Why do protestants get it easy?

[Zerg]

I think we should all strive to be a little detached from the world. To live a simple life. The simple things, the small details of nature; a bird twittering; water gushing.

Protestants do not have faith as big as watermelons–they sometimes doubt God’s existence just like you and me.

I went to a Christian school, and they knew the Bible inside out. We learn from each other. I can learn from Protestants the value of reading the Bible, especially in emergencies or times of loneliness.

I have the Bible on my kindle.

 

[Reuben_J]

Thank you.

 

[BoomBoomMancini]

I think your perceptions are seriously warped.

 

[TheLittleLady]

This is a very select group of protestants who follow what is called the “prosperity gospel”. It is a heresy and very damaging for exactly the reasons you post.

They teach that if you are a good enough Christian you will be healthy, happy, rich. If you are not these things, it is YOUR fault because you did not have enough faith, did not pray the right way, really, God just does not like you as much as he likes us.

This drives people to despair when those who are suffering begin to feel it is their own fault. It causes people to lose faith, reject God, it is very damaging.

Stop listening to those folks. Turn off the TV shows or their radio programs. If it is people in real life and they start talking this way, say “how nice for you” and walk away.

Look at a crucifix. Suffering is part of our salvation.

 

[TheLittleLady]

Hitler had nice cars and fancy clothes.

As Scripture says “the rain falls on the just and the unjust”.

 

[RoseScented]

I mean… would someone go around reporting to everyone their unanswered prayers? We should rejoice with them at the power of the Lord at work in the world amongst such broken people.

You seem to be focusing a lot on what your coworkers present. They all don’t have perfect lives. You’re in a workplace which isn’t a place to share the struggles that they have. At work people tend to present a happy or uplifted side to make the workplace agreeable. Heck, people have judged me on how I present myself at work saying I’m so nice, always happy, and probably haven’t had to deal with things much worse than death in the family.

No one knows how much low self-esteem I have. No one knows how much my own illness actually affects my life and how I’ve changed with it from the past. No one knows how much when they ask for my help I really want to just tell them to go away and figure it out themselves because I just don’t want to bother. Those people that say I’m always happy have no idea that I sat in the middle of my room years ago trying to find a place to kill myself. So don’t judge the happiness or compare your own life with theirs based on external presentations. Judge your life based on if you are living it in accord with the Lord, nothing else matters.

As for the length of prayer, my shortest prayer ever was answered the fastest. That prayer was “Help” and it’s why that instance in the middle of my room is just a memory. I’ve had long prayers answered. I’ve had short prayers answered. I’ve had plenty of prayers not answered and later I thank the Lord that He didn’t answer them. Sometimes I have to work out why the Lord maybe didn’t answer them and what He wants me to gain from it. The length of time spent in prayer, the number of words, even the fact of having words doesn’t somehow make a prayer more worthy of being answered. A person could say every prayer known to man for something and if they are only saying words then they’ve just had an exercise in reading. The Lord will answer prayers that are good for the person praying. The Lord will not answer prayers when the thing being asked for isn’t good. The Lord will do as He wills and His response will be Just, Merciful, and Good.

Confess to the Lord your jealousy and then ask for Him to take it away; don’t forget the confessional as well. Jealousy will only harm you. The rules that the Lord has given us are not impossible to follow, because that would be unjust. Whenever you are feeling strain with a rule first figure out if it is a rule or something you’ve imposed on yourself out of misinformation. Then if you haven’t been misinformed examine why you want to fight against that rule so much. Normally for me I find such times I’m having inclinations for things that I shouldn’t and I really don’t want to do something the “hard way”.

 

[Dan_Defender]

This is a very select group of protestants who follow what is called the “prosperity gospel”. It is a heresy and very damaging for exactly the reasons you post.

They teach that if you are a good enough Christian you will be healthy, happy, rich. If you are not these things, it is YOUR fault because you did not have enough faith, did not pray the right way, really, God just does not like you as much as he likes us

Interesting. This opens my eyes to the attitude some Protestants I know have. Live and learn.

