Spiritual Growth

[ILayMeDown]

Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on Spiritual Growth. I am 21 and have been a believer for a little over a year now. It has been the best year of my life. This past year I have grown and learned so much about God and his love. I feel like I have strong faith.

Recently, I have felt kind of stuck. I don't feel like I am doing enough or growing like I should be. I am having lots of feelings of guilt and unworthiness. I do enjoy watching tv or movies, or Facebook, normal things for people my age.....but I feel guilty for these things. I know I am supposed to surrender all to the Lord. How do you keep a balance between living in this world and giving it all to Him? This guilt has been keeping me from spending more time with the Lord.

Any tips or advice for fighting off the guilt and growing more in my faith?

 

[kote]

hello sister.
i am 21 years old too. perhaps i'm not the proper guy you're looking for to advice you but . I know what is to be struggling with these thoughts.
we as a christian are committed to remain saints and free to serve god,
there are some people who say "we are free to do whatever we want".


but the bible says in 1 corinthians 10:23 "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not."
so, we are not that free to do whatever we want.
i am not saying "do not use facebook, do not make sport... I´m saying that if those things are taking away your time for god... you understand.

blessing my dear sister .

 

[kenthomas27]

Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on Spiritual Growth. I am 21 and have been a believer for a little over a year now. It has been the best year of my life. This past year I have grown and learned so much about God and his love. I feel like I have strong faith.

Recently, I have felt kind of stuck. I don't feel like I am doing enough or growing like I should be. I am having lots of feelings of guilt and unworthiness. I do enjoy watching tv or movies, or Facebook, normal things for people my age.....but I feel guilty for these things. I know I am supposed to surrender all to the Lord. How do you keep a balance between living in this world and giving it all to Him? This guilt has been keeping me from spending more time with the Lord.

Any tips or advice for fighting off the guilt and growing more in my faith?

Hi ILayMeDown..........I think you've asked one of the biggest questions of all when you ask "....How do you keep a balance between living in this world and giving it all to Him?" I think the answer is.....it never balances. Ever. This is, in a way, our tragedy since the fall of man. Our bodies are in constant conflict with our immortal souls.

One time a friend of mine told me that humans have a hard time understanding the concept of an immortal soul, and I thought she was probably right. You are endowed with that immortal soul - the image of God. This is how you, who have accepted God's Grace and given yourself over to Him, can enter the perfection of the Kingdom of God. While you are housed in your external body, however, the conflict of your carnal desires and spiritual perfection rages on until death.

You and I can only dream of perfection - and it's only because we were made in the Image of God that we even know what perfection is! So when you have feelings of unworthiness, you are actually GROWING in Christ - that it's actually a sign. See, iff you are being convicted (and am I- as are all believers) you in essence listening to God and hearing what He's telling you. Isn't that a wonder?? By your guilt, you have become like Eve who discovered she was naked when she didn't know nakedness was something to feel ashamed of before. So it is by your Faith that you are growing and understanding how you must live your life.

So, when you ask how do you surrender all, don't think God has abandoned you when you think you feel that you haven't. You haven't surrendered all because you KNOW you haven't surrendered all and you're convicted by that! It's a good thing! It means you are allowing your immortal soul to run the ILayMeDown show with the GOAL of that perfection - to be Christ like in all we do.

This will always be a conflict. There will never be a balance. If there were a balance, then you might not be hearing God. My advice to you is...... nothing! You are on the right track. You are asking the questions and learning. I know it's frustrating. My own soul is quite loud sometimes, as is my body. I suspect yours is the same. Have peace in the knowledge God will never abandon you, even when you might abandon Him.

 

[Trailblazer]

I find staying humble at heart, giving thanks to the Lord for all things, even the worldly possessions that I own.
This helps keep me with the proper relationship with the Lord. For I truly thank him for all of the blessings in which I receive from him. Even my Big screen TV.

