cliches/ and life's trials.

[iraasuup]

This probably isn't the right forum, but I'm gonna post my thoughts here anyway.


Does anyone else get really ticked off with 'cliche' responses from people? Let me elaborate...


When life is tough and you're clearly wandering in the wilderness it can be a lonely and frustrating time. So, you try to talk about it with someone and the only piece of insightful advice they can offer is a cliche like 'Something will come up'. GRR!! This makes me furious! Something will not come up! Things don't just appear from nowhere. Problems don't solve themselves. I'm seeking guidance and advice not some answer the tells me you really don't care and don't know what else to say.

I mean really- aren't cliches just a response for when you have no idea how to respond? Gee what do I say to that? I'd better say something encouraging although I really have no idea what she's going through.. 'Don't worry, something will turn up'...there, I think I made her feel better!

Honestly.. I'd rather people just not say anything at all. Ronan Keating had it right when he penned the lyrics 'You say it best- when you say NOTHING AT ALL'.

I've found this frustrating me a lot more than usual lately, as it seems this time I've been in the wilderness a lot longer than I ever have in the past and I still have no glimpse of a way out. I've started questioning why some things happen and others don't. I know God doesn't always work in the logical human way we do, but it seems so odd that the path can be so clear before you and then all of a sudden HE slams shut a door, blocking the rest of the way and just leaves you there with no alternative route to take!

So, I guess my question is kind of two-fold.

1). How do we get through that journey in the wilderness when it doesn't seem to be taking you anywhere? What do we do when we're crying out to God with no responses? Should we just start to take steps towards what seems the best option in our mind and trust that God will intervene if we're wrong; or do we keep wandering around aimlessly with no direction and wait for Him to open up a clear path in front of us.


2). How do we respond when this situation gets us down? Is it okay to have a little meltdown of frustration or are we called to just carry on like nothing is happening? How do we respond to people who can't relate or the 'cliche' responders in our lives? Should we bother venting our frustrations with others at all, or just cry out to God continually, lock ourselves in our rooms and have a little breakdown, then carry on silently with life as if everything is rosy?

Honestly, I really can't take much more of this. I'm sure God didn't desire us to be in situations where we are constantly at unrest.

Any advice...or am I making no sense at all.

Please don't respond with Cliches.. as tempting as it may be.. I won't be amused!

 

[zeroturbulence]

Yes I don't like cliche answers either. I think I know what you are talking about when u say u have been in the wilderness. I say check out if there are any options that you may have overlooked. Search for any state programs or aid that might be able to help you, and above all keep an eye out for opportunities. Hopefully you know some places to check for opportunities that might pop up. Also, I found out through experience that truly making an effort to follow God's law every day brings about a fast answer to a prayer. I am talking about daily effort to forgive each and every person and offense, being patient and kind to others, humbly serving those who you serve, working as though you are working for God and not your earthly boss, daily prayer, daily praise.

1If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:

3You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

4The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

5Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

6You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

7The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

8The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

Deuteronomy 28:1-8



That scripture really is a key to God's blessings and answer to prayer. Another key is fasting. Fasting and prayer is very powerful.

I hope and pray that your prayer gets answered soon, Katie.

God bless you.


Gabe

 

[HoneyDew]

The mistake alot of us make is focusing on what we are going through instead of focusing on God.

How do we know that we have taken our focus off of Him? By mumbling and complaining.
Anyone who has gotten anywhere in God has gone through at least one wilderness experience.

He hasn't given up on you.

Jesus went through a wilderness experience and he gave us the excellent example of HOW to go through it. Fasting, Praying and Speaking The Word of God. The wilderness is one of the times to be in your bible like never before.

During this time our Godly Character is being molded and shapened and humility is developed. It softens our hearts. It is such a vital part of the salvation experience, and it deeply affects the way we relate to and minister to others. This is a transitional period.


He is forming you to be the kind of person who can overcome giants through faith in God, and enjoy blessings far greater than you could otherwise ever know in the world. But before you get there, you will be tested.


The tests and trials are not necessary for God to know what is in our hearts he already knows, but rather for US to know. If there are problems in our attitudes, faith and patience, they will come out when we are squeezed or under pressure. When God squeezes us and puts us under pressure, we find out whether our hearts are full of faith or whether some negative attitude is lurking there.


God made us to worship Him. Your wilderness period is an opportunity to get to know God intimately, and experience his works in your life and your heart. Don't waste these opportunities.


