Refusing to forgive another is like drinking poison in the hope that other is harmed.
Forgiveness is for one's own benefit, not the offender's.
That said, one can forgive without forgetting – in fact, it is important to remember, lest you allow yourself to be harmed again. I forgive what that relative did, but I will never let him within a hundred yards of my wife's grandchildren, even supervised.
For those of us who profess to be of faith, we are called to forgive – it is not optional.
For my part, it's answered prayer.
Should begin a faith journey, you will be well-served by your very healthy skepticism.
C S Lewis is an excellent study location! Second this fully! And the balance of the narrative is right on. As a life long Christian each day is a challenge to do better and love thy neighbor. A former fastor suggested as a possible place to start for understanding for a possible "newbie" is the letter of Apostle Paul to the church at Rome. The Biblical Book of Romans is full of "meat" for a good understanding basis for the Christian faith. Enjoy, much love to you...Merry Christmas. Dana
Reading C.S. Lewis at least allows me to believe that everyone who believes is right. That is closer than I have ever gotten to my own faith. But it is comforting.
Like CS Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia", the Christian references are allegorical in Tolkien. There is no direct reference to Jesus or God. Sauron is clearly an agent of Satan and commands his armies, including the orcs, to accomplish evil. Sauron has a higher lord, Melkor a Valar (like archangels), who is more like Satan himself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valar There are no "savior" figures in "Lord of the Rings" but messages like "the meek (hobbits) shall inherit the Earth" are prevalent. The men like to fight, like the Crusaders did in the Middle Ages (that is Tolkien's, who was a western civ historian, obvious reference). And just like the Crusaders, the men are prone to error and corruption. The Elves and Dwarves come from old European mythology and have no Christian counterpart.
Try and read the Silmarillion, too (it is dense with dates and names, like a typical history book). It covers the "legendarium" or ancestry of all the main characters and provides the "backstory" for the time before Middle Earth (the 2nd Age)
Just pick up a Bible and read straight through The Gospel of Luke ( particularly appropriate at this time of year ), The Gospel of John, and The Acts of the Apostles. Ideally, you'd go on into St Paul's Epistle to the Romans, and read through chapter five, though this could be heavy going at first.
Read the Psalms? Yes, repeatedly, obsessively, the Psalms, too. But in those two Gospels you learn who Jesus is, and in Acts, you learn about the earliest Christians.
That is, you learn what Christianity is. Romans 10:17 informs us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by The Word of God. Jeremiah 29:13 tells us that if we seek God wholeheartedly, we will find Him. Many disreputables like me weren't particularly looking for Him, but He was gracious to show us who He is despite that.
And He is always, ever, and only to be found in Jesus Christ.
I have read the Bible through twice as an adult and in parts throughout my life. I attended Lutheran school til 2nd grade, attended church weekly and Sunday school. I believed in my little girl way back then. After that, I attended Catholic schools. We attended Mass daily and had religion class daily.
It was in high school that I began questioning what I read in the Bible. I read books I found in the library that questioned the veracity of the Bible. They made sense to me at the time. I started to think it was unlikely that these stories were all true. I became more of a deist who thought Jesus was a great person if he existed or at minimum his story was a great story with great moral norms.
Later, I had a hardtime holding even that faith. And then it was gone.
In my thirties, I wanted faith. I was lost and depressed. That is when I re-read the Bible. Searching for faith. I read C.S. Lewis...several of his works. But I just couldn't believe the Bible is a true piece of writing. I like a lot of it, but a lot is hard to believe.
I tried again in my fifties when I lost my Dad. I wanted desperately to believe. I have prayed for faith. I have prayed for others. I have attended multiple different churches. But I just cannot make my brain believe that there is a God who listens and answers, who helps us against evil, who cares and is involved. Nor the stories in the Bible.
And sadly, this is true even though my husband almost died from something that should have killed him. That no one survives almost. I did not know what to do, so I bought a rosary and prayed that hour after hour, plus prayed every prayer I could find from Protestant sites, and I did this for two months without fail. Including praying daily for faith, for my own belief. Every day. And My husband lived. It looks like a miracle. He thinks it is. My family thinks it is. Strangers think it is.
