Losing my Faith

[Joey1976]

I came to Christ and the Catholic Church about 5 years ago after being raised and baptized, confirmed, as a non practicing Catholic. I was on fire and happy when i first came to Christ and found out about Catholicism and it’s teachings. Now i am struggling to hang onto any faith in God. I feel he doesn’t answer my prayers and i don’t understand why. I see people with no faith and living drastically different lives than me doing well and doing fine on their own without God. Yet i try to be faithful and i do not see the rewards. I cannot find a job and have two degrees and am struggling to see why God doesn’t help me. Yet others prosper living in the sin and the way i used to be. I am not prefect but i try to be faithful and prayerful and i believed and practiced everything the Catholic faith teaches. I am struggling badly now and almost becoming angry with God. I see others succeed on their own without God and I think that why should i try anymore when it just makes me miserable and disappointed. I think i was better off before i came to Christ. I pray for faith and beg for help and i get no consolation.I am human and if prayer or something doesn’t work for me why would i continue to do it. If God is all knowing wouldn’t he know that this would happen to me so why wouldn’t he help me maintain my faith. i am sure he was happy that i came to know the faith 5 years ago so why wouldn’t he help me and i ask for help to. You would think he would care that i am about to leave and give up, you would think he would help me a give me grace to persevere and not want me to leave. So why? I don’t get it, it makes no sense to me. It makes me mad and sad and i want to be happy. This isn’t working for me so why continue when it doesn’t make me happy or work for me and i see others around me doing fine on their own. I just don;t get it and i am about done.

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

Hi there
I suggest you try to see the good things God has done for you. It may be what you want will be no good for you. Perhaps He is testing you or pruning you so you will have more faith later on. We can’t escape the cross in this life. This life is a test to see whether we’re worthy of heaven. We all need to remember that if we have some bad things in this life then it’s only for a short while and heaven is for eternity. It may be no consolation for you at present but please bear in mind that God is offering you eternity in heaven if you will remain faithful to him during this very brief time of trial. When bad times come we think it will never end and the same with good times. But they do end and change. It’s very hard to do but why don’t you just pray that Gods will be done by you and all. Every saint had countless dark days and had to live on faith. I will pray for you that you can persevere through your trials. Hang in there mate. Good times are ahead if your patient. God only gives the cross to His favourites. Try to thank Christ for your sufferings and join them to His and offer them up for us all. Suffering is the most powerful and pleasing prayer to God when united with His son’s suffering. God is actually showing affection to you by giving you a cross. You can’t get into heaven without a cross. Hang in there. God bless you.
A quote from St Josemaria
312http://www.escrivaworks.org/images/misc/pixtrans.gifI would like to confirm once more that I am not talking about an extraordinary way of living as Christians. Let each of us meditate on what God has done for him and how he has responded. If we are courageous in examining our behaviour, we will perceive what still needs to be done. Yesterday I was very moved when I heard that a Japanese catechumen was teaching the catechism to others who did not yet know about Christ. I felt ashamed. We need to have more faith, much more faith and, with faith, contemplation.

Go over, calmly, that divine admonition which fills the soul with disquiet and which at the same time tastes as sweet as honey from the comb: redemi te, et vocavi te, nomine tuo: meus es tu; I have redeemed you and called you by your name: you are mine! Let us not steal from God what belongs to him. A God who has loved us to the point of dying for us, who has chosen us from all eternity, before the creation of the world, so that we may be holy in his presence; and who continually offers us opportunities to purify our lives and give ourselves to him.

If there were still the slightest doubt in our minds, we receive yet another proof from his own lips: ‘It was not you that chose me, it was I that chose you, to go out and bear fruit, fruit which will endure,’ the fruit of your work as contemplative souls.

What we need, therefore, is faith, supernatural faith. When faith weakens men tend to imagine that God is far away and hardly cares for his children. They come to regard religion as a kind of appendage, something to have recourse to when there’s no other remedy; they expect, with what justification one cannot say, spectacular manifestations, unusual happenings. But when faith is really alive in the soul, one discovers instead that to follow Christ one does not have to step aside from the ordinary pattern of everyday life, and also that the great holiness which God expects of us is to be found here and now in the little things of each day.

