Just can't seem to work up reason to praise Jesus

[lax16]

Praise isn’t happiness.

Maybe “sheepishness” about any previous ungratefulness accompanies the start of gratefulness.

I get ruder and ruder shocks about myself as I go.

Thanksgiving is in a sense tactical (and very important), and praise is strategic, marvelling at the Lord for placing us in a place and time and amongst people who can model Christian belief for us, and among whom we can begin modelling Christian belief in turn. (Researching family history turns up fascinating things about this.)

I second the recommendation of the Psalms.

You are so right. Praise isn’t happiness.

 

[kptrs]

Can’t find a reason to praise Jesus?

Um…maybe thank Him for suffering an unspeakable agony and death on the cross for your immortal soul?

 

[HelenRose]

I have an issue that really has me spiritually troubled. I’m a lapsed Catholic. I still adhere to the Christian faith but it’s been a while since I’ve actually been to mass. I won’t go into the reasons here, and that’s an issue for another post, but this issue is deeper seated. Overall, I’ve been a pretty lucky/blessed guy, I’ve been married for 23 years and have 4 great kids. They’ve all been good kids, never been in trouble with drugs or the law or anything like that. I’ve had a series of good jobs. I’m not rich by any stretch, but I do OK and while I’ve had minor financial issues, who hasn’t? Even with all of this going for me, we seem to run into stretches of bad luck. Whether it’s cars breaking down or computers or phones or medical issues, they are all relatively minor, but it’s like if it’s not one thing, it’s another. Like I may get a financial windfall, like getting more money back on my taxes than I expected and my car breaks down. Just when things seem to be getting better, something happens. This causes me to question my faith or blame God. I try to work up the enthusiasm to praise God and Jesus but I just can’t do it. I realize I’m blessed for all the good things I have, but can’t stop thinking about the problems and how I’m going to deal with them and how God could allow these things to happen to me. I realize it’s selfish when lots of people have REAL problems, but I can’t help the way I feel. This may be more of an issue for a licensed therapist - like I have the money for that - but it really is just as much an issue of faith.

Go to a doctor and have a blood test checking for stuff like thyroid problems. When you have an underlying medical problem, even the smallest of setbacks can wear you down.

Faith in God is not a feeling. There are times in our lives that the best we can do is simply put one foot in front of the other and keep moving. Do not be hard on yourself. It sounds as if you are dealing with some form of depression.

Read about the Saint John of the Cross, Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta and Saint Therese of Lisieux. These three great saints dealt with what you may be dealing with.

 

[dedo]

My family has turned against me

I have been tortured, bound and beaten within an inch of my life by hostile people who mocked me while they did it.

I’ve had to live in a tent for a solid year because of my poverty

I’ve had my son taken from me by his mother who decided it was a good idea to split.

…and I’m still on my knees every sunday praising and worshipping God. What’s your excuse?

Dude, your faith after all that opposition, is amazing and is an inspiration to me.

Although I am sorry you went through that, sometimes adversity can move you in an important direction. In the Trojan War, the Greeks were ready to quit and go home after losing the first battle. Then Troy attacked before they could leave, causing the Greeks to stay and win the war.

I am currently looking at a business deal in a field that I know little about, the entertainment industry. It starts with a web series with a spiritual message that has not been determined yet. It is a long shot, but recently a couple people I had hoped to eventually work with seem to have gotten hostile, if not threatening. Of course I don’t go near people who make threats, or who don’t like me, but I am surprised that they even care since on the surface, my chances of success should be remote. However, that kind of hostility makes me wonder if I should try a little harder since I was close to shelving the idea related to my inexperience, and the real chance that the idea could cause as much harm as good. But, I have always felt that opposition can be a sign of importance. We are currently in a brainstorming mode among a loose group of 4,. If someone wants to join the group or just has a question, they can contact me or my L.A. attorney and can ask me or him about anything they might be concerned about, and I am happy to answer.

Sorry to get into my issues on this thread, but your post is an inspiration when I needed it. I think some of the other suggestions about learning about saints etc. are also helpful, and just trying to counter adversity with thanksgiving as you are doing.

Also, I was going to post on your other thread about contraception etc. but it was closed, since I believe the spiritual answer and the secular answer are really the same without any judgement. But I don’t want to get into it if you are done. If you want another perspective, let me know.

Anyway, thanks again for your inspiring post.

 

[Anglewannabe]

Iit’s been a while since I’ve actually been to mass. .

If I don’t see my friends for a while, I forget their good points as well. Perhaps going back to church and spending time with Jesus will help you have reason to praise him. After all, God does not force himself on us and if we ignore him, he let’s us

 

[3DOCTORS]

Wow, can I relate to the “the Lord giveth, the mechanic taketh away” thing. I even posted my own prayer thread back in December when I was about to lose my religion over it :bigyikes: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=991747

I will not lie - it was difficult to find the gratitude. Or at least to feel it. I didn’t even want to tell a friend of mine the day the valve cover gasket bit the dust - because I knew this friend is one of those “glass half full” people who would tell me to be happy that the money came in right before I needed it, and that was God’s doing! And she was correct; I know if I had been broke when my van broke down I would have been ready for the psych ward or something. It wouldn’t have been pretty.

The hissy fit I threw on the day, I went to Confession about that weekend - and it was like dragging myself there. But Father was very kind and helpful. I have been going through a lot of stress for a long time, and I do hope to get spiritual direction because I think it would help. In regard to the issue of depression, I think sometimes if we have it over things like finances or too many crazy events in a short time, it’s situational - or it’s grief. For me, it was grief over the loss of the dream that money had allowed me to dream, and for only such a short while till it went out again for the vehicle repairs. It had been soooo nice to be able to have the financial squeeze lifted, and now I’m back to the tedious penny pinching. Not fun. Just sayin’. Keeping it real. I think there’s a balance between acceptance and Pollyanna-ishness. Some of us are of a more melancholy temperament, and it’s okay. We work with what we have, and keep the faith that it can still get better even if we don’t know how at the present time.

Grief is a complex thing, and it can come over smaller things than just death or other tragedies. And you don’t work through it all at once. I’ve managed acceptance and to be able to work on my relationship with God and I pray He is forgiving of my trust issues and knows I know better than to give up on Him. The fact that I can even talk about it more is some sort of progress, because when it was really fresh in my mind I just wanted to withdraw from life and lick my wounds.

And yes, I’m grateful to have my van running; my life would be a mess without it; I’d feel helpless and anxious being unable to drive (I’m phobic about public transportation and in any case my area’s is very limited).

Time has helped to take some of the sting out of it. It’s gradual.