Why is he putting all these obstacles that make my life harder? I'm trying to achieve what I want to achieve, but something has to block me, like some person relies on me so much it's mentally stressing and it gets me anxious because they are mentally unstable as well, it doesn't make any sense. I don't even have the proof that spirits are real, therefore that pokes a hole in my faith. I feel like God is disappearing from my faith, I love Him still but it's just everyday it's a bad day.

[Coma Patient 7]

Perhaps he's suggesting you are more then you believe and is challenging you to rise to the occasion?

Most often I've found it's ourselves, it's how we talk to our self. Understanding yourself, the subconscious is constantly working trying to figure out everything you see and experience. It's making plans for the future, rationalizing everything. So perhaps it's you getting in the way of this plan?

Either way, how you talk to yourself the phrasing will be important. Avoid words like "try", "I wish", use words like "do" which can cause the subconscious mind to continue problem solving until it feels satisfied. As the subconscious mind takes everything said as a literal fact when you become more in touch with your emotions. As you have more walls down so your view is less obstructed.

While this is great for learning it can lead to problems with our emotions, so communicate with that stranger inside yourself, it's your subconscious. Be clear and positive, he's your biggest ally in this journey. He's likely hurting himself and looking for reinforcement, remember it is often like a child with it's wonder for puzzles and pretty things.

They say stuff like this in the army, but it's so true. Use it, us it as a tool to empower yourself to become more, it's really the easiest course. It is unpleasant at times, but it's worth it the long run.

If you want to find a spirit look with-in yourself. There are some exercises that can help you find this, but it takes time and work like most things that are worth while to pursue.

[di meliora]

God has no religion. - Gandhi

[LucyG]

I looked at some of your old posts and noticed you're into horror movies. By putting things that focus on evil in your mind, you're giving place to the devil who wants to destroy your faith.

If you want God to be real to you, start studying the Bible everyday for a certain period of time--not a legalistic thing, but approach Bible study like you would a hobby you loved. Isn't God worth as much time as your other pursuits. And when you study the Bible, focus on all God tells us about Himself and how great He is. Read the accounts of the miracles in the Old and New Testament. If He can do that then, there's no reason He can't provide all we need now so trust Him to do so.

Also, focus on prayer. Read Ps 62 where it talks about pouring your heart out to God. Tell Him what's on your mind and be honest--He already knows your every thought, so get it out there so you can discuss things with Him.

As Puritan Pastor Matthew Henry wrote in his commentary on the entire Bible, 'you can never trust God too much, or man too little.'

I'm sorry if this offends anyone.........

[di meliora]

PHISH LYRICS

Woke this morning to the stinging lash
Every man rise from the ash
Each betrayal begins with trust
Every man returns to dust

"Farmhouse"

When prayers go unanswered, I think one can trust too much.

[Rapunzel]

Why assume that it is God who puts obstacles in front of you? How would that serve His purposes at all? Whose purposes would be served by placing obstacles that cause you to lose your faith? Maybe that's the one placing the obstacles. Don't give up. Reach out to God and ask Him to help you find your way through.

There also times when what we ask for and what we think we want isn't the best thing for us, no matter how much we want it. There are times when we have to have faith that God knows what He is doing when the answer is "no," just like when your five-year-old wants a toy made for much older kids and would be dangerous for him to play with. God can see what would happen if we got what we wanted much more clearly than we can. Sometimes He lets us have our way so that we can learn from the consequences, even though we don't like them. Sometimes we need to ask Him to help us understand.

[di meliora]

Why assume that it is God who puts obstacles in front of you?

The faithful are told to ask in order to receive. They are also told God's will shall be done. After the fact, disappointed faithful are told they asked for something God did not want for us.

Why then are we told to ask? Why are we told we shall receive what we ask for when God decides notwithstanding our supplication?

God is said to be:

1. God is omnipotent: All-powerful.

2. God is omniscient: All-knowing.
3. God is omnipresent: All-present.
4. God is omnibenevolent: All-good.

Under these circumstances, for me, those who believe God has these attributes are not being unreasonable in perceiving what we are told and what actually occurs as difficult to reconcile. Regarding the assumption, whether God puts obstacles in the way of faith is a conundrum for many created in God's image.

Some answer the conundrum by reminding us the beings God created are incapable of understanding his ways. Fine. I can accept that. Why, however, have forests been ravaged for the paper used to explain what we cannot understand?

