Daily Life... jobs

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dan1el

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In a recent post, I said I was looking to find a spiritual director in my area - I need one terribly. In the past few years, my walk with Christ was not too good, and because of it, I could not hold a steady job - I would be mentally arguing with myself, what I was doing, why I was doing it, condemning myself for not doing this or that, etc., I was completely lost, but now I feel so much peace having made a sort of decision in my heart to “rejoin” (I recently learned that if you’re baptized as a baby into the church, you are considered a member) the church…
My question is: I have pressing needs for money. I went to school to be educated in culinary arts - something I wish I never did - and now I owe alot of money, and some of those loans are defaulting now. On top of that, I’d gotten a motorcycle that I couldn’t pay for, for the same reason, and I owe on the remainder of it. We’re talking 60,000+ altogether, so it is IMPERATIVE that I get a job. However, I do not feel strong enough, spiritually speaking, to get a job. I continually feel condemned and uncertain about what to do, sometimes I feel uncertain about my salvation (but this is still a 1,000% better condition than I was before). The question is “am I dependable?”, and since I feel that I have been undependable (unfaithful) to God, this unfaithfulness reaches to everything in m life… “a double-minded man is unstable in all his ways, let not this man think he will receive anything from God” … everything has basically fallen apart in my life - to the point now where I am willing to do things that I wasn’t willing to do before (like rejoin the Catholic Church) as I see certain helps are very necessary.
Many times I do not feel at peace inside myself, I feel like I am being unloving to God when I go throughout my day without praising and worshiping Him ---- but I do not do these things because I feel like I do not know exactly what He wants me to do, and so I feel like "how can I worship Him if I am not worshiping Him with my lifestyle? I am afraid of my personal faith (because it could be right or wrong, I don’t know) because I start feeling like and thinking about doing all these works (that I used to do, kind of like picking up where I left off) like preaching on the corner of the street, evangelizing to people on the street, evangelizing to homeless, etc, just the best I could do, and yet I lack that fundamental “connection” with God, because the things I’ve been through over the years have basically paralyzed my faith and I feel like I need some help to get it “back into shape” before I am ready to walk on my faith “legs” again - and I do not want to apply pressure to my “broken legs” because I am afraid they will break again - and I hate breaking my integrity before God, though the “thrill” of doing those works has many times caused me to overlook (throwing caution to the wind, unwisely) the very real reality that I, many times, did not, again, have the inner integrity, mental strength, or spiritual connection, to undertake those things I once did - and yet I beat myself up for not doing those “good works”.
Obviously, I need HELP to work through these very real issues, and I am afraid to get a job until I have worked through them, because I feel I will probably end up quitting again or get fired, and I will lack peace the entire time.
I’m kind of in “limbo” – I’m not necessarily worshipping God with all my being (at my house), and I’m neither taking care of my physical life, either. I am being honest because I want deliverance from this situation.
I wanted to live a consecrated life in the past, and would like to again, but now I have this debt, and I am praying to God for a resolution to it, but if I could, I would most likely go ahead with a consecrated life vocation, if God willed.
I just want to focus on God and be perfect before Him, and understand what God wants.
 
I guess what the question I was trying to ask was: does any MATURE christian here have advice for this situation? Maybe some words for me? Thanks.
 
It is evident how anxious you are to serve God as you ought.

I have heard many people say “I am unfaithful, I fall often, I do not love God.” And they grieve heartily over this.

But it is not so. The desire to love God is proof of love itself. What would you say if you heard a wife ask her husband “do you love me?” And the husband replied: “How I wish it were so, but not yet. I want to love you, and hopefully through my blood and sweat and toil, one day, I will attain it.” We would say, that man is silly. Clearly he already loves his wife.

St. Peter denied the Lord, and at their first meeting after said “Lord, you know that I love you.” I would suggest maybe you say that prayer yourself. Because God knows, much better than you, that you do love Him, regardless of your falls.

You must not become discouraged at infidelities that you see in your life. It is very important, because as you advance along the path of holiness, you will become ever more aware of your faults. The way to sanctity is strange that way: the further we go, the farther away it seems to us.

There is a way of rejoicing in your faults. It is difficult to explain … Jesus, you know, is Savior. That is what His name means. It is His purpose and the desire which consumes His Heart. As you realize more and more of your faults, you will see that you are more and more in need of a Savior. And then you will call upon Jesus to save you, more and more, to show you mercy. And so, even more, Jesus will get to do for you what is His greatest joy: save you.

You see? In this way, even our failings and infidelities can be pleasing to God.

I say it is not your infidelity which permeates your life, but rather your desire to do as you ought. I would definitely hire someone who desired to do a good job for me as totally as you desire to do good for God.

