New Life?

Samickman03 · 02-21-2004, 04:55 PM

Hi everyone...it seems that I only come here with problems, but now I have a good prayer request. My relationship with my gf was slipping very far down that road that no one needs to go down. One of my friends that had a hard time through high school with sex, drugs, and alcohol, came and started telling me that when he started college he recomitted his life and hes not playing around this time...He is on fire for God. I so want to be like that again. This past summer I was so on fire and I simmered down a lot when I came to school. I am now redeticating my life to follow in his footsteps. He offer me the postion to play bass guitar in his churches praise band..I am going tomorrow to see how it goes. I am ask for prayers that I can become a christian so on fire for god that everyone can feel the heat. I need prayers for Ashley too, she is having a lot of mixed emotions about the breakup, but with all of our fighting and all the sinning and all the stress that puts on my life it was obviously for the best...thanks for taking the time to read this, and please pray for my strength in this new life I am going to build for myself..

In Him
Andrew

Singin4Him82 · 02-21-2004, 08:25 PM

Are you asking any advice?

smhatahy · 02-22-2004, 12:08 AM

i think this thread needs moving to prayer request or something?
mods where u at?

yeah but anyway, ill pray for yah. going to school and still being on fire for God is tough, with peer pressure and all, and not to mention tha 5 hours worth of homework your calc teacher gives you (GRRRR!

).. but i hope u continue to stay strong in the Lord.

ChrisHarbison · 02-22-2004, 12:54 AM

I'll leave it in advice for the time being, unless one of the other mods thinks it belongs in Prayer Requests.

I'll give you my opinion on your situation, however.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samickman03

I am ask for prayers that I can become a christian so on fire for god that everyone can feel the heat

Just remember, even after salvation you're still very sinful. You can't do this in your own strength. When (not if, but when) you screw up, remember your Savior who is Christ. Don't be afraid to admit your faults/wrong doings to yourself and to others. Trust in Christ and lean not on your own understanding as you embark upon the sanctification that takes a lifetime of work.

doulos777 · 02-22-2004, 04:04 AM

I may be reading more into your post than you intended, but the gist of what you said was this:

"I think it is so cool that my friend is on fire for God."

and...

"I want other people to see me on fire for God."

The relationship should be with (and about) God.

And then don't give a rip about anyone else. If your relationship with God is right, then I think you will find that everything else will fall into place.

If your focus is on what others see in you, then you are going to be moving in ways that they can appreciate, rather than in ways that God can appreciate.

Blindman · 02-22-2004, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samickman03

I am ask for prayers that I can become a christian so on fire for god that everyone can feel the heat.

With some wire, some glue, and a lot of work, I could gather sticks and leaves and branches off the ground and construct something that looked somewhat similar to a real tree. But it wouldn't be real; it wouldn't grow unless I attached more branches from the outside, and it would slowly rot from the inside. Furthermore, it wouldn't have any roots, and would blow over easily as a result.

We often treat our faith as if we were building a tree from scratch instead of letting it grow naturally. If your focus is more on the external effects of your faith than on the internals, all you are doing is trying to tack on dead wood from the outside. The roots of your faith - the stuff that no one sees but you - are just as important as the leaves and branches.

If you really want to grow in faith, ask God to teach you more about the cross. That is the seed of our faith, from which everything else grows, and the moment you take your eyes off the cross, to look at yourself or to look at how other people react to you, you'll find that you stop growing in faith. No foundation can be laid except for Christ (1 Cor 3:11), and it is of utmost importance that the foundation of conviction of sin, crucifixion with Christ, and resurrection with Him be laid before you start worrying about building anything on top of that.

doulos777 · 02-22-2004, 02:12 PM

Wow...

