Does Anyone Else Suffer from a Persistent Case of "Christian Guilt"?
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Hey Everyone,
I just want you all to know how much I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and own stories--it's really helped me a lot, and I'm sorry I don't have the time to reply to every post, but I want you to know I'm very grateful that you all would take the time to read and respond.
Cinder, THANK YOU for reminding me of this point!!!
It reminds me of the passage: Luke 4:25 -- "I assure you there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land..."
And yet, God sent Elijah was sent to ONE specific widow for His own purpose. He was NOT told to stop and help every widow on the way--all his time and resources were to go to this one particular widow and her son.
When I have more time, I'm going to go through everyone's answers more thoroughly, but in the meantime, I hope you'll keep posting and I hope this thread is helping others who are wrestling with these kinds of dilemmas as well.
I know you've all helped me tremendously already, and I sincerely thank you for that.
I just want you all to know how much I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and own stories--it's really helped me a lot, and I'm sorry I don't have the time to reply to every post, but I want you to know I'm very grateful that you all would take the time to read and respond.
Cinder, THANK YOU for reminding me of this point!!!
It reminds me of the passage: Luke 4:25 -- "I assure you there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land..."
And yet, God sent Elijah was sent to ONE specific widow for His own purpose. He was NOT told to stop and help every widow on the way--all his time and resources were to go to this one particular widow and her son.
When I have more time, I'm going to go through everyone's answers more thoroughly, but in the meantime, I hope you'll keep posting and I hope this thread is helping others who are wrestling with these kinds of dilemmas as well.
I know you've all helped me tremendously already, and I sincerely thank you for that.
For those wondering if you do enough.....
What did the thief do for God that was hanging on the cross? Did he do enough?
Yes, he gave his heart to God and then died the same day.
It is the only thing we can give to God that really counts our heart our selves by submitting and believing in Him and accepting the gift. It isn't how much you can do or give it is submitting and repenting and accepting what God has done for us.
Salvation is a gift not something we work for and earn.
What did the thief do for God that was hanging on the cross? Did he do enough?
Yes, he gave his heart to God and then died the same day.
It is the only thing we can give to God that really counts our heart our selves by submitting and believing in Him and accepting the gift. It isn't how much you can do or give it is submitting and repenting and accepting what God has done for us.
Salvation is a gift not something we work for and earn.
People ask me to do things for them. I do it, because if I decline, I know I would feel guilty to no end. 3am this morning, a guy I work with at my part time job, called me to help him. I was so tired, but I knew I would feel bad if I didn't. I didn't get home until 10, completely exhausted. I slept until 1530 today, missing church for the second time, not getting any chores done, and now feeling guilty about wasting all the daylight. The bosses at work know I'm alone now and my children are gone, so they call on me constantly to pick up extra shifts, but I would feel guilty for declining and making someone else have to do it. I became a Christian with a baptist church, so I reckon it's easy for me to feel guilty over nothing. I'm starting to think guilt is one of satan's tools of oppression.
Cinder said well much of what I would have said (and I can't rep her for it).
A couple of people mentioned tithing... this isn't the BDF, so I'm not going to give you the long version, but I will say that there is a very close connection between tithing and false guilt (and, just for clarity, that offering and tithing are distinct).
Someone who comes up and starts talking isn't asking for your time; they're taking it without asking. You aren't being polite by letting them do so; you're facilitating their impoliteness. You may choose to give some time (or money, or whatever), but doing so out of a sense of obligation isn't good. God loves a cheerful giver; it doesn't say He loves a resentful giver.
A couple of people mentioned tithing... this isn't the BDF, so I'm not going to give you the long version, but I will say that there is a very close connection between tithing and false guilt (and, just for clarity, that offering and tithing are distinct).
Someone who comes up and starts talking isn't asking for your time; they're taking it without asking. You aren't being polite by letting them do so; you're facilitating their impoliteness. You may choose to give some time (or money, or whatever), but doing so out of a sense of obligation isn't good. God loves a cheerful giver; it doesn't say He loves a resentful giver.
I'm familiar with the Bible, thanks.
I know that in most of the threads I write that you answer, you tend to always say the same thing, "It's all in the Bible."
But there's always a sense of condescension behind it.
Kind of like, "Hey, you bunch of stupid idiots--all you have to do is read the Bible and put it into practice"--as if we don't know that already and that makes us all a bunch of morons for not being able to master it all in one step and then act as if everything is a piece of cake.
Maybe it really IS that easy for some people, and that's awesome. I truly wish I could be like them.
But as for me... I hold on to passages like Philippians 2:12 -- "Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling."
For the people like you, who can just figure it out, sum it up in two sentences, and then tell everyone to just read the Bible...
I applaud you. But I am not like you.
When I feel fear, and when I tremble, I go and talk to other people about it.
I understand that some people "get" it a lot easier than others... But I guess you'll have to just dismiss me as being one of the slow ones.
I'm truly sorry that I'm not catching on as quickly as you seem to think a person should.
I know that in most of the threads I write that you answer, you tend to always say the same thing, "It's all in the Bible."
But there's always a sense of condescension behind it.
Kind of like, "Hey, you bunch of stupid idiots--all you have to do is read the Bible and put it into practice"--as if we don't know that already and that makes us all a bunch of morons for not being able to master it all in one step and then act as if everything is a piece of cake.
Maybe it really IS that easy for some people, and that's awesome. I truly wish I could be like them.
But as for me... I hold on to passages like Philippians 2:12 -- "Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling."
For the people like you, who can just figure it out, sum it up in two sentences, and then tell everyone to just read the Bible...
I applaud you. But I am not like you.