Yet, while I know this, I still cannot believe. I do not know why. I honestly do not know why. Too much seems too incredible for me to have simple faith rather than doubt. I want it to be true, but it doesn't seem true for some reason. Even now. It makes me very sad. I am utterly ungrateful to God (if he exists) for not believing at this point. I am literally a doubting Thomas. If He does exist, and saved my husband, my disbelief is egregious.
My I humbly submit, to keep reading the Bible, the power is in the Word. If your heart accepts Jesus and what He did for us, the Holy Spirit will enter you, and slowly, oh so slowly sometimes (my experience), start to change you. When you truly accept Jesus, you are put into the cauldron, and the Holy Spirit starts burning out the dross. It will be quite astonishing, convicting, and wonderful, as the Holy Spirit helps us to first know and accept our own 'bad' (with me it was selfishness, pride, lust) self before we are able to rightly approach our faith.
Your honesty is what God wants to hear (hypocrisy is an anathema to God) , and you are being so very honest, tell God where you are at, he'll meet you there. I will pray for you tonight, God bless honest and authentic reader.
I'm sorry I didn't see this until just now. I'm rather injured, and go through days, sometimes weeks, when I slough off email. Then, when I see a reply such as yours, I gnash my teeth. Please excuse my laggardliness.
I wonder if you're not making the mistake of thinking that faith is more a feeling? It isn't. It's its own category. As it's used in the New Testament, it ( the koine Greek word is “pistueo” and it's variants ) means “trust,” “reliance upon,” “confidence in,” and so on. Feelings come and go, wax and wane. I wish I had the fervor many Christians have. I had it when I was in my twenties. In my seventies I don't. But my faith has remained unmoved. It seems deeper.
The Universe doesn't leave us the possibility of inability to believe in God because of a lack of evidence. His existence is obvious. ( Romans 1 ) Jesus is the question. Is he God Incarnate? Yes, He is. I can't go back and read your entire comment because I will lose what I have begun as an answer, which maddens me, because you deserve the most careful of answers. All I can do is urge you to keep reading as I urged you to do previously. Maybe I can throw some tantalization your way.
What do you make of Bible prophecies which foretell Jesus, such as Isaiah 53, Psalm 22 ( a prefiguring of the crucifixion ), Micah 5:2, which announces that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem ( a place which then was as august as Pasadena, CA or Edwardsburg, MI ), and Zechariah 12:10? There are many others, but those are the most shocking.
But stick especially with Luke and with John at this time of year. I have to say that a situation such as yours is one I have trouble understanding, because I have believed since I was three. I'm sure a Sunday School teacher had told me about Jesus, and I still remember the moment when I knew it was true. I was standing in our living room. I could see our upright piano peripherally to the right. I was standing perpendicular to middle C.
My incomprehensions about God have been about the why of things, not whether He exists or whether Jesus was raised from the dead. I am not chiding you. We are all made differently. Some, many, of the greatest saints are those who didn't believe until late in life.
I feel almost a sense of futility in trying to answer you, not because your comment is uninteresting but because it is rich, rich with an account of the struggle you have, and coming up against it I feel like a cosmetician for a funeral home who somehow gets a 911 call. I hope something I have said has helped.
I agree wholeheartedly! CS Lewis was a non-believer at one time, and became a Christian apologist. You can get his books in audio versions to listen to on your travels. I have read most of his works, and highly recommend the Space Trilogy. But all of his books are great, and for a light-hearted read, the Chronicles of Narnia are wonderful!
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In 2002 I had nothing. Well, I had something. A conviction for domestic battery. My faith brothers at stgiles.org said I had no way forward that involved retribution. I *wanted* my pound of flesh. Surrendered that to Christ and agreed that my best hope was to behave, to forgive and give grace to her. Second best thing I ever did. The first best thing was to become my son's father.
Doubts. Doubt is deeply Christian. We have always been a people who question what we believe. Churches that demand thoughtless devotion devoid of doubt feel inauthentic to me. You can join us with your doubts. We have answers.
Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. When I realized this, and when I remember that at times I've been the villain in someone else's story, I became a lot more forgiving. So much easier than carrying that heavy burden.
If you understand forgiveness and have exercised it in your life Sasha, believe me, your faith journey has started. If you trust your heart and let it guide your discernment you will get there, I have no doubt. Jesus told one saint that everyone needs to have forgiven at least once to get into Heaven. Go over the words of the Lord’s prayer. ck
I am always puzzled by those who "lean into" their doubts before they ever even try to "lean into" faith. I want to be a believer, a creator, a lover, aperson of hope. Such was our Lord who loved us so much that he created this beautiful world filled with wonders. The evidence of His existence is everywhere with those who have eyes to see and humility to bend the knee to The King.
