How to be different than i already am..

[autumn oddity]

I got back from an amazing church conference,,,it definitely filled me up...but idk there's still this nagging sad feeling.

I look at other Christians who have an amazing walk with God and though I've been saved since 2010 I feel like mine started and stopped, or hasn't begun much. I've changed only in very minute ways...and when I look at other Christians they have so much life inside of them, they're confident ...

And it kind of makes me sad because I've been saved for a while and I still feel like the same person..not much has changed...

Even when I was reading and praying ...I didn't feel super close to God...I'm baptized and everything...but I know its not supposed to be like this.
I want my spiritual life to change and I want to start bearing fruit but i don't know how to go about it.

But I do know you're suppos3d to change and people should be able to see it and...I will say my life has changed but only a little bit... I just wish I could get closer to God spiritually...

I just feel this summer I made mistakes that could have compromised my health and safety... And Idk it just made me realize I need more self esteem and confidence in who I am... And I just wish I could like everyone else who's comfortable in their skin but I just feel like that will never happen for me..at least not on this plane.

 

[Egraine]

Autumn: It is best not to compare yourself to other people. Each one of us is unique and so is our walk with God. I still struggle with depression and anxiety, and I've been a born again Christian since about the mid 1990's. Just because one is a Christian, does not mean that all our problems get solved. To me it means that I have God as a source of strength to get through my problems, and He has made a big difference to me in that regard. For whatever reason, there are burdens that God wants us to bear so that He can refine us further. Sometimes this means we have to keep our problems perhaps in some cases to learn to lean on Him more. He is Our Father and teaches us individually each according to our needs. Please do not be discouraged, because the reality is that you are always changing on the inside - God and the Holy Spirit are at work within you at all times, and often the work they are doing is spiritual and so subtle that we have trouble recognizing it. With me, the Lord has worked in a very subtle way, so instead of shocking leaps, I have progressed slowly and smoothly. I believe that God has done this for me to keep me from being overwhelmed. With others, the changes are more drastic, but perhaps God has surmised that they can tolerate these kind of changes.

We are all different. The bottom line is that you are a child of God, you have accepted Christ as your Saviour and you follow the Word to the best of your ability. If you are living a Godly life, then what does it matter if others are this way or that way? It's not about them, it is about you. It is better to keep your attention on yourself and your relationship with God - what other's are doing is between them and the Lord, and you need not concern yourself with it since it is just a distraction that pulls you away from your own individual focus on God.

May the Lord bless you.

Egraine

 

[autumn oddity]

Autumn: It is best not to compare yourself to other people. Each one of us is unique and so is our walk with God. I still struggle with depression and anxiety, and I've been a born again Christian since about the mid 1990's. Just because one is a Christian, does not mean that all our problems get solved. To me it means that I have God as a source of strength to get through my problems, and He has made a big difference to me in that regard. For whatever reason, there are burdens that God wants us to bear so that He can refine us further. Sometimes this means we have to keep our problems perhaps in some cases to learn to lean on Him more. He is Our Father and teaches us individually each according to our needs. Please do not be discouraged, because the reality is that you are always changing on the inside - God and the Holy Spirit are at work within you at all times, and often the work they are doing is spiritual and so subtle that we have trouble recognizing it. With me, the Lord has worked in a very subtle way, so instead of shocking leaps, I have progressed slowly and smoothly. I believe that God has done this for me to keep me from being overwhelmed. With others, the changes are more drastic, but perhaps God has surmised that they can tolerate these kind of changes.

We are all different. The bottom line is that you are a child of God, you have accepted Christ as your Saviour and you follow the Word to the best of your ability. If you are living a Godly life, then what does it matter if others are this way or that way? It's not about them, it is about you. It is better to keep your attention on yourself and your relationship with God - what other's are doing is between them and the Lord, and you need not concern yourself with it since it is just a distraction that pulls you away from your own individual focus on God.

May the Lord bless you.

Egraine

Thank you so much for this. I always thought that being a Christian meant you have to bear every single fruit, be confident and just idk people should be able to tell you're a Christian. This is very sound advice and helps me feel like I'm not regressing. Thank you for your response.

 

[Fish Catcher Jim]

http://www.christianforumsite.com/threads/inspiration-for-week-of-july-23-to-29-2017.48246/

 

[Sunshine 5]

I got back from an amazing church conference,,,it definitely filled me up...but idk there's still this nagging sad feeling.

I look at other Christians who have an amazing walk with God and though I've been saved since 2010 I feel like mine started and stopped, or hasn't begun much. I've changed only in very minute ways...and when I look at other Christians they have so much life inside of them, they're confident ...

And it kind of makes me sad because I've been saved for a while and I still feel like the same person..not much has changed...

Even when I was reading and praying ...I didn't feel super close to God...I'm baptized and everything...but I know its not supposed to be like this.
I want my spiritual life to change and I want to start bearing fruit but i don't know how to go about it.

But I do know you're suppos3d to change and people should be able to see it and...I will say my life has changed but only a little bit... I just wish I could get closer to God spiritually...

I just feel this summer I made mistakes that could have compromised my health and safety... And Idk it just made me realize I need more self esteem and confidence in who I am... And I just wish I could like everyone else who's comfortable in their skin but I just feel like that will never happen for me..at least not on this plane.