For a blind man, you see pretty clearly

CheshireCat · 02-23-2004, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samickman03

Hi everyone...it seems that I only come here with problems, but now I have a good prayer request. My relationship with my gf was slipping very far down that road that no one needs to go down. One of my friends that had a hard time through high school with sex, drugs, and alcohol, came and started telling me that when he started college he recomitted his life and hes not playing around this time...He is on fire for God. I so want to be like that again. This past summer I was so on fire and I simmered down a lot when I came to school. I am now redeticating my life to follow in his footsteps. He offer me the postion to play bass guitar in his churches praise band..I am going tomorrow to see how it goes. I am ask for prayers that I can become a christian so on fire for god that everyone can feel the heat. I need prayers for Ashley too, she is having a lot of mixed emotions about the breakup, but with all of our fighting and all the sinning and all the stress that puts on my life it was obviously for the best...thanks for taking the time to read this, and please pray for my strength in this new life I am going to build for myself..

In Him
Andrew

And also to piggyback on what Blindman said . . .

You get to give yourself permission to Experience your Experience.

Everyone's Spiritual Journey is different and God reveals different things to different people. Sure, you might admire your friend's fervor, and you might feel guilty for stumbling on your own Journey, but it is still your Journey, and as BM and Doulos pointed out, it can't be a function of external trappings.

You get to have your own experience with God and not beat yourself up because it doesn't look like your friend's Experience.

Just because he's lit up like a Christmas Tree doesn't mean he gets it any more strongly that you do. I'm sure he is a very spiritual person and devout Christian, and if he serves as a role model for you, that's excellent.

But I also know that very often the people who really get it often don't know that they get it and they may in fact be getting it stronger, or more strongly perhaps, than the people who look like they are lit up like a Christmas Tree and jacked out of their minds.

Whatever your Experience is, you get to own it and be okay with it. If you feel you need to Grow closer to God, great! You get to determine what that looks like for you, and not to discount your own spiritual awakenings and Connection to God because it doesn't look like your friend's Experience.

IOW, you can't keep pulling up the flowers to see how the roots are doing.

Give yourself permission to Grow at your Own Pace. God loves you just the same and you are progressively moving towards Him regardless. If you weren't, you wouldn't have bothered to post this thread.

Chesh

sourfish · 02-24-2004, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samickman03

My relationship with my gf was slipping very far down that road that no one needs to go down.

I need prayers for Ashley too, she is having a lot of mixed emotions about the breakup, but with all of our fighting and all the sinning and all the stress that puts on my life it was obviously for the best...thanks for taking the time to read this, and please pray for my strength in this new life I am going to build for myself..

In Him
Andrew

it is tearing me up.. i wanted to be with you but because of your will your not letting it happen. I accepted that through the pain, you only see right what you want to see..

there is no need to build urself a new life.. if you can only understand that.

but i am no longer your girlfriend.. and there are no prayers needed for me in helping me heal.. I will go to whom i need for that.. only think of yourself .. I will be fine in time without u in my life..

CheshireCat · 02-24-2004, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sourfish

it is tearing me up.. i wanted to be with you but because of your will your not letting it happen. I accepted that through the pain, you only see right what you want to see..

there is no need to build urself a new life.. if you can only understand that.

but i am no longer your girlfriend.. and there are no prayers needed for me in helping me heal.. I will go to whom i need for that.. only think of yourself .. I will be fine in time without u in my life..

Dude, she just set you free.

You get to focus on yourself and get to know who you are.

Chesh

sourfish · 02-27-2004, 11:52 AM

I can't pray for you because I have to pray for myself to gain the strenght to eve forgive you for what you have done to me. hopefully someone will give you advice like you want and pray for you along the way...

Ryan Akers · 02-27-2004, 01:00 PM

Uh, I think this has kind of traveled a little far. You two can handle this off of the main forum, such as through PM or better yet, in person. Thread closed.

***BillSPrestonEsq*** · 02-27-2004, 02:35 PM

guys and to piggyback on Ryan's closing, I want to make an announcement.

Please do not personally, publically accuse members of sins that approach libel.

I have seen too much of this, but there were accusations of adultery, gossip and other sins committed in this thread.

Sourfish, if what you said was true, you need to take it to the elders of your church in a biblical manner, not air dirty laundry on the internet.

If you wish to start a thread discussing how to handle a situation please do so with discretion.