There is almost always a period of waiting between the time you receive a promise of God in your heart, and the time of its fulfillment. There are many examples in the Bible to show us that this is the way God deals with His people. So take heart, if this is happening to you right now, it shows you are on track with God.
There are great things waiting for you on the other side of this, knowing this, although it may feel hard at times not to mumble and complain but Praise God for it!


James 1:2-4 2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

1 Corinthians 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Be Encouraged.....Grace & Peace.

 

[REDMama]

GET IT MOVIN AND KEEP IT MOVIN

SURVIVE, WITH ALL YOU HAVE AND ARE ABLE, TRY NOT TO COMPLAIN, AND LIVE EACH MOMENT, DAY TO DAY,

ALL THINGS ARE NOT IN OUR CONTROL, EVEN THOUGH SOMETIMES THEY SHOULD BE, BECAUSE YOU MAY BE DOING WHAT IS RIGHT, BUT THOSE AROUND YOU ARE NOT.

APPLY YOUR FAITH TO YOURSELF, AND YOUR SITUATION WITHOUT HURTING OTHERS AND OVERRIDING WHAT THEY ALSO NEED. BE A GOOD LEADER.

SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE RIGHT.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY WHEN CHANGES NEED TO HAPPEN, YOU MAY BE THE ONLY ONE WITH THE GOD GIVEN INSTINCT, MOTIVATION, AND ABILITY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, BUT THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU ARE TOO LAZY, TOO DEPRESSED, TOO UNABLE TO CHANGE, BECAUSE OF AGE, AND OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES.

GET MOVIN, THAT IS WHAT I AM TRYING TO DO.

AS MICHELLE OBAMA SAYS ABOUT EXERCISE, "GET MOVIN" AND "KEEP IT MOVIN"

GOOD MOTTO FOR THE OTHER AREAS OF LIFE, WHAT DO YOU THINK?

 

[dmdave17]

Dear iraasuup,

I think that the problem may be that "the cliche is in the eye of the beholder" (how's that for the ultimate paraphrase of a cliche?). Scripture contains a very specific set of guidelines to follow in navigating through all areas of our life, including the down times. We have all heard them many times. But just because they are familiar to us doesn't make them cliches. They are just as true today as when they were written. Numbers 23, verse 18, tells us "God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?" And God himself said "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (Revelations 22:13) And that leads us to Jeremiah 29:11.

Therefore, when people give you advice on how to cope with your issues based on Scripture, they are not just spouting cliches. They are offering solutions that God guarantees will work. My own advice. Study His word and meditate on it. He will speak to you about your problem, and offer you a solution based on His great love for you. Just be sure you are ready to accept His answer.

May God be with you in your time of trouble.

 

[Wonderland]

iraasup,

In my experience with wilderness, the thing that kept me going was hope. I know that sometimes God allows and even wills bad things to befall us so that we can learn and grow in faith and goodness, but how can we keep from letting the burderns overbear us?? Ugh, it's so frustrating when nothing ever seems to change!!

But through my wilderness I had one thought that kept me going: God was going to bring me through this for HIS glory. I knew my marriage had to succeed because I wanted to use it as a testimony of God's goodness and grace! I wanted to brag to people that my husband and I were destined for divorce from the day we were married, but through our shortcomings and failings, God was faithful and worked a miracle in our lives. I CLUNG to that hope--that it would work out for God's glory. And guess what. It did It took almost 4 years, me moving out, knocking on my neighbors door asking if I could spend the night, and even calling the police... but those days are behind us and they make a great testimony of God's faithful and ability to do so much more than we could ever ask or imagine. My friends and family all pretty much agreed that I should just get a divorce, but no... Now they look at us and go "what in heaven's name happened???" and I say, "God."

So I guess all I'm saying is find hope and cling to that.

Also, there are a lot of very well-meaning people who give awful advice. Stay away from them, or at least recognize that their advice is awful and choose not to hear it. There are some sincere people who will not "tell you what to do" (although, wouldn't that be so much easier if someone else had all our answers for us?!) but will share their experience, strength and hope. Find those people and let them hold you up when you need it.

I wish you the best in your struggles, but from my own experience I see the greatest growth in time of struggle. Of course I didn't see it at the time and I'm guessing you probably aren't seeing it right now either, but trust that God's in it with you until the end. Even when you "fall off the wagon" (I fell off so many times I have permenant bruises on my knees but God never forgot me and He won't forget you either. Trust that.

Sorry for my use of cliches. I did use some didn't I? Well, I hope I at least used them in a little more meaningful way... Sorry