Are you content with your relationship with God?

[royalscot]

My heart aches for the living God and lately I've felt like I've lived in a catch 22. I feel ashamed that I haven't given God the time or attention He deserves, yet at the same time I desire His touch so much but I withhold because of the shame. Perhaps today will be the day I wake up.

Romans 8: Life in the Spirit
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

believing in what god has already done for you.

you are free from the punishment of sin and death.

worldly thinking take many year to work this verse out.(because your thinking in the flesh, the law will do that .it called condemnation.and feeling unworthy and will do this to everyone, for the rest of your life)

this is called walking in faith, believing in what god has already done throught jesus for you.
this verse said no condemntion(spiritual) meaning . god love and excepts you, for you being you. you do not need to win again gods love, or hide in the corner thinking god hates you.(now and forever)

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

the spirit of life or holy spirit , dose this automatically the day you first believed.

you free to grow at your level and understanding( now and forever). because you became an adopted son or daughter , into god family.

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,17 and if children, then heirs---heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.Romans 8



28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
John 10: I Am the Good Shepherd


i never said it was easy , but always remember , you never gave your self eternal life, and it not your hand that can snatch you out off.

a saviour saved you. you never saved your self, you only can come to god as you are. you are a son and that means at anytime , and the best time to call is when you fell unworthy and lost in wordly thinking. then you will understand the love god has for you at a personal level. the holy spirit gave you a personal relationship with god, and that means god is with you to the end etc

29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.Romans 11(eternal gifts etc)


stay out of worldly thinking ,and believe what the spirit is saying in this verse.

ie it called grow with god,

 

[Sac49]

Some seem to have twisted the main focus of the OP. Contentment is a very personal subject. And there are no 5 step plans to being content. We are a very discontent creation. We will "be content" until the next best thing comes out. But contentment in Christ is not about "things". And contentment in Christ is not something that can be "on a scale of 1 to 10". I have actually been studying this off and on for the last month. No i dont have the answer and i dont think i am better than anyone else. This is just what i have found in my study, which is not finished and will never be finished until i am with Christ. This is "food for thought" of where i am in my own study on contentment.

I believe being content in God comes from a deep faith and trust in Jesus. An understanding that God has your best interest in mind. It is knowing that God gave His only Son for you so that you may have life everlasting thru faith in Him. It is knowing that God has given you everything you have for you to enjoy to the glorification of Him. Some He has given a lot some He has given little. But He has given you what you need to live your life for Him. It is a complete trust and faith that your salvation is in His hands. It is a giving of your life completely to Him for His glory. It is a knowing that no matter what happens you are safe in His loving arms. This is what i believe that it means to be content with God.

Again i am not saying i am right but only that this is what i have learned thru my study of contentment. And again, i am not finished with my study of contentment. Ecclesiastes is a great book to read and study on this subject for it looks at two views. One from below the sun the other from above the sun.

 

[Blain]

Romans 8: Life in the Spirit
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

believing in what god has already done for you.

you are free from the punishment of sin and death.

worldly thinking take many year to work this verse out.(because your thinking in the flesh, the law will do that .it called condemnation.and feeling unworthy and will do this to everyone, for the rest of your life)

this is called walking in faith, believing in what god has already done throught jesus for you.
this verse said no condemntion(spiritual) meaning . god love and excepts you, for you being you. you do not need to win again gods love, or hide in the corner thinking god hates you.(now and forever)

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.

the spirit of life or holy spirit , dose this automatically the day you first believed.

you free to grow at your level and understanding( now and forever). because you became an adopted son or daughter , into god family.

15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!"16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,17 and if children, then heirs---heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.Romans 8



28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
John 10: I Am the Good Shepherd


i never said it was easy , but always remember , you never gave your self eternal life, and it not your hand that can snatch you out off.

a saviour saved you. you never saved your self, you only can come to god as you are. you are a son and that means at anytime , and the best time to call is when you fell unworthy and lost in wordly thinking. then you will understand the love god has for you at a personal level. the holy spirit gave you a personal relationship with god, and that means god is with you to the end etc

29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.Romans 11(eternal gifts etc)


stay out of worldly thinking ,and believe what the spirit is saying in this verse.

ie it called grow with god,

What on earth? this isn't a sin and salvation thread it's a provoking and encouraging thread to deepen our bond with God why on earth did you need to post all of that?

 

[Blain]

I mean I apologize if I misunderstood scotts post but it seemed like he was trying to start another sin law and salvation arguement.

 

[Ariel82]

I mean I apologize if I misunderstood scotts post but it seemed like he was trying to start another sin law and salvation arguement.

I think he was trying to be encouraging..,read the post he responded to.

 

[Ariel82]

My heart aches for the living God and lately I've felt like I've lived in a catch 22. I feel ashamed that I haven't given God the time or attention He deserves, yet at the same time I desire His touch so much but I withhold because of the shame. Perhaps today will be the day I wake up.

Don't let shame keep you from God and prayer. Adam and Eve tried to hide too. They didn't realise how much God really loves them.

Never forget that God loves you and calls you son. Satan is like the drug dealer or pimp that wants you to run away from home (so he can abuse you) and not tell Dad you are in trouble.

 

[Utah]

is this a trick question? seems like either yes or no can be pounced on.

Let people pounce, brother, that's their problem. You dont owe anyone any explanations so share your heart and rejoice knowing God loves you, imperfections and all.

 

[Utah]

Well, I think that my relationship with God is still a bit unstable and complicated, considering how I nearly became an atheist last year, was an agnostic deist for a while and was at one point a nihilist...so yeah. Could be better.

And your relationship will be better. I'm praying for you.

PS, killer avatar!