Do you know that picture of Jesus with the lamb over His shoulders? It is a practice among shepherds that if a lamb wanders away too many times, the shepherd will break the lamb’s legs. While the legs heal, the shepherd carries the lamb on his back, feeding it and giving it all the care it needs. When the lamb can walk again, it has grown so attached to the shepherd, it will never wander away again.

Sometimes God does this; He breaks our legs for our own good! Do not be afraid or sad over your broken legs. Persevere in your strong desires.
 
Baby steps - baby steps. Didn’t Jesus say …

*So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.’ * Mt 6:34

You need to stop worrying about the BIG picture and try to compartmentalize your life. You need to set aside time for God first (a little bit of prayer each day is better than agonizing over it, or spending five hours one day and none the next), set aside time to earn a living and set aside time to receive some guidance if you can find a spiritual director.

For all of these things, ask God to help. During your time of prayer, ask St Joseph for a little intercession to help find a job (he was the family breadwinner after all!), and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and to help you find a spiritual director. Take your concerns to Jesus personally and tell Him everything one-to-one that you have told us. He is your closest and dearest friend - much more so than we are! With God all things are possible.

If you think that you are called to a consecrated life, then certainly discuss this with your priest or SD, but before joining any kind of community, you need to get your personal relationship with Jesus in order.

I do like the lamb analogy – this little video e-card is so sweet…
yahoo.americangreetings.com/ecards/display.pd?prodnum=3131632&path=40842

When you get overwhelmed with your own sense of unworthiness, tell Satan to “get thee behind me” because it is only he who benefits from your distress. Yes, God wants us to be aware of our very weak human nature, but not to cast ourselves into a state of despair (this is a sin by the way!) – try not to focus so much on your own miserable nature (we all tend to have a bit of self-loathing in us, and the devil uses this against us) but focus instead on the tremendous goodness and kindness of God - and remember how He proved His love for us. This is an occasion for rejoicing. We are forgiven ALL our sins through Jesus. Turn to Him, talk to Him, open your heart to His healing presence and love. He wants to bring you home to Him — watch the video and see the joy on the face of the little lamb and the love on the face of the Good Shepherd - another lost lamb found!

I will keep you in my prayers dear brother - remember how very very much you are loved!
:gopray2:
 
Wow, I absolutely loved it. The poor little lamb that can’t really help itself, it reminds me of me… and shows me that only God may help me, and not me myself…
Thanks.
 
It is evident how anxious you are to serve God as you ought.

I have heard many people say “I am unfaithful, I fall often, I do not love God.” And they grieve heartily over this.

But it is not so. The desire to love God is proof of love itself. What would you say if you heard a wife ask her husband “do you love me?” And the husband replied: “How I wish it were so, but not yet. I want to love you, and hopefully through my blood and sweat and toil, one day, I will attain it.” We would say, that man is silly. Clearly he already loves his wife.

St. Peter denied the Lord, and at their first meeting after said “Lord, you know that I love you.” I would suggest maybe you say that prayer yourself. Because God knows, much better than you, that you do love Him, regardless of your falls.

You must not become discouraged at infidelities that you see in your life. It is very important, because as you advance along the path of holiness, you will become ever more aware of your faults. The way to sanctity is strange that way: the further we go, the farther away it seems to us.

There is a way of rejoicing in your faults. It is difficult to explain … Jesus, you know, is Savior. That is what His name means. It is His purpose and the desire which consumes His Heart. As you realize more and more of your faults, you will see that you are more and more in need of a Savior. And then you will call upon Jesus to save you, more and more, to show you mercy. And so, even more, Jesus will get to do for you what is His greatest joy: save you.

You see? In this way, even our failings and infidelities can be pleasing to God.

I say it is not your infidelity which permeates your life, but rather your desire to do as you ought. I would definitely hire someone who desired to do a good job for me as totally as you desire to do good for God.

Do you know that picture of Jesus with the lamb over His shoulders? It is a practice among shepherds that if a lamb wanders away too many times, the shepherd will break the lamb’s legs. While the legs heal, the shepherd carries the lamb on his back, feeding it and giving it all the care it needs. When the lamb can walk again, it has grown so attached to the shepherd, it will never wander away again.

Sometimes God does this; He breaks our legs for our own good! Do not be afraid or sad over your broken legs. Persevere in your strong desires.
Thank you for posting this response, I really sense the Lord speaking with me through it. Thank you.
 
:gopray:If we continually focus and ruminate on the weakness and inadequecy of our own faith and devotion to God, there’s only one conclusion any true christian will come to: “That’s right mate, you fail!”
So…rather that focussing on the weakness of your faith, focus on the object of your faith. That’s where we are all made whole. In Him.
“Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, abide mercifully with your servant dan1el. Pour out your grace and through your precious heart conquer his doubt. Amen”
Prayed that for you right now and will again later.
Peace, brother. AB.
 
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