 

[Tietjen]

I came to Christ and the Catholic Church about 5 years ago after being raised and baptized, confirmed, as a non practicing Catholic. I was on fire and happy when i first came to Christ and found out about Catholicism and it’s teachings. Now i am struggling to hang onto any faith in God. I feel he doesn’t answer my prayers and i don’t understand why. I see people with no faith and living drastically different lives than me doing well and doing fine on their own without God. Yet i try to be faithful and i do not see the rewards. I cannot find a job and have two degrees and am struggling to see why God doesn’t help me. Yet others prosper living in the sin and the way i used to be. I am not prefect but i try to be faithful and prayerful and i believed and practiced everything the Catholic faith teaches. I am struggling badly now and almost becoming angry with God. I see others succeed on their own without God and I think that why should i try anymore when it just makes me miserable and disappointed. I think i was better off before i came to Christ. I pray for faith and beg for help and i get no consolation.I am human and if prayer or something doesn’t work for me why would i continue to do it. If God is all knowing wouldn’t he know that this would happen to me so why wouldn’t he help me maintain my faith. i am sure he was happy that i came to know the faith 5 years ago so why wouldn’t he help me and i ask for help to. You would think he would care that i am about to leave and give up, you would think he would help me a give me grace to persevere and not want me to leave. So why? I don’t get it, it makes no sense to me. It makes me mad and sad and i want to be happy. This isn’t working for me so why continue when it doesn’t make me happy or work for me and i see others around me doing fine on their own. I just don;t get it and i am about done.

Well, I don’t know that you’ll appreciate this, but perhaps you might choose to look upon your suffering as a blessing. God is giving you the opportunatity to pay for temporal sins here on earth rather than extracting full payment in purgatory.
Do you think that the saints had it easy? Don’t turn your back to God just because you don’t understand His plan for you at the moment. God bless.

 

[Joey1976]

Hi there
I suggest you try to see the good things God has done for you.

Well, what about the things he has done for people with no faith. How do you explain that? I give everything to God and have no consolation. I see people live with no faith and don’t ask God to help them and they do fine on their own. You can twist it anyway you want to by saying God is making you suffer for a purpose whatever, or it’s a mystery, or whatever, you can write anything off that way. You can talk yourself into anything. It doesn’t change anything. I thought God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. Well, that can’t be true. Why doesn’t he help me if he sees that i am a about to leave. He obviously gave me more than i could handle if it came to this point.

 

[glenaitken]

Well, what about the things he has done for people with no faith. How do you explain that? I give everything to God and have no consolation. I see people live with no faith and don’t ask God to help them and they do fine on their own. You can twist it anyway you want to by saying God is making you suffer for a purpose whatever, or it’s a mystery, or whatever, you can write anything off that way. You can talk yourself into anything. It doesn’t change anything. I thought God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. Well, that can’t be true. Why doesn’t he help me if he sees that i am a about to leave. He obviously gave me more than i could handle if it came to this point.

John, you are in good company. this is something that every serious catholic goes through. God plays these “hide and seek” games so that we can learn virtue and in the end we become better christians and love Him more. One saint (going throug a similar circumstance as yourself) was heard to say to God, “If this is how you treat your firends, no wonder you have so few!” the thing that you need to remember is that the spiritual journey is a lot like marriage, it has its up and downs and it is the commitment and dedication to your spouse during those downs that seperates a loving relationship from a selfish relationship. i nthe same way, it is when we stay faithful to God in these trials that our relationship with his is solidified and purified. I won’t tell you that suffering can be plesant- it’s suffering, but if you keep youself focused on your commitment to Christ, He’ll pull you through in the end. Instead of focusing on how He is not answerig your prayes (this is hard for anyone to do), try serving others in your Church comminity and answering thier prayers through your lifestyle and example.
suffering won’t go away, its part of the human condition. the trick is to see the value of suffering (although i never want to at the time) so that it helps you grow instead of stunting your growth. the desire to “give up” will come and go over the years, but the important thing is to recommit yourself to Christ and trust that His way is the best way, even if you don’t like it or agree with it at times. by submitting in humble obediance, He will reveal His plan over time, but until then it does rather stink.
I’ll keep you in my prayers, just keep praying and doing yourbest. God will take the rest from there eventually

 

[YADA]

Well, what about the things he has done for people with no faith. How do you explain that? I give everything to God and have no consolation. I see people live with no faith and don’t ask God to help them and they do fine on their own. You can twist it anyway you want to by saying God is making you suffer for a purpose whatever, or it’s a mystery, or whatever, you can write anything off that way. You can talk yourself into anything. It doesn’t change anything. I thought God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. Well, that can’t be true. Why doesn’t he help me if he sees that i am a about to leave. He obviously gave me more than i could handle if it came to this point.

Scripture informs us that it “Rains on the Just and the Unjust”

Might I suggest you spend some time with the Book of Job …

Many times we equate prosperity with God’s Providence and a lack of prosperity with Godly punishment for sins [or wrong doing] … our Jewish brethren struggled with this … the Book of Job being an attept to answer that question …

Those people who you decern are ‘faithless’ maybe faith filled or not … their good fortune maybe providential or not … I would spend lees time reflecting upon their fortunes and more time discerning my life and hhow I am living out the Gospel calling …

What are we called to do as Christians?
1] Spread the Gospel [Good News of Salvation]. To whom have you shared God’s gift of faith?
2] Be good stewards of the gifts given to us by our Creator. How have you shared your time, talents and treasure with the humanity around you? Do you contribute to your church both time [Sundays, Holy Days, volunteering in various ministries] and your resources … the finacial needs of the parish? Remember the Widows Mite?
3] Be the Good Samaritan [the Good Neighbor]… have you fed the hungry, clothed the naked, given drink to the thirsty, visited the sick and imprisoned?
4] Kept the Commandments…Love God and Lovve thy neighbor as yourself? Honor Mother and Father, Respect Life … ?