When I feel fear, and when I tremble, I go and talk to other people about it.
I understand that some people "get" it a lot easier than others... But I guess you'll have to just dismiss me as being one of the slow ones.
I'm truly sorry that I'm not catching on as quickly as you seem to think a person should.
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I always found that verse you quoted to be very interesting. It does say to continue to 'work out' your salvation and not to continue to 'make sure' of your salvation by fear and trembling. Fascinating verse with many implications. Another favorite verse of mine is in Isaiah, "Come now, and let us reason together...line upon line, precept upon precept, a little here, a little there". Yes, all of us are a piece of work in progress. We'll keep fighting the good fight, keep our eyes on the prize and eventually the race will be won. This is my understanding.
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Seoulsearch,
I apologize if my comments sounded argumentative.
When I reread them, they sounded a lot more curt than I intended.
I think the concerns you raised in the OP are very reasonable concerns.
I think they are very reasonable, and normal concerns for any Christian.
These are normal kinds of dilemmas, that are common to all of us, and which "honest" christians talk about it.
But there is an even bigger dilemma.
There are lots of wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ who've never had their teachers show them the answers to all of these things in scripture.
These issues are very normal issues, which SHOULD concern us...
but they really are issues which are addressed in the scripture.
God hasn't left us without light on these issues.
That was my only point.
I didn't mean to start an argument here, so I'm exiting the thread.
Take care.
I apologize if my comments sounded argumentative.
When I reread them, they sounded a lot more curt than I intended.
I think the concerns you raised in the OP are very reasonable concerns.
I think they are very reasonable, and normal concerns for any Christian.
These are normal kinds of dilemmas, that are common to all of us, and which "honest" christians talk about it.
But there is an even bigger dilemma.
There are lots of wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ who've never had their teachers show them the answers to all of these things in scripture.
These issues are very normal issues, which SHOULD concern us...
but they really are issues which are addressed in the scripture.
God hasn't left us without light on these issues.
That was my only point.
I didn't mean to start an argument here, so I'm exiting the thread.
Take care.
R
I kindly disagree with you. People in general think too much on how they come across to other people thus leading them to a feeling of guilt. Life is way too short to feel guilty of not holding a conversation. Guilt is like a cancer, if not treated it will spread and will eventually cause a person to become bitter. It's never harmful to be honest with the man and explaining that you came to the gym so you can think and process things by yourself. I am sure he would have understood. You don't do anyone or yourself any favors if you aren't completely honest from the start
Max,
I understand what you're saying.
It would be great if maybe next time, you could post the passages you're thinking of in your answers that address the concerns in the thread, so that people could be aware of some of the things the Bible has to say about these matters.
Thanks for your help.
I understand what you're saying.
It would be great if maybe next time, you could post the passages you're thinking of in your answers that address the concerns in the thread, so that people could be aware of some of the things the Bible has to say about these matters.
Thanks for your help.
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When pride and defence goes, this is fantastic as a helpful solution unto itself. There's not a problem that any of us can experience that isn't found in the bible, His word and its corresponding solution. Anytime we have an issue with anything at all, before running to others, the first thing we should do is pray about it.
As Ephesians 6:11 says "Put on God's whole armor that you may be able to successfully stand up against the strategies and the deceits of the devil." We are called to be soldiers in the army of God. Paul told Timothy that no soldier gets entangled with civilian affairs, but "his aim is to satisfy and please the one who enlisted him." Likewise, as we serve the Lord, we should focus on His work, not our own obsessive, petty concerns. If we want to be a witness of God's power, we must first do what HE says to do, and show others the fruit that comes from serving Him. We do this by keeping our minds constantly on Jesus Christ. We must still handle the business of everyday life, but we are not to let the affairs of the world pull us down.
R
Amen! I know sometimes I fall into that category of consulting with others and I've been doing my best to run to God. It really bothers me when someone gets offended when they get referred to look in the bible and pass the blame, I view it as denying who God is and what he is capable of and that is a very dangerous game to play around with. He is the answer of every thing we deal with and those that still ask questions are immature in the faith and to be honest it's okay to ask questions, but we need to know to go to our God in answering them
Hey Everyone,
I just want you all to know how much I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and own stories--it's really helped me a lot, and I'm sorry I don't have the time to reply to every post, but I want you to know I'm very grateful that you all would take the time to read and respond.
Cinder, THANK YOU for reminding me of this point!!!
It reminds me of the passage: Luke 4:25 -- "I assure you there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land..."
And yet, God sent Elijah was sent to ONE specific widow for His own purpose. He was NOT told to stop and help every widow on the way--all his time and resources were to go to this one particular widow and her son.
When I have more time, I'm going to go through everyone's answers more thoroughly, but in the meantime, I hope you'll keep posting and I hope this thread is helping others who are wrestling with these kinds of dilemmas as well.
I know you've all helped me tremendously already, and I sincerely thank you for that.
I just want you all to know how much I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and own stories--it's really helped me a lot, and I'm sorry I don't have the time to reply to every post, but I want you to know I'm very grateful that you all would take the time to read and respond.
Cinder, THANK YOU for reminding me of this point!!!
It reminds me of the passage: Luke 4:25 -- "I assure you there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land..."
And yet, God sent Elijah was sent to ONE specific widow for His own purpose. He was NOT told to stop and help every widow on the way--all his time and resources were to go to this one particular widow and her son.
When I have more time, I'm going to go through everyone's answers more thoroughly, but in the meantime, I hope you'll keep posting and I hope this thread is helping others who are wrestling with these kinds of dilemmas as well.
I know you've all helped me tremendously already, and I sincerely thank you for that.