I grew up in church, but did not accept Christ in the 'born again' sense til 20yo, on my own decision.
It was a combination of things and observations. A college class taught me that many skeptic scholars set-out to deny the Bible, but many wound up BECOMING believers in the process.
I looked at generations of my own family who were true believers, some in ministry for little financial recompense, but genuinely called or touched by God to serve the Him....not fake or self-serving on their part.
I looked at those who were martyred thru the ages, those who suffered for Christ when they could have disavowed Him. Instead they stood (or fell) for TRUTH, for good, because they KNEW that God is 'good'.
Still, it took a 'step of faith' for me, and when I did that, a very supernatural event overcame me, and I've never been the same since. The discernment of truth and seeing the Glory of God in all things is a tremendous way to go thru life on Earth.
I too grew up in church but it was all about rules and rituals and I always felt defeated as a Christian. It wasn’t until I was 27 years old that someone asked me, through Campus Crusade for Christ’s “I Found It” campaign, if I had ever asked Jesus to be my personal Lord and Savior. I prayed that prayer of salvation right then and now at age 75, I can also say my life has never been the same. There is no better way to live than with Jesus as your pilot!
It is very real, and supernatural. Its hard to get this thru to folks, but then, I was there once too. Just look at Russell Brand's 'real' conversion to JesusChrist. Now THAT is supernatural !
If you have faith, it is not easy to understand those who do not, but who wish to have it. Likewise, I cannot understand someone who says, "It is simple. Just ask God or just allow God into your heart. He will answer you." Perhaps, I am doing it wrong, but I have tried. I have even come close to faith. I thought I had it for a couple of months, even, after first reading C.S. Lewis. But, it simply does not last. My brain seems to have its own will. I somehow talk myself out of it.
It is very difficult, if not impossible, to understand someone whose mind works differently from your own. Especially on a matter so integral to our lives and who we are.
If having faith seems simple to you, that is truly a gift you have been given. It is something that not all have.
It also does not help to imply that those who do not have faith would surely have it, if only they had enough humility.
Maybe so, but to me, that says, you do not deserve to find faith at this time as you do not currently have the humility to acquire it.
I know many people who find faith who exhibit very little humility. About anything. Maybe somehow have it before God but nowhere else, I do not know. Or maybe I do not know what humility is.
Don't give up on your quest for faith. The learning to have faith can come through the perseverance. You might try saying to the Lord, as a man said in the gospels, "Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief!" If your plea is sincere and earnest, He will be faithful to help you in a variety of ways and through means you would not even expect! Blessings on your journey ❤️
I have prayed for help for my unbelief. I do not think I can say to him, Lord I believe...not before I do..it feels like a lie or fakeness. I can say and have, "Lord, I deeply desire to believe. Help me."
I guess I can just keep trying, but I am rather hopeless for my state of belief now. I should believe at this point, yet I do not.
Not sure what you mean by that? To me, faith would mean believing in the Bible, its stories (at the very least believing in general even if not all the details), and the God it tells us about. If I were from a Muslim community, it would mean the same except Allah and the stories in the Koran. And other religions, their gods and stories. I am not sure what faith is, if not that.
Maybe I see the idea of forgiveness and holding grudges a little differently than most. To me, forgiveness involves a recognition of wrongdoing on the part of the forgiven. In that case, forgiving is beneficial to both parties. Refusal to offer forgiveness is holding a grudge, which is poison.
But what of the current situation, where people not only refuse to acknowledge wrong, but continue to insist what they are doing is right? Can they be forgiven? No, that is not forgiveness. That is enabling and encouraging wrong.
You don't have to forgive someone if they don't acknowledge their wrongdoing or feel sorry for it. God grants full forgiveness and redemption through people's repentance, and He doesn't expect more of us than He does of Himself. But if you choose to forgive them anyway (basically pitying their brokenness and weakness and acknowledging internally that they are still human and frail and are clearly compromised) it can sometimes help you to move forward in your life.
