Going through trials

[LightLoveHope]

I just want to add.

What I have expressed above is not to make me look good.
Trust me I don't feel good about any of it and the way I walked in it for 25 years.
The sad fact is that many well meaning christians did not help when I asked for help.
That needed dealing with as well
At the end of the day it's all about God's timing and not ours.
Truth is for me for those years I would not forgive and this included God.

For some reason I felt I was being punished by God for things I had no control over and things I could not control (gambling and addiction)

When I woke up one morning still alive a figured that there must be a reason.
So I asked why.

"I'm glad you asked that Bill" says God
"Will you now trust me?
That I did.

A lot of healing was needed, a lot of forgiving was needed.
Notice I say 'Forgiving'

It's not easy but the truth is

“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
― Lewis B. Smedes, Forgive and Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don't Deserve

Hi Bill,

To be honest most people are not able to delve the issues you have gone through,
and feel totally confused at what to say and do.

If for some it is difficult to just say friend, or be honest about some minor problem,
talking about abuse, loathing and alcoholism of a mother, grief, loss, torn relationships,
lost dreams, poverty, betrayal they would feel this is a storm they cannot touch.

I shared about being friends with people, about opening up and just saying hello
in our house group. The answer was some feared getting sucked in to a dependency relationship.

I know the feeling, but it is a lie. We need others just to care, to value us, to reach out
and to know where we are. It is strange we say we follow a Lord who died for us, and
we are called to die for one another, but for fear of being dependent on another, we back
off, which is a denial of the very Lord who calls us just to share. Boundaries matter and
they can always be drawn, learning how to do this is important, but most is to learn to
give love when it hurts, to share when it is needed and not know the Lords blessing and
will.

Grace and peace to you in Christ Jesus.

 

[BillG]

Hi Bill,

To be honest most people are not able to delve the issues you have gone through,
and feel totally confused at what to say and do.

If for some it is difficult to just say friend, or be honest about some minor problem,
talking about abuse, loathing and alcoholism of a mother, grief, loss, torn relationships,
lost dreams, poverty, betrayal they would feel this is a storm they cannot touch.

I shared about being friends with people, about opening up and just saying hello
in our house group. The answer was some feared getting sucked in to a dependency relationship.

I know the feeling, but it is a lie. We need others just to care, to value us, to reach out
and to know where we are. It is strange we say we follow a Lord who died for us, and
we are called to die for one another, but for fear of being dependent on another, we back
off, which is a denial of the very Lord who calls us just to share. Boundaries matter and
they can always be drawn, learning how to do this is important, but most is to learn to
give love when it hurts, to share when it is needed and not know the Lords blessing and
will.

Grace and peace to you in Christ Jesus.

Hi LLH,

I understand what you are saying.

What gets me we is that we can have two sides to the equation.

People who feel that they cannot help can and most do, they then avoid the person.

Then people who feel they can are the ones I mentioned in my post. Basically the advice was, Bible says now go do.
When I shared one of my experiences the response was "What you are going through its nothing to compared to what people in countries who are persecuted and beaten and killed, thank God you are not going through what they are"

I do love your last paragraph and that's my thoughts as well.

Even if we can't or feel we came help a person because it's beyond us and our knowledge (we all need to be very careful when trying to help someone, by this I mean if someone has severe mental health issues and we have no understanding we should take this on) however we should love them where they are at.

The church needs to be place where people feel safe, secure and loved enough to be able to be open when they struggle.
Jesus called us to love one another, by this the world will know we are his disciples.
This applies to loving our enemies as well.

Also helping is not about having to the answer all the time or keep responding.
Lending an ear, listening is good. It helps.
It is good to listen and praying internally "Father I need your wisdom here"

God bless you.

 

[p_rehbein]

Psalms 60:11) Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 12) Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Praying for all those who are enduring the trials of this life.....and knowing God will never forsake them.

 

[BillG]

Hi everyone.

I hope you are all well.

I have been thinking about this thread today.
Thinking about posts and responses.

You know life is hard.
Bad things happen to good people and good things happen to bad people.

The truth is that in the eyes of God there is no one who is God.
The only one who is good is Jesus.
And look at what happen to him.

As a result of his death, burial and resurrection and going back to the Father the world can be reconciled by faith in Jesus to the Father.

So last night I shared my life in a nutshell. Yes my experiences were harsh.
I wasn't expecting responses.

To be honest I only share my experiences when God had brought me through them.
I mentioned my gambling. I can only share that experience, and only do so because God dealt with it. Then used me to walk alongside someone else with a severe gambling problem.

The purpose is to bring glory to God and hope to others. That's belivers and non believers.
Believers can be broken and hurt people as can non believers.

Jesus came for the sick, hurting, those looked down on, outcasts.

Anything that stunts our relationship with God as a result of life experiences is the reality of a person seeking God.
It needs dealing with.

Jesus is in the business of healing and restoration.

Nothing is too big and nothing is too small to bring to him.

Thank you Jesus.

 

[LightLoveHope]

The theme of trials reminds me of the book, to Kill a Mocking Bird.

Some issues take a lifetime to conquer, and are difficult with many ups and downs.
The danger is us believing we have an answer, when actually it is about a walk.

Peter knew Jesus, yet Jesus rebuked him, he denied Jesus, was restored, filled with
the Holy Spirit, yet still had issues that Paul corrected him on.

We like simple put together solutions, to life and its stresses and strains. Jesus just
gives us His commitment, His guarantee of faithfulness, the cross and asks us to have
faith and believe Him, listening and following Him. What a fantastic gift, what a marvolous
privilege that the King of Kings came to speak and be with us. It makes me bow my
knees and bow in adoration to Him. Amen, come Lord Jesus and fill us with your Holy Spirit
so that we might know your will and do your words that you have called us to, Amen.

 

[BillG]

I'm going to post a link to a go to song when I struggle.
There is a story behind it but I won't post it.
If you want to read it here is a link https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Spafford

It's very sad. But we see the greatness of God.

I just want to reiterate, nothing is too big and nothing too small to bring to God.

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=g-IisI2u6fs[/video]

Heavenly Father.

I pray for those of us here who are really struggling.
We all struggle and will struggle with different things and the same things.
Some of us have been and are going through things that are different.
Jesus bring healing where healing is needed.
Jesus bring correction where correction is needed.
Jesus give us wisdom where wisdom is needed.
May we remember that nothing is too big that you can't deal with.
And nothing is too small to bring to you.
You are the lover of our souls.
So I pray for healing of hurts, pain and fears.
I pray we know that you will never forsake us.
Your love is constant.
You are the same today as you will be tomorrow.
Jesus I lift us all up to you.
May it be well with our soul.
I ask this in your name.

Psalms 42:11
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God;
For I shall yet praise Him,
The help of my countenance and my God.

 

[Stunnedbygrace]

Trail Mix - yum..

It took over a day but I finally got it!

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Psalms 60:11) Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 12) Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Praying for all those who are enduring the trials of this life.....and knowing God will never forsake them.

The LORD shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace (Exodus 14:14).

 

[MessageOfTheCross]

Psalms 60:11) Give us help from trouble: for vain is the help of man. 12) Through God we shall do valiantly: for he it is that shall tread down our enemies.

Praying for all those who are enduring the trials of this life.....and knowing God will never forsake them.

The "trouble" referred to here is the seven-year Great Tribulation, which Jesus said would be worst ever (Matthew 24:21).