My husband was saved after 3 years of marriage. I was truly happy thinking that his salvation would save our marriage. He had a problem with drinking and although he wouldn't admit it, he knew it. I believe that when he was saved that the Lord would take this desire for alcohol away immediately. He struggled for years. Although he never spoke of it, I believe he questioned his salvation because he continued to drink. He had heard sermons and testimonies where God had taken away sinful desires (smoking, cussing, drinking) at the time these people were saved. I wish it had worked out better but after another 7 years we were divorced. I believe God used his struggle to make him the man he is now. He no longer drinks and is constantly witnessing to others about their salvation. Who better to share their testimony or struggles than someone who has been there. Stay strong. I believe that even the most dedicated Christians struggle with the same things you are struggling with. Don't try to change yourself - let God change you.

 

[CoffeeDrinker]

Thank you so much for this. I always thought that being a Christian meant you have to bear every single fruit, be confident and just idk people should be able to tell you're a Christian. This is very sound advice and helps me feel like I'm not regressing. Thank you for your response.

We are definitely a work in progress until the day we die. We all have different gifts and grow differently in the Lord. If you compare yourself to others, you will be miserable. You are your own unique creation in Christ. He loves you just like he loves everyone else.
Your identity is not wrapped up in anyone else or how they are living. Your identity is found in Christ alone and no one else.

My son would get upset over a few things regarding his dad when he was younger. I would tell him that every single family has their problem. When people go home at night and shut their door you never know what goes on behind closed doors. There are wonderful Christians who walk with the Lord and yet they still may struggle in some areas of their life. Not one of us is perfect. Just remember that you are perfectly created in the name of the Lord and start moving. Stay in motion and keep learning and pushing forward even if you feel discouraged, tired or feel as though it's not making a difference. It is making a difference.

 

[Andre Smit]

I got back from an amazing church conference,,,it definitely filled me up...but idk there's still this nagging sad feeling.

I look at other Christians who have an amazing walk with God and though I've been saved since 2010 I feel like mine started and stopped, or hasn't begun much. I've changed only in very minute ways...and when I look at other Christians they have so much life inside of them, they're confident ...

And it kind of makes me sad because I've been saved for a while and I still feel like the same person..not much has changed...

Even when I was reading and praying ...I didn't feel super close to God...I'm baptized and everything...but I know its not supposed to be like this.
I want my spiritual life to change and I want to start bearing fruit but i don't know how to go about it.

But I do know you're suppos3d to change and people should be able to see it and...I will say my life has changed but only a little bit... I just wish I could get closer to God spiritually...

I just feel this summer I made mistakes that could have compromised my health and safety... And Idk it just made me realize I need more self esteem and confidence in who I am... And I just wish I could like everyone else who's comfortable in their skin but I just feel like that will never happen for me..at least not on this plane.

Don't lose hope or faith.

I got back from an amazing church conference,,,it definitely filled me up...but idk there's still this nagging sad feeling.

I look at other Christians who have an amazing walk with God and though I've been saved since 2010 I feel like mine started and stopped, or hasn't begun much. I've changed only in very minute ways...and when I look at other Christians they have so much life inside of them, they're confident ...

And it kind of makes me sad because I've been saved for a while and I still feel like the same person..not much has changed...

Even when I was reading and praying ...I didn't feel super close to God...I'm baptized and everything...but I know its not supposed to be like this.
I want my spiritual life to change and I want to start bearing fruit but i don't know how to go about it.

But I do know you're suppos3d to change and people should be able to see it and...I will say my life has changed but only a little bit... I just wish I could get closer to God spiritually...

I just feel this summer I made mistakes that could have compromised my health and safety... And Idk it just made me realize I need more self esteem and confidence in who I am... And I just wish I could like everyone else who's comfortable in their skin but I just feel like that will never happen for me..at least not on this plane.

I can relate to how you are feeling. I know what it is like to feel out of place and to look around and feel "less" of a Christian, because other Christians seem so much "more" blessed or "holy" than I am. I have a very dark past and after being saved often felt like an "outsider" because here I was among all these "good" Christian people and I considered myself to be a "bad" person. I still often need to remind myself that I have been forgiven for my sins, not because I deserve it, but because of His grace and that according to His Word that no one is good. I would encourage you to keep seeking God and not to concentrate too much on how well others seem to be doing in their walk. While feeling as you feel I was approached by a friend to come and speak to their Bible study group. He asked if I could give testimony, which I did. I told the group of the things I had done, what I had believed, how God and where God had found me and about being saved. I had the entire group in tears and I couldn't understand why. Afterwards some of them approached me for a little conversation and I learnt a very valuable lesson. God can use "outsiders" to touch and to reach "insiders". After all I have done and have been through, it took a "bad" Christian like me giving testimony to "good" Christians to remind them of how immensely big His grace and His mercy is. Don't feel despaired by how you are feeling at the moment. God has a plan and a purpose for you and when He is ready, He will execute that plan through you and you will, in retrospect, see that He was never far away, but He was preparing you for something that you weren't ready for just yet. I also want to encourage you to keep seeking Him in everything that you do and in everything that you experience. From personal experience I can tell you that the more you focus on Him, the less you concentrate on your own desires and wants, and the more time you spend trying to live according to His desires, the more you begin to change without even paying it a thought, and the change that you cannot notice in yourself at the moment, will be noticed by others. Be of good cheer and courage. We are all unique individuals and our walk with the Lord is unique to each one of us.