It's really you looking at life through spiritual, Godly eyes. Eyes that see a bigger picture overall rather than zooming in on these painful interactions with this person and the hurt they caused. It's you getting stronger and healthier and becoming an overcomer.
However, if they are capable of and willing to harm you further and others in the way they have harmed you or your loved ones, you may need to implement a protection plan for yourself and others, one that may include holding them legally accountable or informing others of the danger they pose.
As a former faith skeptic, consider this: Christianity is the only faith where its founder claims to God incarnate, claims to be "the truth, the life and the way" and claims to be alive right now in heaven promising to show Himself to anyone who earnestly seeks to know the truth about Him. So the big question for humanity is "Is Jesus dead or alive?" In other words, "did Easter really happen?" If so, then Jesus is very much worth paying* attention to, particularly given His alleged downside of not doing so. Upside includes living "an eternal life" now for the rest of your days on earth and then forever after. Again, worth looking into if only to prove Jesus is dead and eliminate Him as a option for faith. Otherwise, He's the greatest discovery anyone can make. Happy to simply share how anyone can expedite the research. As far as forgiveness goes, check out what Jesus promises immediately following "The Lord's Prayer." Matthew 6: 14-15
Pascal's wager is a philosophical argument that posits that people are essentially gambling about whether or not to believe in God. My suggestion is to personally and conclusively prove whether Jesus is alive and everything He claims to be, or a dead man.
So glad to hear that one of your advertisers has returned. The brave among the cowardly and principled has returned. That is what I always consider "an answer to pray" but I can't prove it syllogistically. But I am happy for you, Sasha!
Opening your heart to the simple beauty and fairness of Christianity is a start. I just received the Lord for the first time in my 70-year-old life a month ago. But about 5 years ago I started opening my heart and mind…although still the skeptic, as you are. Now I see He was just preparing me. What a difference He makes.
The death & resurrection of Jesus is the most significant event in human history. Without the resurrection Jesus was just another Prophet. Questioning should lead to study, from there faith is possible. Unless you have “a road to Damascus” experience like Saul/Paul, belief requires study & knowledge. As others have mentioned The Lords Prayer & David’s prayer, Psalm 23 are worth knowing. Even if you don’t consider yourself a believer. I prefer KJV.
One of the cornerstones of twelve step programs is to make an inventory of our wrongs, admit them, and make amends. It's absolutely life changing and humbling to do this (I'm a recovered alcoholic)...and it's also where most people in recovery balk because it's very, very hard to switch from self-absorption (justification for our wrong acts) to self-awareness (owning our faults and taking responsibility for our actions). Forgiving our selves seems to be the hardest thing, so we cling to our rationalizations for bad behavior to protect our ego.
I feel bad for the vindictive people who can't see their own behavior; it's a bad place to be in.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. . " 1 Cor 13:4-8 NKJ
All the intelligence in the world is nothing without wisdom. Wisdom comes from the Word. God bless you Sasha, read the Bible, the power is in the Word.
Hi Sasha - I am one of those followers that prays for you! Actually, I found that being a skeptic helps my faith grow stronger.
My faith sustained me all through Vietnam and my long recover afterward and it sustained me in my dealings with a very difficult commander who wrote a fitness report that essentially ended my career.
At some point I realized that if he hadn't written that report, I would never have retired when I did, would never have gotten the sensation job after that retirement, I would never have found the wonderful woman that I married, I wouldn't have wonderful children I have now.
Sasha, my heart goes out to you with all that you've been thru. You are in my prayers, and I pray that you learn about the love of our Savior sooner rather than later. He is calling you, as He calls all of us.
He's right!
Refusing to forgive another is like drinking poison in the hope that other is harmed.
Forgiveness is for one's own benefit, not the offender's.
That said, one can forgive without forgetting – in fact, it is important to remember, lest you allow yourself to be harmed again. I forgive what that relative did, but I will never let him within a hundred yards of my wife's grandchildren, even supervised.
For those of us who profess to be of faith, we are called to forgive – it is not optional.
For my part, it's answered prayer.
Should begin a faith journey, you will be well-served by your very healthy skepticism.
Consider CS Lewis.
C S Lewis is an excellent study location! Second this fully! And the balance of the narrative is right on. As a life long Christian each day is a challenge to do better and love thy neighbor. A former fastor suggested as a possible place to start for understanding for a possible "newbie" is the letter of Apostle Paul to the church at Rome. The Biblical Book of Romans is full of "meat" for a good understanding basis for the Christian faith. Enjoy, much love to you...Merry Christmas. Dana
Every word correct, Not-head. I deem you and 'honorary Texan'.
