A Push for Spiritual Maturity

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MargaretofCortona

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Christ demands us to be perfect as our heavenly Father. Mediocrity is very easy to fall into. As Christians we should always be able to rise above ourselves and our issues to see the big picture of Christ.
My convoluted point is. It seems like people who are more emotional need God more because they cannot take care of themselves as good as a rational person.
I still don’t understand how we are equally sinners.
If emotions were removed from a lot of issues, it would be easier to get to the heart of the issue. People could maturely debate sensitive issues with reason, facts, and objectively.
I don’t really see any drawbacks with having self control.
I keep thinking if you have many virtues without any belief in God, why do you need Him?
I have met many fine atheists who are mature, self contained, reasonable, independent, responsible, etc. What difference does it make if they profess a belief in Christ?
It seems like if you are reasonable and responsible enough you can avoid consequences of so called sins.
For example, fornication.
Not every sin will have ramifications. So people don’t feel guilty for returning a much deserved insult.
If you have confidence and self control, why do you need God in this life?
 
I think the confidence and self control of the ego are different from the confidence and self control of God. The confidence and self control we think we have is often a barrier because it is a cover up for our feelings of lack and deficiency. I think it would be more helpful to question our NEED for confidence and self control. This is a dependence and attachment which are often governed by fear of what would happen if we were to let go of all our needs. This is one example showing us just how trapped we are in the ways of the personality and just how badly we are identified with something other than the true identity of the infinite eternal soul.
 
If you are a very strong and secure person, what does God have to provide you?
 
I have never had a problem with self-confidence and assertion in daily life, but I am here to tell you if I ever ONCE thought “I don’t need God, I can do this all myself” I would be in huge trouble.

There is a difference between feeling strong and secure in the sense of being able to take care of your business, and strong and secure spiritually. Often it’s us “Strong and Secure” people who talk ourselves into thinking that some bad sin is okay, or get feeling too proud, or have a hard time handling it when we fail at something/ make a mistake / have something bad happen like cancer or a death that is totally beyond our control.

We ALL need God. Think of the prodigal son and his brother. The prodigal son obviously had a lot of impulsively and bad judgment and pretty much wrecked his life. His dad needed to help him and care for him or he would have starved in the street. The older brother was responsible and fulfilled all his duties. He didn’t need his dad to rescue him, at least not right then. He did need his dad to love him and acknowledge that he was a good son.
 
I thought God came for the weak and weary - the sick. From a secular perspective, isn’t a belief in God for those who can’t handle the troubles of this life?
 
MargaretofCortona said:
I keep thinking if you have many virtues without any belief in God, why do you need Him?
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MargaretofCortona said:
If you have confidence and self control, why do you need God in this life?
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The more important questions to be answered are:
  1. Where did we come from?
  2. Why are we here?
  3. Where are we going?
The simple answer: We do not know. OR do not know sure enough to accept that we do have and should recognize and respond to our relationship with God is simply not a good answer. It smacks of stiff arming any attempt to consider the proper relationship with God. as long as one can conjure up some reason to not believe, one is fully justified in not believing in God.
MargaretofCortona said:
If emotions were removed from a lot of issues, it would be easier to get to the heart of the issue. People could maturely debate sensitive issues with reason, facts, and objectively.
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So the atheist should be able to analyze: Here are the arguments FOR God. Here are the reasons expressed by time honored scholars. AND here are my well reasoned arguments AGAINST all that. Here what Jesus Christ said and here is how He is wrong.
 
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I think the whole what’s our purpose thing is important. Nature can do fine without human life. The existence of the solar system.
 
I think that’s one of many ways to see it. Truth is humanity is not well without God. It’s obvious in the news and throughout history. Without knowing God we lack self worth. Lack of self worth equates to lack of self love which equates to lack of love for others.
 
This reminds me of the field of psychology which first was concerned with pathology and the attempt to help people with mental problems. But then cam Maslow who was more concerned about to full human potential, not just dealing with pathology. I see faith in God that way as well. It is not so much about filling our needs as weak humans but providing potentials of greater and greater spiritual / human maturity, fulfillment, development, happiness, and becoming all we were meant to be.

Atheists tend to accept only what they can see, onlunwhat can be proven as fact he and now. Faith in God opens a door to infinite possibilities and a much fuller truth than the 5 senses can perceive.
 
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MargaretofCortona:
May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be well. May you be peaceful and at ease. May you be happy.
 
Pelagia,
Saying everyone is a sinner does not equate to “we all commit the same sins”.

Christ does not DEMAND. Never. Ever. If you don’t want to be in communion with Him, He gives you that choice. A lousy and terribly ungrateful choice, but hey. People do choose it.
Does God need a reason to exist? no. That’s a fool’s enterprise. HE said I AM WHO AM.
He IS. Eternally, infinitely, before anything and forever.

You don’t strike me as lacking confidence. You come and post all kinds of manifestos according to your own thought, which is often in conflict with what the CHurch teaches. Try reading the Catholic Answer Bible and get some good apologetics under your belt before you think about taking on the purpose of life, the purpose of nature and whether or not people can simply exist" without God.

Living without a close relationship with God is not really living. It’s existing on the most basic level. Breath in, breath out. Things happen, you either deal or you flip out. Not terribly satisfying but it can be done.

If someone has good qualities God gave them to them to be used to do more good.

That litany of Humility is beneficial I wish you would take it seriously.
 
pianistclare said:
Saying everyone is a sinner does not equate to “we all commit the same sins”.
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That’s perfectly right. I guess I thought everyone did just in different degrees. For me, that is where the comparison trap thing comes in - who is better or worse in the eyes of the Lord. Who is smarter or more foolish in how they sin.
Does it matter who carries more or less guilt? Some people feel guilty and responsible for things outside of their control, while others could care less…

Long story short, I think I just need to pray more and cultivate loving, kind FRIENDSHIPS.

Gosh, how do you get over the need to want to do everything right or the shame when you fail?

It is VERY FRUSTRATING when I notice or someone points out a weakness. I get envious that someone close to me can easily deal with something that feels like lifting a boulder to me.
 
Gosh.

What matters to you should be YOU.
Straighten that out and see if you do find yourself around nicer, kinder people and those people will gravitate to you.
 
It sounds like you are very hard on yourself.

People are so very different the world over. I think it’s good to notice this, but not to dwell on the things others can do and you struggle with.

I don’t know you, so don’t want to sound patronising, but when I was frustrated with things I struggled with, I’d concentrate alittle more on the things I was good at. We all have a gift that we can share with others, and working on that gift can help improve our lives.
 
I had to let it out somewhere. I think I’m going on an internet hiatus.
 
Here my friend is what your missing:
  1. God is always in charge
  2. God will, because as GOD he MUST Judge each of us based on what HE has made POSSIBLE for each of us to know, understand, accept, and live.
  3. God can be defined as: ALL GOOD THINGS PERFECTED. Hence He takes into account each souls mind, intellect, freewill and emotional state
Pray much

Partick
 
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