knolt
Posts: 118
Joined: 2/13/2007
Status: offline
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quote:
ORIGINAL: hjemerson
I think you were honset and Needed some respones to the need . My Question What did the person act or response back to you?
I work with youth and when I ask that or any question I must be ready for the true!
I do hope you have had a GOd given you a break time , But only remember we all have good times and bad but we always have some one with us!
when i told the guy in the church foyer that Sunday morning taht "things were pretty (expletive) right now" he didn't get offended. the man just meekly nodded his head but didn't appear offended at all. another guy pulled me aside and told me i needed to watch my language. i responded by telling him that i didn't care about being "socially appropriate" at the time. i just wanted to be brutally honest, even if it didn't sound "appropriate" for a church setting. I was in fact too angry to say anything less vulgar. I was of course too angry to paste a smiley face on me and say "things are fine".
I bet there are probably men in church who are going through trying times but act pious and holy while in church and act like they're trusting God, at least on Sunday in church. but those same men are probably screaming and cussing and flying in to a rage about their trials behind closed doors.
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RE: My not-so "Christian" attitude in trying ... - 1/6/2009 11:48:34 AM
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m4maggie
Posts: 68
Joined: 12/11/2008
Status: online
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I'm a Christian and I do it too.. I catch myself using some colourful language sometimes.. I smoke.. but trying to break that habit.. But you know what? it's ok to be a little irked with God. Just repent and pray for forgiveness afterward. We wouldn't be human if we didn't get a little peeved when things don't go our way.. Believe me... I know.. I've posted on this topic.. I'm going through a pretty awful time right now, so I definately know what you mean. I don't feel that grateful for being put through the ringer either.. Instead, I'm like what's the deal man? knock it off! And you know what else? God forgives! that is the best part. And as hard as it is, there is probably a lesson to be learned.. How many people have learned significant lessons the easy way? : ) this is hilarious that I'm writing this.. I should practice what I preach!
_____________________________
It's pretty straight forward.. we all know what Jesus would do.. The question, is what would you do?
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