Thank you!
lol
Reading C.S. Lewis at least allows me to believe that everyone who believes is right. That is closer than I have ever gotten to my own faith. But it is comforting.
I love CS Lewis, who was good friends with JR Tolkien at Oxford. Two of my favorites teaching on one campus!
JRR Tolkien's works are also excellent. I have to think that they spoke often about Christianity.
Like CS Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia", the Christian references are allegorical in Tolkien. There is no direct reference to Jesus or God. Sauron is clearly an agent of Satan and commands his armies, including the orcs, to accomplish evil. Sauron has a higher lord, Melkor a Valar (like archangels), who is more like Satan himself. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valar There are no "savior" figures in "Lord of the Rings" but messages like "the meek (hobbits) shall inherit the Earth" are prevalent. The men like to fight, like the Crusaders did in the Middle Ages (that is Tolkien's, who was a western civ historian, obvious reference). And just like the Crusaders, the men are prone to error and corruption. The Elves and Dwarves come from old European mythology and have no Christian counterpart.
Thanks Brian. It's been many years since I read Tolkien. Time for a re-read, I think.
Try and read the Silmarillion, too (it is dense with dates and names, like a typical history book). It covers the "legendarium" or ancestry of all the main characters and provides the "backstory" for the time before Middle Earth (the 2nd Age)
I actually meant that Tolkien and Lewis spoke often about Christianity, not that Tolkien's works did per se. I didn't make that clear.
Just pick up a Bible and read straight through The Gospel of Luke ( particularly appropriate at this time of year ), The Gospel of John, and The Acts of the Apostles. Ideally, you'd go on into St Paul's Epistle to the Romans, and read through chapter five, though this could be heavy going at first.
Read the Psalms? Yes, repeatedly, obsessively, the Psalms, too. But in those two Gospels you learn who Jesus is, and in Acts, you learn about the earliest Christians.
That is, you learn what Christianity is. Romans 10:17 informs us that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by The Word of God. Jeremiah 29:13 tells us that if we seek God wholeheartedly, we will find Him. Many disreputables like me weren't particularly looking for Him, but He was gracious to show us who He is despite that.
And He is always, ever, and only to be found in Jesus Christ.
John 11: 25, 26.
I have read the Bible through twice as an adult and in parts throughout my life. I attended Lutheran school til 2nd grade, attended church weekly and Sunday school. I believed in my little girl way back then. After that, I attended Catholic schools. We attended Mass daily and had religion class daily.
It was in high school that I began questioning what I read in the Bible. I read books I found in the library that questioned the veracity of the Bible. They made sense to me at the time. I started to think it was unlikely that these stories were all true. I became more of a deist who thought Jesus was a great person if he existed or at minimum his story was a great story with great moral norms.
Later, I had a hardtime holding even that faith. And then it was gone.
In my thirties, I wanted faith. I was lost and depressed. That is when I re-read the Bible. Searching for faith. I read C.S. Lewis...several of his works. But I just couldn't believe the Bible is a true piece of writing. I like a lot of it, but a lot is hard to believe.
I tried again in my fifties when I lost my Dad. I wanted desperately to believe. I have prayed for faith. I have prayed for others. I have attended multiple different churches. But I just cannot make my brain believe that there is a God who listens and answers, who helps us against evil, who cares and is involved. Nor the stories in the Bible.
And sadly, this is true even though my husband almost died from something that should have killed him. That no one survives almost. I did not know what to do, so I bought a rosary and prayed that hour after hour, plus prayed every prayer I could find from Protestant sites, and I did this for two months without fail. Including praying daily for faith, for my own belief. Every day. And My husband lived. It looks like a miracle. He thinks it is. My family thinks it is. Strangers think it is.
Yet, while I know this, I still cannot believe. I do not know why. I honestly do not know why. Too much seems too incredible for me to have simple faith rather than doubt. I want it to be true, but it doesn't seem true for some reason. Even now. It makes me very sad. I am utterly ungrateful to God (if he exists) for not believing at this point. I am literally a doubting Thomas. If He does exist, and saved my husband, my disbelief is egregious.
