Life's Lessons vs. God

[icouch]

It feels a lot like the christian faith denies one from living life based on one’s own experiences, and requires them to rely on God’s word and not so much “practical” solutions. The recent thread on pornography addictions plus several other recent instances in my life have brought me to think. I once had a pornography addiction, and the advice I have is purely based on experience and a mental state I was in - it had nothing to do with God. Sure, I prayed to get out of the addiction, and I eventually went to confession, but if I had reasons to offer for my addiction, it would be related to depression I had, not to the devil tempting me daily. If I had advice for quitting the addiction, it wouldn’t be faith related, but merely for that person to talk to friends and family and get help. If I were to say that I learned anything from that addiction and that experience, it would be to to communicate more with friends and family, to be honest with them as much as possible, regardless of awkwardness, because they truly love you and nothing can be too shocking or too horrible for family or friends that truly love you. It feels like christianity downplays this sort of reliance and love on friends and family. Can’t friends and family abide in one another, or must they always go to God to lay out their troubles.

So where’s the fine line between faith and practical, non-religious advice. It seems hard to give one a mix of both.

 

[blessedtoo]

Before I returned to the Church, I saw a psychotherapist for 15 years. During this relationship, I grew tremendously and learned much about myself. But there was always something missing. There is a place in the heart and soul that no amount of talking, communicating, or “therapizing” can touch. After I returned to the Church, I came to understand that God was working THROUGH people in my life, even people who denied His existence. I think of it as a heirarchy: It all starts with God and trickles down through the people He puts in our lives. I pray to Him and go to Him so that He may guide me to hear the truth in what these folks are saying. You may not THINK you needed or had His help, but I would suggest that He was there the whole time, working “behind the scenes”.

 

[RyanL]

A farmer is in Iowa during a flood. The river is overflowing, with water surrounding the farmer’s home up to his front porch.

As he is standing there, a boat comes up, The man in the boat says “Jump in, I’ll take you to safety.”

The farmer crosses his arms and says stubbornly, “Nope, I put my trust in God.”

The boat goes away. The water rises to the second floor.

Another boat comes up, the man says to the farmer who is now in the second story window, “Jump in, I’ll save you.”

The farmer again says, “Nope, I put my trust in God.”

The boat goes away. Now the water is up to the roof.

As The farmer stands on the roof, a helicopter comes over, and drops a ladder. The pilot yells down to the farmer “I’ll save you, climb the ladder.”

The farmer says “Nope, I put my trust in God.”

The helicopter goes away. The water comtinues to rise and sweeps the farmer off the roof. He drowns.

The farmer goes to heaven. God sees him and says “What are you doing here?”

The farmer says “I put my trust in you and you let me down.”

God says, “What do you mean, let you down? I sent you two boats and a helicopter!!!”

God Bless,
RyanL