If you will take up this hard challenge [being a Christian is not for the faint at heart] you may begin to see God’s Providence in your life …

Can you imagine what Stephen felt when he was stoned for his faith in Christ? Do you imagine that he wondered if this what the Good News? Yet Stephen never denied Jesus … he stood firm in the faith he had that Jesus was the Messiah, the Redeemer of the World …

Peace Brother , I will pray that you find employment and feel the love of Christ in your heart. …

 

[reen12]

I have read your two posts, Joey1976.

The questions that you are posing are sometimes
referred to as “existental” questions.

These questions are asked in each generation,
and they are often asked in a heartfelt manner.
For this reason, they are referred to as perennial
questions. Year after year, age after age,
many thoughtful people, like you, have asked
what you are now asking.

Psalm 73 is a good example.
“Why do the wicked prosper…?”

It took tens of hundreds of years before
it became understood that having the goods of life -
life’s rewards and opportunities,
it’s offer of fulfillment in so many realms - were not
necessarily a sign of God’s favor.

The Book of Job is often pointed to in this regard.

nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/psalms/psalm1.htm

In the Book of Job, Satan, the adversary, tells God
that Job only worships God because of all of Job’s earthly
blessings. Satan asks for permission to
remove these blessings, and God gives Satan
permission to do this - only Satan was not
to take away Job’s life.

But even in the Book of Job, God deflects Job’s questions -
asking Job “Where you there when I laid out
the heavens? set limits to the sea?”

This is known as changing the topic.
Deflecting.

I find the Book of Job annoying. At the end
of the book, Job is given back those blessings -
including sons and daughters, because his
first sons and daughters were killed - when the
roof of Job’s house caved in, due to Satan’s
efforts.

Now. I can’t be the *only *human being who reads
this and asks -
“Are you trying to tell me that children are
‘replaceable?’ That’s nuts.”

No. Neither the book of Psalms, nor the Book
of Job are ultimately wholly helpful - in trying to come
to grips with “I believe and worship. I have a
lack of this world’s rewards. How come those -
who do not believe - have all of the good stuff?”

Part of the answer to this question is not found in
any book ever written. The answer is a Person -
Jesus, the God/man.

Jesus is described in the Book of Isaiah as
“…a Man of Sorrows, familiar with suffering.”

Jesus tells those who would follow Him
“Take up your own cross, everyday -
and follow Me.”

It is very hard to hear these words.
Why does this have to be?

The “friends” of Job tried to ‘explain’ to Job
why he was suffering.
“You’ve sinned!”
“No I haven’t,” says Job.
God is my witness. I have not sinned.

When God finally enters the story,
He basically says to Job’s “friends”
“I’ll deal with you later.”
Some friends.

It was through this story that human beings
inched forward in their understanding of
God’s relation to human beings - and how,
in this world, the sinless can suffer while
those who seem to have all the rewards in
the world, and worship Him not, prosper.

In fact, in the book of Psalms, God is asked:
“I worship You and keep Your law.”
“The wicked laugh at me all day. They say
“Where is your God?” and I do not know
how to answer them.”

It is now thousands of years since that
cry went up to heaven. And we are asking
that queston still. The answer is not a statement.
The answer is a Person.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One God, in
three divine Persons.

And when you get right down to it,
with the media constantly throwing in our faces
the “goods” of worldly life, sometimes it is
very hard *not *to ask the question “Why not me?”
“Why don’t I have those things?”

It is so human to ask this. The reality that
people of faith may turn to is God’s grace.

What might be impossible for human nature
to withstand, can be withstood, because
God gives us His gift of grace, so that we
may endure whatever comes in life.
It is Amazing Grace.

reen12

 

[Irish_Becca]

I’m sorry you’re struggling.

I don’t think God often interferes with the world and its free will. Everyone goes through this and asks questions. The fact is that there is sadness and pain here. We aren’t promised happiness during this time, unfortunately. There have been many times I wish we had been.

Try praying for strength, grace, patience, and perseverance. Pray that God guides you and His will is done. Read about the Saints, and you will find strength.

Again, I’m sorry and I am praying for you.

 

[hasikelee]

You remind me of the older son in the parable “The Prodigal Son”

I feel like that sometimes, too! Like, hey, it’s no fair! I even posted a thread on here awhile ago about a childhood friend that was cohabitating and how she received money and a car and all kinds of great stuff.

When you are struggling it is hard not to feel jealous or worried that you are missing out or doing the wrong thing.

