Intellect vs feelings

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Anglewannabe

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Ok. intellectually, I know God does not punish His children. Yet, sometimes I feel like I am being punished. Does anyone have any practical ways in how to deal with this and overcoming ?

Thanks

Angie
 
I saw this today on another thread;
Originally Posted by Mary_Ellen
It’s not that God is just waiting to pounce on us and say, “Ah ha, gotcha!” but He is just waiting to catch us in His merciful arms and say “Ah ha, gotcha!”
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I thought it was very sweet.

My confessor told me that I needed to make up my mind if I was going to believe in the Authority of the Church, or my own thoughts and feelings. And whereas it didn’t make the ‘feelings’ go away completely, it did help.

I hope it helps you. 🙂

God bless.
 
Our Catholic faith does actually teach that God punishes us according to His Providence when it’s for our greater good. Alternately, we do sometimes suffer for reasons that are not a direct punishment for sins we have committed. Suffering in this world can bring about various goods in this life and the next for a soul or souls that are far greater than the evil suffered.

"For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives." -Hebrews 12:6

Then one could also consider “temporal punishment due to sins” which can remain with us even after we go to confession.

Through everything, the main thing we need to do is trust God and believe that he does love us and is working in our lives always for what is in the end the best for us.

"We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose."** -Romans 8:28**
 
I think God does punish in some way, although punishment sounds like a harsh & heavy word. Chastises should be the right term.

Hebrews 12:5-8
And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks unto you as unto children, My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are rebuked of him:
For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives.
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastens not?
But if you be without chastisement, of which all are partakers, then are you illegitimate children, and not sons.
 
As men, our Lord endowed us with intellect. By His grace we have the wondrous ability to act. This separates us and lifts us above the animals which, from least to greatest, are capable only of reacting. Mankind lives animal kind only survives. Wonderful God didn’t stop there with us either. He has provided each of us with a set of lenses through which we perceive all of our experiences — our feelings. They set the tone and color our actions in just about all we choose to do. They allow a correct act on our part to become sincere and heartfelt. Feelings serve as the measure for the choices we make as well.
The problems with feelings is they can be wrong, completely wrong, and there is no “off” switch.
As long as I stay God-minded especially when my feelings are strong or perhaps raw, the way I choose to act will be more and more appropriate each time. The feelings may not fade or they may. I leave it up to Him. If they don’t, it’s okay, in trying to be God-minded even the most painful feelings I carry become very special blessings and ultimately carry me closer to God. My two-cents.
 
The idea that God chastises us for sins he died on the Cross for seems a little strange. Combined with the fact that the things that happen to us are in many ways other people acting with free will, I don’t see us as being chess pieces on a huge chess board.

God loves us, He redeemed us. He made the natural laws the world follows. He doesn’t make bad things happen to us.
 
Very strange notion of “punishment” on this thread. Temporal punishment, in a Biblical sense, has nothing to do with guilt or revenge. It has to do with training.

Suppose my 1-year-old daughter continually tries to walk in the street. By far, the gentlest and most loving way to stop her from doing this is to spank her for it. She quickly learns to stop. Likewise, if I were to become (for example) sexually promiscuous, God has constructed the world so that reasonably quickly I would experience certain consequences: STDs, loss of intimacy in friendships, guilt, etc. Bad actions have bad natural consequences, because God wants us to learn from them, because God wants us to grow in virtue and goodness.

Not because God wants to “get even” with us! :eek:
 
Anglewannabe said:
Ok. intellectually, I know God does not punish His children. Yet, sometimes I feel like I am being punished. Does anyone have any practical ways in how to deal with this and overcoming ?

Thanks

Angie
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God does discipline His children. Also, remember that your sufferings can be offered to God for the salvation of others. Feelings are deceptive and can be “put into perspective” using the intellect. Understanding suffering as a necessary part of our salvation journey, and that which makes us more like Christ may help you stop feeling punished.

Better to suffer here a little, than for eternity in hell. Offer you suffering to God and let Him use it according to His will, not yours.
 
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