Since God's will shall be done, my answer is to put aside the dogma and make the choice to have faith; or not.

[yellowted]

you don't have to believe in a god to be a good person or believe in an after life, being a good person is about how you are with othrs, not stressing/hurting them, being good etc , not believing in a god and believing in an afterlife comes from experience of loved ones deaths and your own logic/beliefs. the afterlife may be heven and hell for some but others have differing views, they are all valid to the individual.
i gave up all belief in God years ago, after coming to the conclusion that igod is a very sick man/woman/spirit/whatever. after all he would not make some really good people go through so much sxxt and let axxeholes sail through life without a care if he weren't sick sadistic or enjoyed watching the good of the world suffer as they do.
I was once told god only gives you what you can handle.. if that is so how come so many people become mentally ill/unstable due to the stresses they encounter in their lives and how come so many good people end up suicidal or worse because of it.

but my greatset reason is that no one can give a logical tangiable explination as to who is gods father or where he came from or where he got the idea of building the world .. no one has seen the blueprints of how he mades humans or why he made things that hurt humans like killer snakes or sharks or why he gave humans the capacity to build things that kill other humans!! I understand the circle of life and how it works , but i am sure he could have come up with the same thing without involving stress to stay alive!

and if god is watching over you every day in everything you do why is it people think you have to go to church to say hi to him every sunday!

Originally Posted by Rapunzel

Why assume that it is God who puts obstacles in front of you? How would that serve His purposes at all? Whose purposes would be served by placing obstacles that cause you to lose your faith? Maybe that's the one placing the obstacles. Don't give up. Reach out to God and ask Him to help you find your way through.

There also times when what we ask for and what we think we want isn't the best thing for us, no matter how much we want it. There are times when we have to have faith that God knows what He is doing when the answer is "no," just like when your five-year-old wants a toy made for much older kids and would be dangerous for him to play with. God can see what would happen if we got what we wanted much more clearly than we can. Sometimes He lets us have our way so that we can learn from the consequences, even though we don't like them. Sometimes we need to ask Him to help us understand.

hmm i was thinking that while reading through this thread

god wouldn't put anything bad in front of you like that

[Coma Patient 7]

Originally Posted by yellowted

I was once told god only gives you what you can handle.. if that is so how come so many people become mentally ill/unstable due to the stresses they encounter in their lives and how come so many good people end up suicidal or worse because of it.

and if god is watching over you every day in everything you do why is it people think you have to go to church to say hi to him every sunday!

That's likely because the phrase God only gives us what we can handle has been misinterpreted like a lot of what we know.

I see it more as:

God gave us everything, this is why it's hard to handle.

The other one with God always watching. I always kid around, OMG what a perv, some old guy watching everyone, what's that about?

I joke with him a lot though.

[bebop]

I think God gives us what we need...in His time though. Not always when we want it.

[Travelinglady]

The God I know doesn't promise that our lives will be easy, but He does say that we will be able to get stronger with challenges. I'm sorry things have been so rough for you.

[Rapunzel]

Yellowted, you asked some good questions that I think are very much worth thinking about. And I do know plenty of good people who have not found a connection with or a belief in God. In fact, I know of a prophet who was told by God not to join a church because there was not one on the earth at the time that was His - they all had something missing. This man (boy at the time) was asking questions like you are, and received the answers. Your questions are answerable, and I know that if I try to answer them here I'll get shut down, but if you (or anyone) want to talk about answers to those questions, I'd be happy to PM you or talk about it someplace more open to exploring those questions (the purpose of the forum referenced in my signature is to talk about this kind of thing). I'm not always around on this site these days, and my PM box tends to get over-full, but if you want to talk, I'll get back to you as soon as I see that you have written to me or requested to join my social group.

Rap

Originally Posted by yellowted

you don't have to believe in a god to be a good person or believe in an after life, being a good person is about how you are with othrs, not stressing/hurting them, being good etc , not believing in a god and believing in an afterlife comes from experience of loved ones deaths and your own logic/beliefs.

and if god is watching over you every day in everything you do why is it people think you have to go to church to say hi to him every sunday!

I don't have to go to church to say hi to God. I go there to renew my faith and covenants, because faith is easy to lose if you are not using it, to learn more than I can on my own, and to be a part of a group of people who support each other, help each other, serve others, and have the same values and beliefs that I do.

[edward6]

So true, however, it is very difficult when I have a victimization mind-set. I keep dragging myself back into the muck