Why not strike up a conversation with some of those “successful” people you are noticing? Try to get a connection with them. I bet you they are filled with unhappiness and that they have their own cross.

Sometimes we can’t see how others feel and the suffering they have.

For example, I know a girl who has a very established boyfriend. He is 7 years older and very rich, smart, handsome, you name it he is it! He already has a big ranch house with land, two horses, a nice 9-5 job with no stress, etc. They have a ton of fun together and he spends tons of money on her without blinking.

This girl wants to move in with him and she is also very suppportive of things such as abortion, premarital sex, birth control use, euthanasia, etc.

I remember thinking it was so unfair that she had this great guy and now a very great, stable life. Plenty of money and entertainment, pretty clothes and jewelry.

Now I am struggling to cover her shifts as she is suffering from deep depression, alcoholism and health issues from her high dose ABC. She had an abnormal pap scan and found out her boyfriend passed an STD to her.

Just stop and think things through when you feel depressed. The choices people make do catch up to them. And if you don’t see it, maybe they are hiding it. Even when a person flaunts a certain lifestyle, they may still feel ashamed or embarassed by it and try to hide the bad parts.

 

[Tietjen]

Well, what about the things he has done for people with no faith. How do you explain that?

First, I explain that you are in violation of the 9th Commandment (10th Commandment for some Protestants).

I give everything to God and have no consolation. I see people live with no faith and don’t ask God to help them and they do fine on their own. You can twist it anyway you want to by saying God is making you suffer for a purpose whatever, or it’s a mystery, or whatever, you can write anything off that way. You can talk yourself into anything.

Patience isn’t my strong point so if I come off uncharitable, please forgive me. You have two choices in life:

1) Accept life as being what it is - Sometimes fair, sometimes not fair. Sometimes easy, sometimes hard. Sometimes joy filled, sometimes sad.

2) Don’t accept life as being what it is - Complaining that others are getting better treatment, envying those around you, cursing God for your lot in life, never finding happiness because you are never content with the blessings you DO have.God is not the “bad guy” here. Find in the Bible where God promises His faithful that they will have easy lives! This life is so short and our eternal life never ends, why are you so wrapped up in this life?

It doesn’t change anything. I thought God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. Well, that can’t be true. Why doesn’t he help me if he sees that i am a about to leave. He obviously gave me more than i could handle if it came to this point.

Well, first it almost seems that you are threatening the Creator of EVERYTHING with your freewill (that in itself was a gift from God). That is REALLY ridiculous… WHO are you to threaten God? Every breath you take is a gift from Him. I’d suggest that you stop feeling sorry for yourself, go to confession, and humble yourself before our Lord. You are certainly not the first to experience these things.

 

[reen12]

uhhhh…
I have no idea why one would wish to be part of
Roman Catholicism.

Just what the human heart and soul need, to grow
and flourish…
having one’s “ridiculous” whatever’s pointed out to one.

“…whoever says, ‘Thou fool’ - will be liable to fiery Gehenna.”
Matthew 5:22

The word patience means “suffer,” in Latin.
To care for another soul who has expressed what
he or she thinks and feels, oftimes does require
patience.

God, as Father, is infinitely patient with His sons and daughters.
And Jesus asks us to be like His Father.

I am partial to Jesus of Nazareth saying

“Remove the two by four from your own eye,
before you step forward to remove a splinter
from the eye of another.”

I gave up on “organized religion” decades ago.
I could not bear up under all that “charity.” :coffeeread:

To quote whomever:

“You can always tell those who are being done good to,
by the haggard expressions on their faces.”

reen12

 

[Joey1976]

Thanks to all for all your posts. Thank you for taking the time to respond to a stranger you don’t even know with kind words of encouragement and helping me to understand.
I am not leaving God as of yet. I probably never will because as most of you know, once you know the truth it is very hard to deny. And i came to know this truth of the Catholic Church 5 years ago. I am just having hard times right now with faith but as of right now i still have a faith that God will somehow get me through it.
Also, i don’t want people top think all i care about is wealth. I just want to get on with my life. I am 31, still live at home, have debt from college. I just to find my career and get on with it. My point in all this is I surrender myself to God and tell him that I will do whatever he wants me to do for a living and career and i get no answer. Doors have not opened up, nothing. I just want him to show me. Other people never even ask God, they just do what THEY want to do themselves and make it by trying really hard to achieve their goals on their own and succeeding. I thought what i was doing would be pleasing to God, to ask him what to do and I ask him to show me clearly where HE wants me to work and to open doors which will lead me to what HE wants me to do.* His will*, not mine. This is what is frustrating to me because i am getting no response. I thought he would be happy that i am not pursuing my own wants as far as a career but trying to ask what he wants me to do and have him lead me to it. Non religious people always ask me what i want to do with my life and they tell me do what you want to do and do what makes you happy and i think to myself it is not what i want to do but what God wants me to do. But he is not showing me.

