Struggling To Believe In God's Handiwork

This is my first question on CFS.. but it's kind of loaded

I used to not believe, and am struggling now but have the desire to believe the following:

- God's individual love for me
- that God created the beauty of creation (I didn't believe this in college)
- that God does intervene in nature and in lives of people

I used to believe in a no-God world, where the laws of physics took over and defined everything. But I cried out to God one time in desperation of my life, and he put the desire to believe into me. But I am straining to believe everything God has created. My mind hurts and I am overwhelmed. I have deep depression and I just have to take it slowly I guess.

God has been working on the side help me with other details and the primal first thing that comes to mind, is it's coincidence. I have to really force myself to think about the fact that God is at work in my life.

Do you guys have any advice for someone who desires to believe in God's handiwork, but can't on a natural level? Most people I know, saved or not, believe in God's handiwork at least. I'm a new Christian, but struggle with it a lot. Any ideas?

Doug
 
I used to not believe, and am struggling now

Good, welcome to reality : )

We have many tools in dealing with reality: such as Math, Science, Logic, our senses, Faith.

Mathematics being certain has nothing to with reality.
I like to think Einstein arrived on that conclusion more on the dimension: reality have infinite dimension.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics#cite_note-certain-16

Science earned much respect for us human beings.
I think because of its predicting power.
Scientific method does give consistent, testable result.
It works!
Now, I have no idea why man uses a tool that is used how reality works, explains the where, what, why we are here….


Logic, there are rules, premise… a premise is an assumption of truth so as conclusion will be made. Without a premise, no conclusion.
What can be more valid premise for Christians than bible verse, the bible speaks the truth!


Faith: this argument can be used by false religion: of course: the truth is universal!
Build up your faith as some people says, or pray for faith as some people says….
No matter: I found faith to be of greater influence than those earlier tools mentioned.


Although there is greater than Faith as Paul sensed:

1 Corinthians 13
The Excellence of Love
 
This is my first question on CFS.. but it's kind of loaded

I used to not believe, and am struggling now but have the desire to believe the following:

- God's individual love for me
- that God created the beauty of creation (I didn't believe this in college)
- that God does intervene in nature and in lives of people

I used to believe in a no-God world, where the laws of physics took over and defined everything. But I cried out to God one time in desperation of my life, and he put the desire to believe into me. But I am straining to believe everything God has created. My mind hurts and I am overwhelmed. I have deep depression and I just have to take it slowly I guess.

God has been working on the side help me with other details and the primal first thing that comes to mind, is it's coincidence. I have to really force myself to think about the fact that God is at work in my life.

Do you guys have any advice for someone who desires to believe in God's handiwork, but can't on a natural level? Most people I know, saved or not, believe in God's handiwork at least. I'm a new Christian, but struggle with it a lot. Any ideas?

Doug
Hi

I never had a problem believing in God, even before I was saved Rom 1:20. Don't really want to talk too much on that as believing or not believing in God is not the real issue James 2:19. The issue has always been who is the real God? and that the teachings of Jesus / prophets OT, has put everyone at a T-junction on morals. If we approve of what Jesus taught / start practicing it (turn left cheek / love neighbour as ourselves) and have respect for God's motivation behind the OT laws we draw near to Him James 4:8. As we draw near to Him, He reveals Himself to us. We get saved when we accept Jesus after we get a revelation of Him being our saviour and God 1 Cor 12:3 and Matt 16:16-17. Our faith in Him is now as real as our faith in gravity John 10:27.

If you read 1 Cor 12:3 properly you will see it is not possible to call Jesus anything other then the Son of God / Lord if you have had this revelation. Ie, all doubt on who the real God is, is gone.
 
God has been working on the side help me with other details and the primal first thing that comes to mind, is it's coincidence. I have to really force myself to think about the fact that God is at work in my life.
Rom 7:15 is no conincidence ;). It is impossible to turn the left cheek / do an unselfish act without something at work on the inside of us! Hence there is scripture like James 1:27.
 
"How can the stars in the sky make patterns unless someone designed them?
"
Our Peace, no offense, but that is a fallacious argument. The stars do not make any patterns,
what you perceive as a pattern is illusory, seeing what you wish to see.