My I humbly submit, to keep reading the Bible, the power is in the Word. If your heart accepts Jesus and what He did for us, the Holy Spirit will enter you, and slowly, oh so slowly sometimes (my experience), start to change you. When you truly accept Jesus, you are put into the cauldron, and the Holy Spirit starts burning out the dross. It will be quite astonishing, convicting, and wonderful, as the Holy Spirit helps us to first know and accept our own 'bad' (with me it was selfishness, pride, lust) self before we are able to rightly approach our faith.
Your honesty is what God wants to hear (hypocrisy is an anathema to God) , and you are being so very honest, tell God where you are at, he'll meet you there. I will pray for you tonight, God bless honest and authentic reader.
I'm sorry I didn't see this until just now. I'm rather injured, and go through days, sometimes weeks, when I slough off email. Then, when I see a reply such as yours, I gnash my teeth. Please excuse my laggardliness.
I wonder if you're not making the mistake of thinking that faith is more a feeling? It isn't. It's its own category. As it's used in the New Testament, it ( the koine Greek word is “pistueo” and it's variants ) means “trust,” “reliance upon,” “confidence in,” and so on. Feelings come and go, wax and wane. I wish I had the fervor many Christians have. I had it when I was in my twenties. In my seventies I don't. But my faith has remained unmoved. It seems deeper.
The Universe doesn't leave us the possibility of inability to believe in God because of a lack of evidence. His existence is obvious. ( Romans 1 ) Jesus is the question. Is he God Incarnate? Yes, He is. I can't go back and read your entire comment because I will lose what I have begun as an answer, which maddens me, because you deserve the most careful of answers. All I can do is urge you to keep reading as I urged you to do previously. Maybe I can throw some tantalization your way.
What do you make of Bible prophecies which foretell Jesus, such as Isaiah 53, Psalm 22 ( a prefiguring of the crucifixion ), Micah 5:2, which announces that the Messiah will be born in Bethlehem ( a place which then was as august as Pasadena, CA or Edwardsburg, MI ), and Zechariah 12:10? There are many others, but those are the most shocking.
But stick especially with Luke and with John at this time of year. I have to say that a situation such as yours is one I have trouble understanding, because I have believed since I was three. I'm sure a Sunday School teacher had told me about Jesus, and I still remember the moment when I knew it was true. I was standing in our living room. I could see our upright piano peripherally to the right. I was standing perpendicular to middle C.
My incomprehensions about God have been about the why of things, not whether He exists or whether Jesus was raised from the dead. I am not chiding you. We are all made differently. Some, many, of the greatest saints are those who didn't believe until late in life.
I feel almost a sense of futility in trying to answer you, not because your comment is uninteresting but because it is rich, rich with an account of the struggle you have, and coming up against it I feel like a cosmetician for a funeral home who somehow gets a 911 call. I hope something I have said has helped.
I agree wholeheartedly! CS Lewis was a non-believer at one time, and became a Christian apologist. You can get his books in audio versions to listen to on your travels. I have read most of his works, and highly recommend the Space Trilogy. But all of his books are great, and for a light-hearted read, the Chronicles of Narnia are wonderful!
Beautifully said!
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In 2002 I had nothing. Well, I had something. A conviction for domestic battery. My faith brothers at stgiles.org said I had no way forward that involved retribution. I *wanted* my pound of flesh. Surrendered that to Christ and agreed that my best hope was to behave, to forgive and give grace to her. Second best thing I ever did. The first best thing was to become my son's father.
Doubts. Doubt is deeply Christian. We have always been a people who question what we believe. Churches that demand thoughtless devotion devoid of doubt feel inauthentic to me. You can join us with your doubts. We have answers.
Alan, if there is no doubt, there is no faith. Stay strong.
Beautiful Alan.
Not forgiving someone is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. When I realized this, and when I remember that at times I've been the villain in someone else's story, I became a lot more forgiving. So much easier than carrying that heavy burden.
Sasha, I am adding you to my prayer list. God is so good.
If you understand forgiveness and have exercised it in your life Sasha, believe me, your faith journey has started. If you trust your heart and let it guide your discernment you will get there, I have no doubt. Jesus told one saint that everyone needs to have forgiven at least once to get into Heaven. Go over the words of the Lord’s prayer. ck
I am always puzzled by those who "lean into" their doubts before they ever even try to "lean into" faith. I want to be a believer, a creator, a lover, aperson of hope. Such was our Lord who loved us so much that he created this beautiful world filled with wonders. The evidence of His existence is everywhere with those who have eyes to see and humility to bend the knee to The King.