So, maybe i do need to step out on my own now. I am not leaving God or the Church. But i need to get moving here and pursue something, i can’t wait any longer for him to show me what to do. I am going to persevere through this. I have to. I am going to continue to go to Church and confession and hopefully i will get out of this spiritual rut that i am in. I am just going through the motions now with Mass and prayer and my spiritual reading is lacking because me faith is being tested. But I still have one foot planted in with the Lord and the Church, i hope something happens to strengthen my faith so i can get the other foot back in too. I’m hanging on!

 

[Tietjen]

uhhhh…
I have no idea why one would wish to be part of
Roman Catholicism.

Not everyone can understand. Maybe someday…

Just what the human heart and soul need, to grow

and flourish… having one’s “ridiculous” whatever’s pointed out to one.
“…whoever says, ‘Thou fool’ - will be liable to fiery Gehenna.”
Matthew 5:22

Context is everything. This is exactly why it is important that we as individuals do not believe that we are the infallible interrupters of Sacred Scripture. On Fantasy Island, people can make believe that truth is relative, but if I see a brother or a sister in Christ straying away from truth, I am called to point this out to them in the hope that they will return. If I saw you with a gun to your head, I would likewise attempt to call you back to God’s will. (IE - attempt to prevent you from taking your life). It is sad that you choose to turn that type of compassion around and use the Bible to condemn it. However, you are not the first to do that and I doubt that you will be the last.

The word patience means “suffer,” in Latin.

To care for another soul who has expressed what he or she thinks and feels, oftimes does require patience.

I admitted that patience is not my strong point. Patience does NOT however, mean denying truth to another in order to enable a wrong behavior.

God, as Father, is infinitely patient with His sons and daughters.

And Jesus asks us to be like His Father.

And as the Father speaks truth; I too attempt to do so.

I am partial to Jesus of Nazareth saying

“Remove the two by four from your own eye, before you step forward to remove a splinter from the eye of another.”

See again, context brother. I am not judging the OP’s soul or it’s eternal destiny. I am judging actions as he/she reports them to be. We ARE called to judge this. As an example, if what you are implying is correct, then a mother could not deny her child to befriend and “hang out” with drug dealers. Because if she did deny her child, she would be judging another. Perhaps ultra-liberalism supports this kind of chaos, but fortunately, reality still rules.

I gave up on “organized religion” decades ago.

I could not bear up under all that “charity.” :coffeeread:

There’s a shocker. Well, I’ll say a prayer for you nontheless. God bless.

 

[John_Russell_Jr]

Well, what about the things he has done for people with no faith. How do you explain that? I give everything to God and have no consolation. I see people live with no faith and don’t ask God to help them and they do fine on their own. You can twist it anyway you want to by saying God is making you suffer for a purpose whatever, or it’s a mystery, or whatever, you can write anything off that way. You can talk yourself into anything. It doesn’t change anything. I thought God doesn’t give you more than you can handle. Well, that can’t be true. Why doesn’t he help me if he sees that i am a about to leave. He obviously gave me more than i could handle if it came to this point.

Hi
That’s some big questions. I’ve spent a lot of time with great suffering in my life too. I don’t know if it’ll help you but I’ll write down some things I’ve learnt. You’d have to really know your life story to give the best explaination for your particular case.
God created this universe and everything in it from nothing. We are only a thought in God’s mind. If God stopped thinking about us we would cease to exist. So we should be grateful to God for keeping us in existence.
90% of the world’s population believe in a God or God’s. It was almost 100% for the whole of human history until very recently. Many people appear to or say they don’t believe in God when actually they do. They reject organised religion but have some belief in God for example.
It appears many Godless people have a fine life without any faith. But are they really happy? No. You can only find true inner peace and joy if you have a relationship with God. The closer you are to God the more happy you will be. We see a super human joy and peace in the saints even in the midst of their great trials. This is the answer to your finding true happiness - develope a great relationship with God. Many people appear to be happy because of material wealth and tremendous prosperity and there hordes of material possessions. Most of the wealthiest people in the world are miserable. A recent survey found that many of the richest of the rich suicide. If people turn away fron God then often Satan will give them many blessings of the material order in this life to keep them on that path. Satan promises people that material things and sin will make them happy. This is his stock weapon in getting us to sin. He wraps up the sin to make it appealing to us. You can’t sit on the fence either. You must serve God or Satan. There’s no inbetween.
God loves all people whether they return that love or not. God does not will suffering for us as an end. He only permits suffering that he may bring good fruits from it. He is like a sculptor when we follow him. He will chip away at us our whole life. Constantly chipping to make us into his masterpiece. He wants to make us into saints. It’s not Gods fault that there is so much suffering in the world. He just makes use of it to try and perfect us.
Perhaps you’ve seen very sick people in hospital and noticed how virtuous many become when they are very sick. Suffering sanctifies us if we patiently accept it.
When God sends us suffering ( permits it ) he is just trying to help us grow into the people we were meant to be before original sin.
Suffering is unpleasant to us. This is because we were never meant to suffer. In the beginning all was perfect. But suffering entered our world through the original sin.
We are all evil in that we constantly do evil deeds. Sins. But people are good and can only do good. Before we do something evil we must turn it into something good. The murderer will say he deserves it because of blah blah blah. We always make an evil thing good so we can do it. The devil knows this and that’s why he always tries to make the sin seem good to us.
Because we are good and can only do good in a good world where we live we find it very hard to understand evil and suffering. These things were never meant to be part of our existence.
Try to be patient as God attempts to slowly sculpt you into a better person. You won’t suffer more than you can cope with. God will not impose his will over yours though. You have free will. The reason God gave us free will is so we can love him. You can’t love without free will.
If you turn away from God you will find that you will be less happy. You will get no benefit from it. Accept those loving chips from the sculptor. It’s not so bad. Let God make you into a masterpiece.

