Environment factor and Spiritual growth

[fin]

when i was in high school cheating was rampant. idid it too. now in college people cheat too.
now that im growing in faith and spirituality, im not comfortable doing stuff like these anymore. my conscience is bothering me.
i don’t want to stay here and besides i don’t like the culture; people don’t take their studies seriously.

my question is, what do you do when you don’t like your environment, when its a stumbling block to your growth in faith?
do you-change your environment, if possible? go to somewhere else
-go with the flow
- be a cut above the rest ?

 

[PauloFreire2]

Change that dang old thing if you need to. People are people. People aren’t God. If you’re around people who bother you, split. The Bible is chuck full of advice about not hanging around those who provide negative influence and don’t believe as we do. Jesus told His disciples to wilfully abandon those who didn’t embrace them on their mission journeys. Hit it, dude. Pack up and hit the bricks. Go somewhere else. I have been FORCED to live for years in groups I seriously disliked. It’s very exhausting, emotionally. USE YOUR FREEDOM AND JUDGMENT. Take charge of your life.

 

[Kevin42]

when i was in high school cheating was rampant. idid it too. now in college people cheat too.
now that im growing in faith and spirituality, im not comfortable doing stuff like these anymore. my conscience is bothering me.
i don’t want to stay here and besides i don’t like the culture; people don’t take their studies seriously.

my question is, what do you do when you don’t like your environment, when its a stumbling block to your growth in faith?
do you-change your environment, if possible? go to somewhere else
-go with the flow
- be a cut above the rest ?

Do whatever it takes to get closer to God.

 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed than with two hands to go into Gehenna, into the unquenchable fire.  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life crippled than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'

-Mark 9:43-48

I think the Lord makes it clear that for a person who is seriously in love with God, and is serious about their faith, many actions that would otherwise seem extreme become obviously correct if that person wants to get closer to Christ.

However, before you make up your mind, pray about this. Perhaps talk to your local priest and see what advice he may have. Their may be less drastic actions that would produce the same, or better results than simply uprooting yourself…I don’t really know though. Pray about it for a while:thumbsup: .

 

[PauloFreire2]

quarters with a bunch a yahoos who darn near drove me crazy. And dude…I was in the service for a very long time. I had to conform to some of these groups in ways that were spiritually unhealthy, to say the very least. Some of them seriously depressed me. I had no choice. I had decided to make a career out of it, and had to roll with the flow. Sometimes I rolled well enough, but at others, I bounced, and got bounce-kicked, hard. Group-thought can be very, very dangerous. Watch your back, Slim.

 

[Morning_Star15]

While I totally understand your desire to leave this environment, I advise you to take a look first at ways to improve the situation. Are there any clubs or groups on campus where you can find some moral support and who can help you in your spiritual growth? I’m a university student myself, and I’ve found an amazing Catholic Chaplaincy on campus that has helped me tremendously in my spiritual growth, despite obstacles both in school and at home to this.

I would suggest that you first take a look at ways to improve the situation in college (find new friends, etc.) rather than leaving. Who’s to say that the next environment you get into will be any better? Sometimes God puts in difficult environments to test our Faith and make it stronger. But if you find that you can’t improve your situation, and you believe that it’s seriously hurting you spiritually, then by all means, leave. God should come before all else.

Karolina

 

[deekod1967]

This is a hot topic for me just now, I’m reading “Fire WIthin” by Fr. Thomas Dubay and he notes the 2nd principle for growth of prayer according St. Teresa of Avila as follows:

growth in prayer does not depend on a person’s immediate situation

He quotes St. Teresa on this as follows

the time is alway propitious for God to grant His great favours to those who truly serve Him

We should also remember we are called to save sinners, Christ was always seeking out tax collecters etc as they were the most in need of His help.

I feel God puts us in the midst of great sinners so that we can show them the fruits of the Spirit; to let our light shine, this is a great gift and one we should treasure.

It is of utmost importance to be determined (7th teresian principle for growth) to take time out and “rest for a while” Mk 6:31, then “go to your private room, shut the door and, pray” Mk 6:6, without this we are in serious trouble.

I would seriously recommend you read “prayer primer” and also “Fire Within” by Fr. Thomas Dubay and then pray over how you may become “a cut above the rest” rather than “go with the flow”.