Right....it can be different for everybody.
I grew up in church, but did not accept Christ in the 'born again' sense til 20yo, on my own decision.
It was a combination of things and observations. A college class taught me that many skeptic scholars set-out to deny the Bible, but many wound up BECOMING believers in the process.
I looked at generations of my own family who were true believers, some in ministry for little financial recompense, but genuinely called or touched by God to serve the Him....not fake or self-serving on their part.
I looked at those who were martyred thru the ages, those who suffered for Christ when they could have disavowed Him. Instead they stood (or fell) for TRUTH, for good, because they KNEW that God is 'good'.
Still, it took a 'step of faith' for me, and when I did that, a very supernatural event overcame me, and I've never been the same since. The discernment of truth and seeing the Glory of God in all things is a tremendous way to go thru life on Earth.
I too grew up in church but it was all about rules and rituals and I always felt defeated as a Christian. It wasn’t until I was 27 years old that someone asked me, through Campus Crusade for Christ’s “I Found It” campaign, if I had ever asked Jesus to be my personal Lord and Savior. I prayed that prayer of salvation right then and now at age 75, I can also say my life has never been the same. There is no better way to live than with Jesus as your pilot!
It is very real, and supernatural. Its hard to get this thru to folks, but then, I was there once too. Just look at Russell Brand's 'real' conversion to JesusChrist. Now THAT is supernatural !
❤️
If you have faith, it is not easy to understand those who do not, but who wish to have it. Likewise, I cannot understand someone who says, "It is simple. Just ask God or just allow God into your heart. He will answer you." Perhaps, I am doing it wrong, but I have tried. I have even come close to faith. I thought I had it for a couple of months, even, after first reading C.S. Lewis. But, it simply does not last. My brain seems to have its own will. I somehow talk myself out of it.
It is very difficult, if not impossible, to understand someone whose mind works differently from your own. Especially on a matter so integral to our lives and who we are.
If having faith seems simple to you, that is truly a gift you have been given. It is something that not all have.
It also does not help to imply that those who do not have faith would surely have it, if only they had enough humility.
Maybe so, but to me, that says, you do not deserve to find faith at this time as you do not currently have the humility to acquire it.
I know many people who find faith who exhibit very little humility. About anything. Maybe somehow have it before God but nowhere else, I do not know. Or maybe I do not know what humility is.
Don't give up on your quest for faith. The learning to have faith can come through the perseverance. You might try saying to the Lord, as a man said in the gospels, "Lord, I believe. Help thou mine unbelief!" If your plea is sincere and earnest, He will be faithful to help you in a variety of ways and through means you would not even expect! Blessings on your journey ❤️
I have prayed for help for my unbelief. I do not think I can say to him, Lord I believe...not before I do..it feels like a lie or fakeness. I can say and have, "Lord, I deeply desire to believe. Help me."
I guess I can just keep trying, but I am rather hopeless for my state of belief now. I should believe at this point, yet I do not.
Is it possible that neither you nor Ms Stone have a notion of faith that you faith doesn't match? Very much worth considering.
Not sure what you mean by that? To me, faith would mean believing in the Bible, its stories (at the very least believing in general even if not all the details), and the God it tells us about. If I were from a Muslim community, it would mean the same except Allah and the stories in the Koran. And other religions, their gods and stories. I am not sure what faith is, if not that.
Maybe I see the idea of forgiveness and holding grudges a little differently than most. To me, forgiveness involves a recognition of wrongdoing on the part of the forgiven. In that case, forgiving is beneficial to both parties. Refusal to offer forgiveness is holding a grudge, which is poison.
But what of the current situation, where people not only refuse to acknowledge wrong, but continue to insist what they are doing is right? Can they be forgiven? No, that is not forgiveness. That is enabling and encouraging wrong.
You don't have to forgive someone if they don't acknowledge their wrongdoing or feel sorry for it. God grants full forgiveness and redemption through people's repentance, and He doesn't expect more of us than He does of Himself. But if you choose to forgive them anyway (basically pitying their brokenness and weakness and acknowledging internally that they are still human and frail and are clearly compromised) it can sometimes help you to move forward in your life.
