Life Is Tough!

[atwhatcost]

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to live the Christian life. I knew this week was going to be a tough one at work but it was worse than I had imagined. People take advantage when they know you are a Christian yet you are supposed to "turn the other cheek" and simply take what is thrown at you. I am left feeling like "I can't do this anymore". I have other stuff going on as well as this and I feel convicted - daily, really it's daily!

Is it just me or am I in the middle of a spiritual warfare battle everyone goes through at some stage. I just feel like "ugh"!

I think you've seen enough of me on these boards to know I don't do tolerate. The world thinks I'm supposed to. Come to think of it, Christians think I'm supposed to, but I don't. I won't be a door mat. I spent too many decades of my life doing that and all it did was make my entire body sore from being slapped! (Many don't give up slapping after the second cheek.)

And, yes, at the same time, I will walk the extra mile. But I walk it only when it's not assumed it's something I have to do because of "tolerance." Only reason I'll do it is out of love.

And, I'll let someone slap me on the other cheek, but I draw the line with just two cheeks. (The two I sit on are not in the offering.)

I understand what the world and many Christians expect of me, but I have no idea why they think I'll roll over, just because they expect that. My cues are WWJD, not WSCD. (What Should Christians Do.) I will roll over, but only when I get a cue from God that this is a time to roll over.

Many get angry with me because of this. Funny thing is many have never seen that side of me. They don't see it, if they aren't assuming they can push me just because I'm a Christian so should act a certain way.

Many many things I've gone through because God put me there to lean on him. I'm not going through stuff just because others think they can manipulate me. All that stuff I've gone through/am going through is because the one in charge (God) wanted me to see the difference.

 

[mailmandan]

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to live the Christian life. I knew this week was going to be a tough one at work but it was worse than I had imagined. People take advantage when they know you are a Christian yet you are supposed to "turn the other cheek" and simply take what is thrown at you. I am left feeling like "I can't do this anymore". I have other stuff going on as well as this and I feel convicted - daily, really it's daily!

Is it just me or am I in the middle of a spiritual warfare battle everyone goes through at some stage. I just feel like "ugh"!

I go through cycles like that at work when I feel persecuted for being a Christian. Hang in there my sister in Christ. I am lifting you up in prayer to the Lord for strength and support.

God bless you

 

[atwhatcost]

The definition of depression is the shutting down of emotional response. It is not being judgemental, it is not a crime, or a sin, or something negative. I have relatives who are on permanent medication for schizonphrenia, and for depression.

Almost everyone has bouts of these emotional ups and downs, I spent most of my teenage years depressed. It in the end is a coping strategy.

I am sorry you feel this is a bad thing to say. Too many people feel searching for help, opening up and letting others minister to our needs is a negative, when it is actually part of walking with Jesus.

There was one lady who I spoke to who did not know the Lord, and being honest with her husband would have just led to further disappointment, but in Jesus the opposite is true. He came to heal and set us free, for us to rest on His love for us.

So I apologize if you take this badly, but I know this territory too well. I hope you find the healing you need, and if you feel you have no issues, then Amen, but your response was one of pain and offence. This speaks more than anything I could say, but may His peace bring you the rest I know He has brought me.

I just looked up "definition of depression." I read dictionaries, Mayo's site, and wiki. Not once did I see your definition as the definition.

Honestly? I shut down when people aren't hearing me. That's not depression. That's "save my breath."

Also, it's just not cool to diagnose people online, even if you are the world's leading expert.

 

[atwhatcost]

All you can do is forgive, easier said than done at times since people can be ugly as ____, -can fill in the blank.

I am a firm believer in when life gets you down, find something to laugh about.

So in that spirit, I just have to fill in that blank to get people chuckling.

A wet cat?
My long toe?
A Dallas Cowboy win?
A plate of liver dropped into a hacked-up fur ball from a cat?
The mouth of a gator?
A Madagascar hissing cockroach?
What's inside a honeypot?
A surprise traffic ticket (when we didn't even know there was a camera on that red light.)
A wrestler's armpit after a match?
This?