 

[JesusLives]

Keep talking to God - praying and keep reading His word Bible so that He can keep talking to your heart. Then I find when I share the gospel with others that helps me grow too. When recently out in Las Vegas at Thanksgiving time I would pray in the morning that God would match me up with people for me to give them a Christian booklet and the great thing was not one of the people I offered the book to turned me down and I met some nice people that way and knew in my heart they were the ones God wanted to have the book.

As we continue to surrender our lives daily to God He helps us grow and the Holy Spirit prompts us to know what areas in our life we need to improve on or get rid of it is called the sanctification process and this goes on for your lifetime. None of us will be able to say we have arrived until we walk through the gates of heaven with Jesus. Keep walking with Him and you will do just fine.

 

[Joidevivre]

Don't forget to play. I watch movies, read novels (not Christian stories, necessarily), use FB, and do what others might call worldly. BUT I'm really not a part of them, nor do they influence my life because I still spend lots of time in the bible and prayer. I observe worldly things only. My real life is spent with Christ, as yours is.

The Holy Spirit will quicken to your heart those things which are influencing you away from Christ or entangling you. Trust that if you continue in your walk with the Lord, He will do this. Jesuslives gave you good advice. Keep that balance.

Christian growth is not so much a matter of what you have to give up, as the new experiences you can have with the Lord, and new revelations about Him as you read His word.

 

[ILayMeDown]

Thank you all so much for the wonderful advice and guidance. I feel so encouraged by your words!

 

[jb]

Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on Spiritual Growth. I am 21 and have been a believer for a little over a year now. It has been the best year of my life. This past year I have grown and learned so much about God and his love. I feel like I have strong faith.

Recently, I have felt kind of stuck. I don't feel like I am doing enough or growing like I should be. I am having lots of feelings of guilt and unworthiness. I do enjoy watching tv or movies, or Facebook, normal things for people my age.....but I feel guilty for these things. I know I am supposed to surrender all to the Lord. How do you keep a balance between living in this world and giving it all to Him? This guilt has been keeping me from spending more time with the Lord.

Any tips or advice for fighting off the guilt and growing more in my faith?

Col 3v23,24: "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ."

Your family life, work life, church life, spiritual devotions, hobbies, friendships, fellowship, social life (and so forth) can (and should) be done unto the Lord, He is interested in ALL that you do, and indeed EVERYTHING that you do unto the Lord contributes unto "the reward of your inheritance."

DON'T get hung up with the thoughts like "should I do this, or should I do that" etc in response to watching movies or listening to music and so forth, don't fall into the trap of becoming legalistic!

Your salvation is to be ENJOYED and NOT endured!

You will know when it is best not to do something, it will simply not feel right, and these feelings of guilt that you experience simply because you listen to music or watch a film (and so forth) are red herrings and not to be given any credence, the Devil and the powers of darkness love to try and put this old guilt trip unto Christians, but don't wear them!

Yahweh Shalom

 

[cmarieh]

I have been a Christian my entire life and will admit it is a struggle to live in this world, but remember it does say we live in this world, but we are not of this world. About two years ago, I was a Sunday School teacher and I loved it, but I was struggling with the same issues you currently brought up, I prayed to God, how I could change it. God told me to look at my facebook account and I did. I began to look at it like Christ would and his voice told me to delete my facebook. Now, I never posted really much of anything on Facebook, but it was what others were posting. I have been without a Facebook for two years and have not missed it. Just ask God how you can live here without being of this world. The bible also teaches, that we cannot serve two masters and we need to choose who we are going to serve, ourselves or our heavenly father.
I know I may have confused you more than I had originally intended, but pray and ask God how. Just keep seeking him and serving him. Best of luck.

 

[Jacob_Fitzgerald]

Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on Spiritual Growth. I am 21 and have been a believer for a little over a year now. It has been the best year of my life. This past year I have grown and learned so much about God and his love. I feel like I have strong faith.