 

[Utah]

I need to quit getting upset at all the stupidity that engulfs the Earth and start embracing Galatians 5:22-23 for a more pure relationship with God.

 

[Bladerunner]

NO,,, I keep trying to find what he left us in code/language, etc. but also a better understanding of His Words. Thus, I keep trying to get closer to Him

 

[Galatea]

Yes in position, no in walk. One of the paradoxes of the faith.

 

[WineRose]

And your relationship will be better. I'm praying for you.

PS, killer avatar!

Heh, thanks...

 

[BenFTW]

Appreciate all the responses guys and the honesty behind them. Its refreshing for us to be so open with one another.

 

[JGIG]

I'm not. Haha. God isn't at fault, no. I am. I have neglected prayer. I neglected that intimacy and I feel a drawing to it. Are you happy with your relationship with God? The clarity at which you hear His voice? The amount of times you hear it? The ways in which you hear His voice? There are so many depths to our relationship and fellowship with God that are still there to explore.

I need more. I want more. Do you or, are you currently content with what you are experiencing in your walk?

Interesting question.

The first image that came to mind was that of a child being lovingly cared for by its parents. The child's needs are met, they are loved, and as the parents interact with the child, the child responds, grows, acquires skills, matures.

There are seasons in all of our lives - some intense and full of events, activity and learning, others seemingly mundane and uneventful, even boring. Yet our Father God walks through each season with us, never being either closer or further away, but always abiding in us.

Though our feelings will fluctuate, they are not an indicator about how close or far we who are in Christ actually are to God.

I love this quote from the introduction of Bob George's book, Classic Christianity, with special emphasis on the last paragraph below:

There are few things quite so boring as being religious, but there is nothing quite so exciting as being a Christian!

Most folks have never discovered the difference between the one and the other, so that there are those who sincerely try to live a life they do not have, substituting religion for God, Christianity for Christ, and their own noble endeavors for the energy, joy, and power of the Holy Spirit. In the absence of reality, they can only grasp at ritual, stubbornly defending the latter in the absence of the former, lest they be found with neither!

They are lamps without oil, cars without gas, and pens without ink, baffled at their own impotence in the absence of all that alone can make man functional; for man was so engineered by God that the presence of the Creator within the creature is indispensable to His humanity. Christ gave Himself for us to give Himself to us! His presence puts God back into the man! He came that we might have life—God’s life!

There are those who have a life they never live. They have come to Christ and thanked Him only for what He did, but do not live in the power of who He is. Between the Jesus who “was” and the Jesus who “will be” they live in a spiritual vacuum, trying with no little zeal to live for Christ a life that only He can live in and through them, perpetually begging for what in Him they already have!

Major W. Ian Thomas
​

I guess as one who has walked in Christ since I was 8 (51 now), I want to encourage you that your depth of relationship with God is not based on how much you study, your amount of quiet time, 'pressing in', intense spiritual experiences, etc., but based on Christ in you, the hope of glory.

“Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.

2 Why spend money on what is not bread,
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and you will delight in the richest of fare.

3 Give ear and come to me;
listen, that you may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David." (from Is. 55)

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. (from 2 Pet. 1)

​

There will be seasons in your life - and that's okay. Contentment is resting in Christ - and whatever that means in any given season is where you should be and what you should be doing. Resting and doing . . . one of the great paradoxes of the Christian faith \o/!

Grace and peace,
-JGIG

 

[Yahweh_is_gracious]

Very interesting thread and responses.

 

[Amazing-Grace]

I'm not. Haha. God isn't at fault, no. I am. I have neglected prayer. I neglected that intimacy and I feel a drawing to it. Are you happy with your relationship with God? The clarity at which you hear His voice? The amount of times you hear it? The ways in which you hear His voice? There are so many depths to our relationship and fellowship with God that are still there to explore.

I need more. I want more. Do you or, are you currently content with what you are experiencing in your walk?

This is a great post brother and I get exactly what you mean because I have the same issues as you. I need more of God and I'm never content with what I have of Him. I know this is because of my neglect and has nothing to do with Him for He is always there and He never leaves our side. It is our own indulgence in the world that creates the void.

I had been suffering this very recently and I couldn't understand why I felt detached from God but in my case I think it was a lack of Christian fellowship, it doesn't help that there are no Christians among my family or work colleagues but since church activities have restarted this year I'm feeling better and more in-tune with God again. For me fellowship = study and prayer and though I realise my relationship with God shouldn't depend on this it does help me. It's ironic that at the time of the year we as Christians set aside to celebrate the birth of our Saviour we are too busy to spend time just being with God, talking and listening to Him.

I am, as you bro, however much of God we have we always want more.

 

[eternally-gratefull]

I'm not. Haha. God isn't at fault, no. I am. I have neglected prayer. I neglected that intimacy and I feel a drawing to it. Are you happy with your relationship with God? The clarity at which you hear His voice? The amount of times you hear it? The ways in which you hear His voice? There are so many depths to our relationship and fellowship with God that are still there to explore.

I need more. I want more. Do you or, are you currently content with what you are experiencing in your walk?

No, Sadly, like you, not because of God, But because of myself.. I keep holding myself back, Everytime i think I get close. I am reminded of how far I really am..

 

[JaumeJ]

No one is content with his or her relationship with God. That would translate as a complacent walk in Jesus Christ, and there is no room for complacency in our walk with God.....right?

 

[BeyondET]

No one is content with his or her relationship with God. That would translate as a complacent walk in Jesus Christ, and there is no room for complacency in our walk with God.....right?

10-4,,,, it's like a runner in a 5k race, the runner isn't complacent with just running 3k of the race His goal is to finish the race...

 

[Blain]

I think he was trying to be encouraging..,read the post he responded to.

ok I see ty for the clarity I apologize for misunderstanding his post