There are much better arguments.
1. The universe had to begin sometime, somewhere, and every action requires an "actor".
In other words, the has to be a "primum mobile" or "first mover" for reality to exist.

2. Reality has a spiritual character that cannot be rationally denied .

3. The existence of evil. In a purely mundane world, one would not expect apparently sane creatures to permit
or participate in the rediculous amount of evil behavior that goes on every single minute of the day.
One could argue that "all humans are insane", but that argument merely kicks the can down the road.
What would cause a species to be consistently insane? There must be an outside influence.
 
So you say that seeing patterns in the stars is much like spotting pictures in the clouds?
Except when you spot, say an elephant in the clouds, someone else might spot a zebra… or a monkey.
We can however, look up to the sky and all agree that it looks like a dipper…
Some people find faith because "the universe had to begin sometime, somewhere, and every action requires an "actor"..
and I suppose that some of us find faith in the patterns in the stars.

God bless
 
Please, with everything anyone tells you, test it, test it with your mind and spirit, and the Word(bible). Including what I post.

The only thing harder than learning something true, is unlearning Untruth.

God is letting this era we live in, run its course. Life is a test with judgment day as the exam.

God can intervene when He so chooses to.

Messiah Jesus didn't come to save Satan's world. He came for several reason, one being to qualify to over throw Satan upon His return.

Messiah Jesus mentioned several times that His gospel was about The coming Kingdom upon His return.

I recommend prayer asking for enlightenment, but understand, God answers prayers. Sometimes not right away, but he will answer them, and sometimes, not the way we want.

Also, with wisdom it can bring sorrow. I, myself, sometimes all of a sudden, will break down crying, in mourning for this world and those that dwell in it. Especially when I see people so full of themselves that I fear they won't make it much further than judgment day.

Oh, and about creation- Yes, when I look at creation, I see Gods handiwork. Just part of our purpose IMO is watching over creation, and doing what we can to help it.

did you ever notice how we, humans, like to be creative? That is a clue to our some of our purposes.

Read your bible for the stories. Study the bible with a 'strongs concordance' reading multiple, if not all scriptures that apply to one topic. Use Hebrew and Greek lexicons to get greater meaning from the original language because much can be gained, because a loss in translation. Keep in mind, the bible, for the most part, means exactly what it says. You don't get to make it what you want.

I hope and pray this will be helpful and fruitful to all those that read it.

Remember we are headed for much, much better times when Messiah Jesus sets up His rule here on earth.
 
I completely understand....

Worship, pray, read your Bible, meditate on the Word, fast when necessary, fellowship with Bible believing Christians, seek good counsel, and repeat.

Spiritual Diet: Consume the Word John 1:1-14, John 6:31-67

Appetizer: Luke 12:22-32 Faith

Soup: Matthew 5:1-16 Blessings

Salad: Revelation 4, Revelation 7:9-12, Revelation 21:4-5, Revelation 22:1-5 Hope

Entree': John 17 Love

Dessert: Ephesians 6:10-18 Protection

Make your own 'meals'...
 
This is my first question on CFS.. but it's kind of loaded

I used to not believe, and am struggling now but have the desire to believe the following:

- God's individual love for me
- that God created the beauty of creation (I didn't believe this in college)
- that God does intervene in nature and in lives of people

I used to believe in a no-God world, where the laws of physics took over and defined everything. But I cried out to God one time in desperation of my life, and he put the desire to believe into me. But I am straining to believe everything God has created. My mind hurts and I am overwhelmed. I have deep depression and I just have to take it slowly I guess.

God has been working on the side help me with other details and the primal first thing that comes to mind, is it's coincidence. I have to really force myself to think about the fact that God is at work in my life.

Do you guys have any advice for someone who desires to believe in God's handiwork, but can't on a natural level? Most people I know, saved or not, believe in God's handiwork at least. I'm a new Christian, but struggle with it a lot. Any ideas?

Doug


Take care of yourself
Take care of each other
Take care of this place

I will take care of myself
I will take care of others
I will take care of this world in which I live

I will be cared for
Others will be cared for.
This world will be cared for.
 
Back
Top