 

[Blain]

Well look at this way, when you have hit rock bottom the only other way to go is up

 

[jb]

I don't do tolerate...

DITTO!

Life is hard enough without letting others (unnecessarily) make it harder for you!

 

[MadParrotWoman]

DITTO!

Life is hard enough without letting others (unnecessarily) make it harder for you!

Isn't the Christian faith all about tolerance?

 

[atwhatcost]

Isn't the Christian faith all about tolerance?

Nope. I don't even think the word's in the Bible. God doesn't tolerate. Not even for us. Jesus on the cross wasn't tolerate. It was righteous love. That's what he asks of us.

The problem is the world doesn't understand love, so substitutes "tolerate."

 

[MadParrotWoman]

Nope. I don't even think the word's in the Bible. God doesn't tolerate. Not even for us. Jesus on the cross wasn't tolerate. It was righteous love. That's what he asks of us.

The problem is the world doesn't understand love, so substitutes "tolerate."

I don't agree. We are commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves. We are told to put others before ourselves. Love is tolerance, we don't have to like our neighbour but love him/her is a must. I don't know about the word "tolerance", maybe it's not translatable or maybe it's a new word but I believe a lack of tolerance in the world is the root cause of much of the strife now evident all around us.

 

[jb]

Isn't the Christian faith all about tolerance?

There's tolerance and then there's letting person(s) walk all over you!

They are NOT the same!

 

[breno785au]

I'm not into throwing someone a bible verse when there's a problem as a fix all thing but I truly believe if we can get a hold of this and see it from Jesus' perspective things would be different. I think it would still hurt none the less, but its like a release for us for to ask God to forgive them and help them see...

But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.
Luke 6:27-28 KJV

 

[atwhatcost]

I don't agree. We are commanded to love our neighbour as ourselves. We are told to put others before ourselves. Love is tolerance, we don't have to like our neighbour but love him/her is a must. I don't know about the word "tolerance", maybe it's not translatable or maybe it's a new word but I believe a lack of tolerance in the world is the root cause of much of the strife now evident all around us.

Yup, love neighbors. If someone needs help, I'm there. If someone needs something to eat, I'm there. If someone asks me if they can cut in line, not a problem. If they cut in line without asking, problem. If they demand I feed them, problem. If they demand help, problem.

Do you tolerate children causing problems? I won't. Do you tolerate bosses or coworkers taking advantage? I stopped doing that after a couple of decades. Do you tolerate someone bullying another or acting all know-it-all while giving bad info to someone who needs the info? I don't. (If the person doesn't need the information, I'll probably let it go.) That's rolling over, not loving.

 

[James4redemption]

I am a firm believer in when life gets you down, find something to laugh about.

So in that spirit, I just have to fill in that blank to get people chuckling.

A wet cat?
My long toe?
A Dallas Cowboy win?
A plate of liver dropped into a hacked-up fur ball from a cat?
The mouth of a gator?
A Madagascar hissing cockroach?
What's inside a honeypot?
A surprise traffic ticket (when we didn't even know there was a camera on that red light.)
A wrestler's armpit after a match?
This?

Lol @ Long toe

 

[James4redemption]

Isn't the Christian faith all about tolerance?

I don't even think tolerance becomes a thing when forgiveness has taken place. There's nothing to tolerate at the point of forgiveness, which is why that sensation of having a yoke around the neck doesn't remain. There's no weight left to tolerate.

But I'm starting to realize that the first two commandments are tied into everything, if not most of everything. When you break the first commandment and you choose to focus on something else other than God, whether it be the accusers voice in a spiritual attack where begin to entertain that voice, or whether it be your flesh...afterwards- confusion, frustration, and problems in general usually follow for a short period of time. Nothing that can't be corrected through our Lord though. And even if you do slip up at times, it's nothing to condemn yourself over for an extended period of time though. I know when I slip up, I get upset, but that all eventually comes to an end after solid prayer time. Pray for discernment so I don't make the same mistakes again.