 

[blessedtoo]

My point in all this is I surrender myself to God and tell him that I will do whatever he wants me to do for a living and career and i get no answer.

It’s awesome that you are turning to God first! Keep it up!

Doors have not opened up, nothing. I just want him to show me

.
He will! Patience, friend!

Other people never even ask God, they just do what THEY want to do themselves and make it by trying really hard to achieve their goals on their own and succeeding.

Who cares what other people do? You must focus your energy inward and stop obsessing outward! It is not your business how or why other’s get or achieve what they have. Nor could you possibly know what any of their “successes” truly amount to.

If you wish to focus on others, turn your sights to those Christians who have found true peace and emulate them. You will find that the paths they travelled were not easy and success not measured in the ways of the world.

I thought what i was doing would be pleasing to God, to ask him what to do and I ask him to show me clearly where HE wants me to work and to open doors which will lead me to what HE wants me to do.* His will*, not mine. This is what is frustrating to me because i am getting no response. I thought he would be happy that i am not pursuing my own wants as far as a career but trying to ask what he wants me to do and have him lead me to it.

I lost a job very suddenly two years ago, shortly after returning to the Church. I spent 13 months praying, discerning, and waiting for God to “show” me what I was supposed to be doing. But I also had to work in cooperation with God. Waiting for the perfect “sign” was somewhat naive. Instead, I asked Him to guide me in the process of seeking employment while I hit the streets and did the grunt work. God is truly pleased that you are seeking His will before making big decisions. And He is not going to “punish” you if you don’t find the “perfect” job. It took me until I was 45 years old to finally secure employment that I believe is in line with His plan but I will probably always continue to question whether He has something else in mind for me.

Non religious people always ask me what i want to do with my life and they tell me do what you want to do and do what makes you happy and i think to myself it is not what i want to do but what God wants me to do.

He wants you to strive to do His will. According to your posts, you are doing that. The rest will fall into place. If you take a job that is not part of His plan for you, He will let you know.

But he is not showing me.

Patience and trust, my friend!

But i need to get moving here and pursue something, i can’t wait any longer for him to show me what to do.

Yes - do “get moving” and keep talking to Him! Ask Him, consult with Him, and then make a decision, with Him in mind. He will most certainly be pleased by you!

 

[ncjohn]

I admitted that patience is not my strong point. Patience does NOT however, mean denying truth to another in order to enable a wrong behavior.

Yes, it appears that you are correct that patience is not your strong point. But I happen to believe you are dead wrong in your second statement, as the OP was not addressing a “wrong behavior” that you would or would not be “enabling”. Instead, to be frank, you have come off sounding–both to the OP and to Reen–like one of Job’s misguided friends. I will try to be patient however in addressing what I perceive as your wrong behavior here as I would with one of my own children.

The OP’s lament is a crisis of faith. Many of us have struggled with that along our journeys, and it is a most difficult of places to live in. The ubiquitous “Footprints” poem addresses it well, with God saying to the tormented soul at the end

“My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.”

Jesus, in the gospels, calls all those who are burdened to come to him, that he may give them rest. In another place he asks who among the listeners, if their child asked them for bread, would instead give them a snake. And James, in his letter, addresses how we are to address those with specific issues by stating that if one is hungry and we simply tell them “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well” that we have failed in our Christian duty.

Yet instead of compassion the OP, and Reen along with him/her for offering a level of understanding and compassion, is berated and basically told to quit whining and just trust God. But since the basic issue is a crisis of faith, and an extreme difficulty in trusting God, the message given is very similar to “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well”, and implies, as did Job’s friends, that the OP must have done something wrong and is being punished by God.