Recently, I have felt kind of stuck. I don't feel like I am doing enough or growing like I should be. I am having lots of feelings of guilt and unworthiness. I do enjoy watching tv or movies, or Facebook, normal things for people my age.....but I feel guilty for these things. I know I am supposed to surrender all to the Lord. How do you keep a balance between living in this world and giving it all to Him? This guilt has been keeping me from spending more time with the Lord.

Any tips or advice for fighting off the guilt and growing more in my faith?

Honestly it sounds like you are progressing in your faith.

If you are feeling guilt then maybe there is a good reason for it. Evaluate it carefully and take it before the Lord, because some guilt may be your conscience convicting you, while other guilt may be brought on by other people not approving of your actions. By the way, if other people are making you feel guilty about something, it doesn’t mean they are right. You may actually be doing what is right and they just don’t like it.

I’ve often felt like I wasn’t growing in faith fast enough and wanted to grow faster. At points like this the Lord has sometimes given me the next step, a big step, then suddenly I’m overwhelmed and wish I had stuck with the slow growth. My point being, I seek the Lord with my whole heart, but I trust him to choose the pace as well as when my next step shall be taken. He has never let me down in this, even though sometimes I might feel forsaken. But hey, even Christ felt forsaken. One last point for this paragraph, I have found it much easier when the Lord leads me gently, it is slow, but slow and steady and diligent seems to always get me there.

Suggestion: Why don't you do a study on this "balance" you are talking about?
I've been working on something similar for a while now. I do have some answers but some of it is still clouded so I am hesitant to share. But, this I will share with you to get you started:

James 1:17
[SUP]17 [/SUP]Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

 

[Keef]

Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on Spiritual Growth. I am 21 and have been a believer for a little over a year now. It has been the best year of my life. This past year I have grown and learned so much about God and his love. I feel like I have strong faith.

Recently, I have felt kind of stuck. I don't feel like I am doing enough or growing like I should be. I am having lots of feelings of guilt and unworthiness. I do enjoy watching tv or movies, or Facebook, normal things for people my age.....but I feel guilty for these things. I know I am supposed to surrender all to the Lord. How do you keep a balance between living in this world and giving it all to Him? This guilt has been keeping me from spending more time with the Lord.

Any tips or advice for fighting off the guilt and growing more in my faith?

[FONT=Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]-Matthew 26:41[/FONT]

 

[Keef]

Hello,

I'm looking for some advice on Spiritual Growth. I am 21 and have been a believer for a little over a year now. It has been the best year of my life. This past year I have grown and learned so much about God and his love. I feel like I have strong faith.

Recently, I have felt kind of stuck. I don't feel like I am doing enough or growing like I should be. I am having lots of feelings of guilt and unworthiness. I do enjoy watching tv or movies, or Facebook, normal things for people my age.....but I feel guilty for these things. I know I am supposed to surrender all to the Lord. How do you keep a balance between living in this world and giving it all to Him? This guilt has been keeping me from spending more time with the Lord.

Any tips or advice for fighting off the guilt and growing more in my faith?

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
-Matthew 26:41

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened."
-Matthew 13:31-33

"And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."
-Mark 4:26-29

 

[Fubario]

I gave everything up for some time to seek the face of God and volunteered. Guaranteed fast growth, you can mature faster than anyone if you set your mind on doing what the Bible says daily, taking each thought captive, and just dedicating yourself to God radically for some time, after a while you will find the sufficiency in Christ and enough tribulations to make you strong.

Another thing you can do which is dangerous because tribulations can be so harsh, I mean they can be like family deaths or poverty or something great, but you can pray for trials to make you strong and also for the faith and wisdom. Faith, prayer, and working produces the fruit, and you know how doing those things in the Bible is hard? Endure that part of oh man this is hard, endure it, and then after several attempts you will succeed. Face your fears and surrender your future to God, recognizing its not going to be easy.

But seriously if you want to see fast growth, give everything up for some time and just read the Bible and volunteer at some ministry (street ministry works best, because you learn evangelism, prayer, compassion, and raw truth about yourself and others), guaranteed.