Christian Chat

[Eve7]

Hello and hugs to you all @Anastasia @Appleblossom @ApricotJam @Shaz51 @Smc 

💙🤗💙🤗💙🤗💙

[Faith-and-Hope]

👋☕️💕 ..... Hi everyone

Thanks for tags @Appleblossom @Anastasia 🌸🌷

[Rosemary4]

Hi @ApricotJam , 

Iwas touched by your post on the Proverbs verse, and have a story relating to this I think might help you feel less alone.

You said: Prov3:5 "Trust in God, lean not on your own understanding"...  that you're frustrated you just can't when it seems so easy for other believers... and that if only you  could trust God more that you would feel

safe, and loved, and life wouldn't feel so difficult...

Firstly, I hear you, and I'm so sorry things are difficult... and that you don't feel safe, or loved. Many of us here struggle too, in our day to day faith in a loving Father God who sent his Son Jesus to show a love, and His Holy Spirit to comfort us. You know you are not alone.

"For God so loved the world... that whosoever believes in Jesus shall not perish..."  John 3:16

We must first believe God loves us, really loves us. It's sin He hates, not us, and He's made provision to separate us from it. If we accept the sacrifice He gave to negate it, if we believe and trust His plan. We all struggle with this. 

"In this world you will have trouble, but take heart for I have overcome the world" 

"Let not your hearts be troubled, you believe in God, believe also in me"

Oh, sorry, i have to go, but hope to come back later tell my story re Proverbs 3:5

Hang in there, keep the faith 🛐

[Shaz51]

Hugs @Rosemary4 ❤👍:ok_hand:

Hello @Faith-and-Hope , @Eve7 , @Anastasia , @Appleblossom , @Smc 

[Rosemary4]

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and LEAN NOT on your own understanding" @ApricotJam  - how are you? I think the key word In the 2nd half of this proverb is to LEAN, like a walking stick. There is much we will never  understand in life, or realise later that our understanding of a situation was incomplete. And our emotions and experiences cloud perceptions... so it's important we don't lean solely on our mind.  But we can lean on & trust the Lord who loves us, instead of the confusing details life so often shoves in our face. This is faith, to lift our eyes higher and above the quagmire to God's unshakable Kingdom. It's hard, more days than others, but i do better when I make a conscious effort each day  to pray & sit with the Lord. Sometimes to calm & centre myself  for prayerful meditation, i need to incorporate breathing meditation mindfulness first while i pray. I can relax enough to open up enough to the light and love of the Holy Spirit, who's just waiting to be invited and heal us. Then we learn to trust more when things go wrong. It's a daily discipline, I have to work at, but it helps. 

The story I wanted to tell you about Proverbs 5:3  was when the Holy Spirit first revealed to me the second part. It was when I was hospitalized during my first breakdown in my mid 20's  I went from well known gospel singer to self harming and suicidal in 6months. In hospital I was surrounded by distressed people seeingvthings that weren't there, and others having conversations with the television and staff too scared to come out of their fishbowl, and aggressives threatening mevifvi didn't give them a smoke (which I didn't have). I was alone, and couldn't understand what was happening to me, why, how, and i pleeded in prayer "please God help me understand what's happening, why, so maybe i can fix this, please help me understand what's happening to me...".  It was then, in prayer, the Holy Spirit brang this scripture to mind - "trust me, not your understanding"  i realised that I DIDN'T HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IT TO  GET THROUGH IT,  While sitting alone in that place, talking to God,, a great calm came over me, and I've never forgotten it.

Probably sounds simple to most people but really powerful for me, to know the Lord was with me on that ward, where my family were too embarrassed to come visit and where a church leader said was filled with demonic spirits(aand never came back). I was scared, but the Lord was greater. and got me through that 4monrhs.

There's another vese from Job 13:15 "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" 

"His ways are higher than mine" Is 55.8

Hope this makes sense.

I'd not be here if not for my faith, that my sin is atoned for, im forgiven, atoned for, loved and forever, no matter what ✝️🛐

[Rosemary4]

Hello 🔉

[Rosemary4]

Do you ever wonder if only God has the capacity to actually love some people?

Thats how I feel so man days. The trauma and pain and its outworking (or lack of) is just too hard for most people. Even in the church. Sometimes moreso. Not that I'm out there blatantly / deliberately breaking the commandments, quite the contrary, but it feels 'the world' finds me unacceptable, and I'm to proud to grovel to them, suck up, be fake, force smiles or dress the way they want. I've cocooned myself, it's safer, but then I think God wants me to LIVE - but what could I possibly have that they want around them? 

Does anyone else feel this way? 

I don't think it's the Bipolar / Depression / Anxiety / BPD / PTSD / Grief... or whatever other label they flip it of as... 

Oh well, probably just in a rut.

Loneliness kills. Makes me wonder how on earth   Methuselah lived as long alone on a mountain lol

Does anyone else ponder these things?

[Rosemary4]

You're lovely @Anastasia 💓🙏

[Anastasia]

As are you @Rosemary4.

I hear you, I hope being here is helping to remind you that you aren't alone 🙏💕

Prayers for you @Eve7, are you ok sweetheart?

Love to all here @Shaz51 @Faith-and-Hope @Appleblossom 🙏

[Shaz51]

@Rosemary4, God loves everyone as he has created everyone my friend 

@Anastasia, @Faith-and-Hope , @Eve7 , @Appleblossom , @Smc , @Emelia8