 

[joeybaggz]

I knew a guy (protestant) that said that God had answered his prayer for a new car. He then proceeded to say that God helps those who help themselves, and told of working double time, and prodigious overtime and when he went to the bank, the bank okayed his loan when he put 50% down on a new car.
Yes, God was right there doling out the goodies.

 

[Reuben_J]

He could have attributed it to God that he worked hard and able to pay upfront for the car.

Perhaps without the prayer he lacked motivation to earn the extra money and therefore unable to afford a car.

A man, probably a good ole Catholic, was at the top of the roof as flood water was rising. He prayed to God to rescue him. Up came a boat to pick him, he said God would rescue him. Then a helicopter throwing a ladder down and he said the same. Finally the flood caught him. And when he met God at the Pearly Gate, he remonstrated that God did not answer his prayer.

God works in a mysterious way. He gives as he pleases or He changes the hearts of men. More importantly is our faith to believe.

 

[guanophore]

I’m always hearing protestants at work saying how they prayed for this and that and got exactly what they asked for whether it be healing or help in some way. Their prayers only last a few seconds and whoosh the answer is always yes.

They don’t “always” and the answer is not always “yes” either. But there are some important differences. They pray with faith and trust, which is a requirement. They also have had their eyes open to “see” the Kingdom of heaven, so instead of assuming God is not at work in their lives, they assume that all things work together for their good. They look at the world with the expectation that they will see how He is working all things to their good.

They aren’t in any mortal sins apparently because they don’t have full knowledge of them.

This cannot be assumed.

They are always happy too, I don’t want people to not be happy but I am jealous of them

They have a different mindset of approaching life, Nelka. The fruit of the Spirit (joy) grows in those who are connected to the Vine.

we have so many rules it is almost impossible to follow.

I would say that it is impossible to follow the commandments of God without His grace. Whenever we try to do it by our own power, we become exhausted and depressed. Where He guides, He provides!

Are you ready to be transformed by the renewing of your mind?

But their prayers are bejng answered. Surely this makes them reaffirm their faith is true?

Yes, I think the more one sees how God is working moment to moment in life, the more one’s faith is strengthened.

 

[jericho777]

Wow there are some sour grapes here. LOL

This thread made me really reflect how blessed I am as a Christian. I can personally attest God answers all my prayers. Not all as I expected though. Sometimes NO is better than yes. Yes God does work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes!

I will say there are more miracles at my church than I can honestly count. Really my Pastor is on fire for the love of Jesus. He is being used mightily for the glory of God. From serious medical conditions to everyday life stuff. Faith and humbly seeking His face is at the heart of it. Rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice.

To the OP no they don’t have it easy they have faith.

 

[kill051]

Nelka:

I’m always hearing protestants at work saying how they prayed for this and that and got exactly what they asked for

That is not the experience of the Protestants I know .

People who think prayer is a kind of ‘put in a coin(prayer) and win a prize’ game are usually disappointed. They may be overcompensating by publicly announcing all these wonderful answers to their prayers, in order to disguise the real truth: they struggle just as much as everyone else with ‘No’ answers to what they want.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

people have judged me on how I present myself at work saying I’m so nice, always happy, and probably haven’t had to deal with things much worse than death in the family.

I’ve had this, too.
Work self is not necessarily real self…

 

[PJH_74]

The idea the Protestants have it easier is kind of interesting. The idea that Luther hit on was that God’s love and salvation was freely given and that it was ours to lose. He was coming from the context of himself never feeling he had done enough for his own salvation. He became a Priest and couldn’t stop confessing ever little sin because of it. He also saw way too much attention (especially during his time) to save one’s self. His thought was that knowing our salvation came freely, it would help bring the kingdom of God closer to us since we would no longer be burdened by these worries and could turn our attention to helping others.

 

[nuntym]

+JMJ+

But Catholics, compared to Protestants, have it easy too. Catholics have the secret of invincible joy and peace even in this life, not just for Heaven, that other denominations just stumble into.

CCC 1829 The fruits of charity [love] are joy, peace, and mercy…

This is the reason why Catholicism emphasizes so much on love compared to Protestantism: the advantages of the virtue of love (charity) are so great. A very act of charity, without fail, produces joy and peace in the heart. That is not actually just Catholic teaching, but a true Christian teaching that can be found in all denominations of Christianity, but only in Catholicism I found this to be first and foremost.