Paul made very clear that “truth” spoken without love is a clanging cymbal and a noisy gong. I have encountered many of God’s most wounded sheep during my life: those living in deep sin, those with mental and psychological illnesses; the self-righteous who believe they aren’t wounded at all, and some experiencing their crises in faith. What I have found is that if I cannot treat each of these as I would my beloved wife or child–with the heart of God Himself–that I am better off to walk away silently and just admit that I am not up to the task. Jesus made clear that we are better to have a millstone tied around our neck and be thrown in the sea than to do something to prevent his little ones from approaching him. And believe me, those little ones are any–including you and me–who are having difficulty finding our way to God.

I know that your heart and your intentions are good here, and I don’t question that at all. But I would urge you to please give some thought to how you approach God’s wounded lambs. They don’t need to be kicked while they try to untangle themselves from the brambles; they need someone to loving sit with them and help untangle the mess.

My prayers are with you, and I wish you peace. I would also wish peace and the felt embrace of God to the OP and to Reen, who I know has suffered greatly in her life.

 

[tmango]

I understand where you are coming from Joey. I think that a lot of us have our times of doubt. Why me? I have always been good. Why is God punishing me and giving that other guy the things I should be getting, because I believe in Him and that other guy doesn’t? I think we can all recognize with those situations. The difference is that as we learn our faith, we find that the cross is to be embraced, not looked upon as a bad thing. The cross brings us closer to God, by way of sufferig, as He suffered for our Redemption.

Try to look at it this way. The tip of a wooden spear is hardened where…in the Fire. A clay brick is hardened and made strong where…in the Fire. Steel is hardened and made strong where…in the Fire. Gold is purified in the Fire. Our souls are strengthened and purified in the Fire of the Holy Spirit. Our suffereings make us stronger.

Try not to wonder why your cross is so heavy, and your neighbors is not. As one of the replies answered you, it is those souls most precious to our Lord that He gives the heaviest crosses to. I remember reading a story about one of our saints. She was riding along in a horse drawn carriage during a rain storm and her carriage rolled over throwing her into the mud. She raised up, looked to heaven and said, “If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few of them.”

Lastly, when you think you have it tough, look around. there are so many people in this world lost to sin. Drug addicts, sex addicts, child molestors. There are people maimed in accidents, people stricken with every kind of terrible disease you can think of, children born with so many kinds of permanent disablilities. This is only but a few things going on around us, and it could be or could have been any one of us. When you see these poor souls, think to yourself, “But for the grace of God, there go I.”

Trust in your Lord and pray with a contrite heart. Look not to your neighbor, but within yourself. Remember, not all prayers are answered with a yes, but all prayers are heard by heaven. God has a plan for you. Listen for His whisper and trust in Him. Place your worries at His feet and ask His help in your unbelief.

Pray to His Mother and ask Her for Her protection and guidance. Ask Her to intercede for you with Her Son, and to bring your prayers to Him cleansed and purified. Pray the rosary for there is much power in it.

If you fall, get back up and start again. Never give in to sin and become its slave. Always fight the good fight. Become a warrior for Mary, our Blessed Mother. She is the One that will crush the head of the serpent.

I will pray for your perseverance in this trial.

 

[whatevergirl]

As others have wonderfully said…it’s natural to sometimes question things–to wonder ‘why me?’ I have thought these things too, at times in my life. You see the person at work who behaves in unethical ways, and yet…wins the deal, and seems successful…but in the end, this person needs to look in the mirror. The flip side to that, too…is that we don’t know the depth of a person’s faith. Sometimes, people have to hit rock bottom with their morality/ethics, before rising up. There have been many people in life, who after experiencing prison even, have developed a relationship with Christ. So, as hard as it is–we can’t judge another’s relationship to God. (although all ‘signs’ would show that person has none!) lol

My advice would be to pray pray and pray some more. That may sound simplistic…but there are reasons Paul told us to ‘pray without ceasing.’ The minute these thoughts flutter into your mind…start praying for that person’s heart to change, or start praying for yourself to not be envious or negative. (not saying you are, but could be emotions you feel when you see others’ lives seemingly ‘easier’ than yours)

And always remember…that the devil does not mess with those he has in his back pocket. He tries to tempt those he wants to lure away from God. Every day, we go through a war zone–the devil trying to pull us away from our Lord and Savior, and Christ holding our hand on the other side. Ultimately, we don’t want to let the devil win, but that is what he wants. So, hang in there–don’t lose faith–and also know that God is always working in your best interest. You could be going through a test of faith for something that requires it of you later on…or God could be preparing you for something that you are not quite ready for. Stand firm against the enemy…he wants your soul. Be vigilant in your prayer life, and know that God has YOUR best interests in mind…and beyond the things of this world. I marvel at all of the blessings God has provided to my family and me–and think*…gee, He knew way better than me what we needed. *

You are in my prayers…God bless you.

 

[reen12]

quote: Tietjen
Context is everything

.

No, Tietjen, context is not “everthing.”
Charity is everything, says the God
Whom you profess to worship.