It's really you looking at life through spiritual, Godly eyes. Eyes that see a bigger picture overall rather than zooming in on these painful interactions with this person and the hurt they caused. It's you getting stronger and healthier and becoming an overcomer.
However, if they are capable of and willing to harm you further and others in the way they have harmed you or your loved ones, you may need to implement a protection plan for yourself and others, one that may include holding them legally accountable or informing others of the danger they pose.
As a former faith skeptic, consider this: Christianity is the only faith where its founder claims to God incarnate, claims to be "the truth, the life and the way" and claims to be alive right now in heaven promising to show Himself to anyone who earnestly seeks to know the truth about Him. So the big question for humanity is "Is Jesus dead or alive?" In other words, "did Easter really happen?" If so, then Jesus is very much worth paying* attention to, particularly given His alleged downside of not doing so. Upside includes living "an eternal life" now for the rest of your days on earth and then forever after. Again, worth looking into if only to prove Jesus is dead and eliminate Him as a option for faith. Otherwise, He's the greatest discovery anyone can make. Happy to simply share how anyone can expedite the research. As far as forgiveness goes, check out what Jesus promises immediately following "The Lord's Prayer." Matthew 6: 14-15
*or praying!
Pasqual's wager.
Pascal's wager is a philosophical argument that posits that people are essentially gambling about whether or not to believe in God. My suggestion is to personally and conclusively prove whether Jesus is alive and everything He claims to be, or a dead man.
So glad to hear that one of your advertisers has returned. The brave among the cowardly and principled has returned. That is what I always consider "an answer to pray" but I can't prove it syllogistically. But I am happy for you, Sasha!
Next you might start saying merry Christmas instead of happy holidays.
All the best from Australia
Amr
Take back the Chrsitian holidays in countries where they have always been the tradition. Destroying them has simply been part of the WOKE agenda.
So go out an celebrate the Christmas season, with gusto! Take back our holidays!
Opening your heart to the simple beauty and fairness of Christianity is a start. I just received the Lord for the first time in my 70-year-old life a month ago. But about 5 years ago I started opening my heart and mind…although still the skeptic, as you are. Now I see He was just preparing me. What a difference He makes.
The death & resurrection of Jesus is the most significant event in human history. Without the resurrection Jesus was just another Prophet. Questioning should lead to study, from there faith is possible. Unless you have “a road to Damascus” experience like Saul/Paul, belief requires study & knowledge. As others have mentioned The Lords Prayer & David’s prayer, Psalm 23 are worth knowing. Even if you don’t consider yourself a believer. I prefer KJV.
One of the cornerstones of twelve step programs is to make an inventory of our wrongs, admit them, and make amends. It's absolutely life changing and humbling to do this (I'm a recovered alcoholic)...and it's also where most people in recovery balk because it's very, very hard to switch from self-absorption (justification for our wrong acts) to self-awareness (owning our faults and taking responsibility for our actions). Forgiving our selves seems to be the hardest thing, so we cling to our rationalizations for bad behavior to protect our ego.
I feel bad for the vindictive people who can't see their own behavior; it's a bad place to be in.
I'm happy for your new sponsor! Gods bless!
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. . " 1 Cor 13:4-8 NKJ
All the intelligence in the world is nothing without wisdom. Wisdom comes from the Word. God bless you Sasha, read the Bible, the power is in the Word.
Matthew 27:25 for the win.
Hi Sasha - I am one of those followers that prays for you! Actually, I found that being a skeptic helps my faith grow stronger.
My faith sustained me all through Vietnam and my long recover afterward and it sustained me in my dealings with a very difficult commander who wrote a fitness report that essentially ended my career.
At some point I realized that if he hadn't written that report, I would never have retired when I did, would never have gotten the sensation job after that retirement, I would never have found the wonderful woman that I married, I wouldn't have wonderful children I have now.
Once I understood that, forgiveness was easy.
My mom had a dream when my brother was in Vietnam. She was calling to him. He answered and didn’t die there. Merry Christmas, Marine.
Sasha, my heart goes out to you with all that you've been thru. You are in my prayers, and I pray that you learn about the love of our Savior sooner rather than later. He is calling you, as He calls all of us.
That’s what I told her, Pat!