It should be obvious now why I said this peace and joy are invincible: it is because you can love God and man anytime, anywhere. And when I say “love” I mean in the spiritual sense, i.e. with the will. It is to align your will to God’s no matter what you are feeling, no matter what the cost, no matter what the occasion.

You can repeat the experiment and prove it to yourself. You can be absolutely certain that it is true, just as you can be certain that fire is hot and ice is cold.

Millions of people for thousands of years have tried the experiment, and not one of them has ever been cheated. All who seek, find—this is not just a promise about the next life, to be believed by faith, but a promise about this life, to be proved by experience, to be tested by experiment.

No one who ever said to God, “Thy will be done” and meant it with his heart, ever failed to find joy—not just in heaven, or even down the road in the future in this world, but in this world at that very moment, here and now.

(Peter Kreeft)

 

[guanophore]

Wow there are some sour grapes here

Sure seems to be. Sorry about that!

This thread made me really reflect how blessed I am as a Christian. I can personally attest God answers all my prayers. Not all as I expected though. Sometimes NO is better than yes. Yes God does work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes!

Amen to that! But only those whose eyes have been open to see the Kingdom can perceive how this happens.

Faith and humbly seeking His face is at the heart of it. Rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice.

To the OP no they don’t have it easy they have faith.

I think you hit this nail on the head several times jericho777. If one comes to God, one must believe that He is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. If one begins from the assumption that “He will never answer my prayers” it is lost from the start.

Jesus says, “according to your faith be it done to you”.

Your point about rejoicing is also a good one. We are to give thanks in all circumstances. Not FOR them, but IN them. If we cannot find anything for which to be thankful to God then our minds are darkened by unbelief.

When we walk in grace by faith, His burden is easy and light.

 

[nuntym]

+JMJ+

We are to give thanks in all circumstances. Not FOR them, but IN them.

Interesting, how do you do this? I personally thank God for everything that happens to me, “good” or “bad” (though in reality everything that happens to me, if I accept them gratefully, I know just gets me closer to Heaven so nothing that happens to me should be considered bad), but in them? That is something new to me.

 

[guanophore]

Interesting, how do you do this? I personally thank God for everything that happens to me, “good” or “bad” (though in reality everything that happens to me, if I accept them gratefully, I know just gets me closer to Heaven so nothing that happens to me should be considered bad), but in them? That is something new to me.

It might be ideal, perhaps, to be able to give thanks “for” everything, as one may be able to look past their sufferings to see his redemption. But there are some things in life that are impossible for people to give thanks “for”. Abuse is a major example of this. No one who has been beaten or raped will soon be able to be thankful for the experience.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

 

[po18guy]

There are two sources of answered prayers. I strongly suspect that materialistic requests are not answered by the Lord. That leaves one other to answer…

In any event, the “reformation” was a sea-change in belief. Much more - in some cases almost everything - was now up to God. No more denial of self or that nasty taking up of one’s cross. The Name of Jesus was now seemingly magic - a prosperity and worldly goods vending machine. This naturally produces a lazy, materialistic faith.

In the realm of cancer, I see self-professed believers freaking out that their healing prayer was not immediately answered. No deliverance from suffering - calling into question their belief that Christ suffered so that we would not.

This can cause a crisis of faith - even loss of faith.

 

[jericho777]

I think you make some good points. Yes there was a sea of change. Resting in Christ’s finished work on the cross and not on ones own efforts frees believers to have Jesus live through them. Walking in what God has prepared for them.

Jesus name is the most powerful name in all that is. It’s not magic but majestic. If we ask according to the will of God, He will answer our prayer. God loves to give good gifts to His children.

I have seen people both healed instantly and over time of cancer and other diseases and others not physically healed at all. God is God and worthy to be praised! He tells us to pray with faith and trust Him. That we do. You may be surprised how many people I’ve seen healed of stage 4.

Sadly it seems many here have not had a touch from the LORD.