I am pointing this out to you so that
you may never claim - when you yourself
come before Christ one day - that you
never heard this.

But Lord, did I not proclaim the truths
of Your faith? Did I not point to the
errors of others? Did I not do Your
work?

I shall watch with great interest, one day,
to see the reply of the good shepherd
toward one who presumed to speak
for Him with the wintery blasts of a
cold wind.

As Dives stepped over Lazurus,
the more quickly to reach the groaning board -
oblivious to Lazurus in pain -
so too do “teachers” of the faith -
with their false “riches” of hewing
the doctrinal line -
step over those prostrate with loss,
fear, uncertainty and doubt, or those
who are ill in mind - the more quickly
and righteously to proclaim the gospel,
the “good news” -

the best good news that I can think of,
at the moment, is that you do not
speak for Christ, nor for His Father, Tietjen.
Albeit you are under the impression that
you so do.

Think what you will. That is your responsibilty.
But it is my responsiblity to speak up for
the shorn lambs who have read, or may
read in future, the self-righteous words
of one who presumes to speak for God.

As Dives asked father Abraham to speak
to his brothers, so that they, too, might
not end up like him, father Abraham told
Dives

'They have Moses and the Prophets let them listen to them*."*
*
*And I say to you

You have the words of Jesus to guide you.
If you learn not from those words, you can
never come before Him and claim that you did
not know what was required of those who
would follow the Son of God.

God help those who drive away the shorn lamb.

reen12

 

[Tietjen]

Yes, it appears that you are correct that patience is not your strong point. But I happen to believe you are dead wrong in your second statement, as the OP was not addressing a “wrong behavior” that you would or would not be “enabling”. Instead, to be frank, you have come off sounding–both to the OP and to Reen–like one of Job’s misguided friends. I will try to be patient however in addressing what I perceive as your wrong behavior here as I would with one of my own children.

Please, don’t talk down to me as though I were a child. I can appreciate the fact that you and I do not agree on how to approach this issue and I can respect both you and your opinion.

Yet instead of compassion the OP, and Reen along with him/her for offering a level of understanding and compassion, is berated and basically told to quit whining and just trust God. But since the basic issue is a crisis of faith, and an extreme difficulty in trusting God, the message given is very similar to “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well”, and implies, as did Job’s friends, that the OP must have done something wrong and is being punished by God.

Please, re-read my post. Nowhere did I suggest that the OP or REEN12 were being punished. You are attempting to build a straw man. Let’s keep the accusations truthful. I will admit that I address things head on and don’t sugar-coat things. If someone is experiencing difficulties that they perceive as being unfair, I have more of a tendency to say, “Snap out of it. Life isn’t always fair.” I recognize that some will kneel down beside them, put an arm around their shoulders and say, “There, there, everything will be okay.” However, as I see it in this case, the OP was at a point of such self-pity that he was threatening God with desertion if God did not act in the way that he wished Him to. Now you and perhaps others can disagree with my methods; however, when I see someone acting like that, I will attempt to correct it. To ignore it, sends the message that it’s okay to threaten God (as though it were possible).

Paul made very clear that “truth” spoken without love is a clanging cymbal and a noisy gong.

I suppose that I can understand why it is you would believe that the words I posted had no love behind them. I didn’t use ‘smilies’, I didn’t take paragraphs to get to the point, and in reen12’s case I was a bit sarcastic. I will concede that my sarcasm with reen12 was wrong.

Reen12 - I apologize for being sarcastic in responding to your post.

However, “love” isn’t always about being politically correct and accepting. Sometimes, love requires us to be blunt, direct and to the point. The easy and unloving thing to do is to simply say, “I don’t care enough to tell someone when they are wrong.” Threatening to leave God and His Church is wrong. Looking at what others have and crying out, “Why Lord don’t you give me these things?” is likewise wrong. I pointed this out to the OP. Perhaps not in the same way you would have, but God did not make me you, so that is to be expected.

I know that your heart and your intentions are good here, and I don’t question that at all. But I would urge you to please give some thought to how you approach God’s wounded lambs. They don’t need to be kicked while they try to untangle themselves from the brambles; they need someone to loving sit with them and help untangle the mess.

In some instances, yes. In some other instances, you may need to slap them upside the head in order to get their attention and have them focus on God instead of their own self-pity or their selfishness. Before you can help THEM to untangle THEMSELVES, you might have to get them to be still and stop flailing long enough to see the truth of the situation.

My prayers are with you, and I wish you peace. I would also wish peace and the felt embrace of God to the OP and to Reen, who I know has suffered greatly in her life.

I thank you for your prayers. Mine are with you as well. To Joey1976 (the OP) if I have offended you I apologize. That was not my intention. Despite HOW I spoke my words, the intent was to help. I don’t mix words, and I’m too old to become indirect now. To Reen - Again forgive my sarcasm. I will forgive your hostility toward Catholicism.