My faith has dwindled down to almost nothing.

[abelcainsbrother]

Scripture
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbKuMSG8Z6g

[Kurieuo]

Hi Suzie,

I had a message of my own personal experience with doubt almost 20 years ago.
Then, I lost the bugger! Don't you love it when that happens?
Now I'm doubting all over again whether God exists!

Sorry but I don't have it in me to write my story out again.

Nonetheless, I don't know what your exact issues are with Scripture,
but it's really the truth of Christ that should be central.

We are to love God with all our heart, soul and mind.
Sometimes, doubt is a prod for us to love God with our minds a bit more.

Doubt should never be left unchecked.
Identify the issue you're unsure about, and look into it.
I use to find books in my local Christian bookshop that deal with issues that had me stumped.
Today, there are a plethora of Christian websites that deal with all sorts of issues.

On the back of that, a page you might find helpful:
http://www.reasonablefaith.org/dealing-with-doubt1
though there's probably better out there.

I'm sure many here would be happy to discuss any issues with you.
Feel free to open a topic and welcome to the board.

[melanie]

"Bobthemaster",
Your post resounded in my heart and soul to the point I took the time to register. I have been a believer and a self-taught student of the Word for 37 years and for the past year my faith in the Bible has dwindled down to almost nothing. Those were my words when searching the Internet for help and that's why your post caught my eye. Your emotional plea sounds so much like I feel. I have not lost belief in God but in the Bible. Quickly I am finding out that without His Word, I have nothing to go on. I feel lost and alone. it all started with a woman who back in the 70's came to belief and received Christ with me. We made that journey together and she was special to me. She recently renounced Christ and has converted to Karaite. I politely read all the literature she sent me. There began my fall. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. I find myself hiding from it all because it is so painful. There are things of a personal nature that have occurred in my life that have, in my mind and heart, no explanation but divine intervention. No one can convince me God does not exist. But this Bible we preach has, to my dismay, become a very huge problem for me. I don't know where to turn. I don't know what to do. I just keep begging Him to return my faith.

Welcome to the board Suzie
We all have doubt.
It's okay
It really is
The thing that stood out to me in your post was 'No one can convince me God does not exist'
How great is that!
That's faith.
Your conviction of belief is obvious, so i don't mean to sound flippant but don't sweat it.
Belief in Jesus is what saves.

I love the bible, it has been a constant form of inspiration and teaching and questioning.
Most Christians would admit that there are scriptures that are difficult to understand, not even understood but embraced as the word of God.
The word is Jesus.
Period
When you look into what the word of a God is, it's the revelation of Jesus.
That is the good news.
I get finding it difficult to understand the relevance of scripture in a changing world.
I need to make it clear, it's not the revelation Jesus as our saviour but rather scripture as being infallible.
I have thought it was completely infallible, to inerrent, then inspired within the historical context the back again to infalliable to a point of honestly that I don't know.
I'm leaning more towards inherent.

I grew up within Christianity, where we are taught the belief in the bible unquestionably is faith.
Now I believe that faith in Jesus is the gospel.

I struggled up until quite recently this idea if we discount any aspect of scripture then we are minimising scripture all together.
If we discredit any part then we discrediting the entire gospel
I got over that.
It was based on fear.
The bible isn't perfect, but it was Gods way of giving to imperfect man his perfect will.
There are isuues.
Because we could never perfectly portray perfectness because it's impossible in our state.


Your faith is not tied into the bible but into Christ.
The bible is not our idol and it's not the word, the Word is Christ
Trust in that and find peace

[Audie]

Over the past 3-4 years my faith has been very slowing dying. I feel like I've reached a dead end. I've searched and searched and searched for things to help me. But the stuff that used to give me temporary faith doesn't work anymore. I feel absolutely nothing when I pray. I have spent so many nights just laying in bed crying (literally) out to God, but... nothing. I don't feel anything when I read the Bible. I try really hard to make connections when I'm reading it, but I just doesn't do anything for me. I pray to God to help me find inspiration while I'm reading it, but that doesn't seem to work.

I didn't think I could ever be in this position. My faith was ok, but it wasn't good enough anymore. I started to look into things a little more because I wanted more. I didn't like just calling myself a Christian and leaving it at that. I've spent the last 3 or so years just doing whatever I could to try and strengthen my faith, but it's a losing battle. One thing I liked doing was watching miracle testimonies and near-death experiences videos. Those actually boosted my faith at first, but as I've come to find out those were just temporary relief. I have now gotten to a point that I never thought I would be in... I'm seriously considering the possibility that God doesn't exist.

I don't mean this in an antagonistic or mean way, but I feel like there is nothing you could say that would help me. I really really want to be proven wrong.

Sorry if I'm all over the place. I'm just kind of letting my thoughts spill out. This is pretty much the first time that I've opened up about it. I'm actually tearing up a little bit right now.

Advice, prayers, or whatever... anything would be appreciated at this point.

Whatever -wise, my perspective is that this is all about one part of your mind
trying to tell you something.

Explore it.

[swordfish7]

First, we must realize that God gives us faith - it is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8,9). We cannot lose that faith if it is real (John 17:8-10). So no matter what are our feelings, we can rest for we are saved. Our God is merciful and gracious. Now it is common to feel like we are far from God, but this is normal in our fallen world, where we wait for Jesus' return and the grand banquet with all believers. Then our relationship with God will be fully restored! Then will we be perfect. So the advice I give is to stay faithful to God during those dry times, keep reading your bible daily, and keep attending a faithful bible believing church. You will eventually come out of those dry times with renewed and strengthened faith! And God always gives you His peace and joy as you rest in Him in faith. It is amazing joy! It is great peace. Oh Lord, I thank you now for your grace and I pray the people of this board would experience it too! Amen. Examine yourself that you are in the faith - trusting in Jesus for faith. Read His word and ask Him to show you any way that displeases Him. He will move you, mold you, and shape you into His child he wants you to be! What an amazing God we serve!

[B. W.]

"Bobthemaster",
Your post resounded in my heart and soul to the point I took the time to register. I have been a believer and a self-taught student of the Word for 37 years and for the past year my faith in the Bible has dwindled down to almost nothing. Those were my words when searching the Internet for help and that's why your post caught my eye. Your emotional plea sounds so much like I feel. I have not lost belief in God but in the Bible.

Quickly I am finding out that without His Word, I have nothing to go on. I feel lost and alone. it all started with a woman who back in the 70's came to belief and received Christ with me. We made that journey together and she was special to me. She recently renounced Christ and has converted to Karaite. I politely read all the literature she sent me.

There began my fall. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to go through. I find myself hiding from it all because it is so painful. There are things of a personal nature that have occurred in my life that have, in my mind and heart, no explanation but divine intervention. No one can convince me God does not exist. But this Bible we preach has, to my dismay, become a very huge problem for me. I don't know where to turn. I don't know what to do. I just keep begging Him to return my faith.

Karaite is legalistic Judaism - salvation by law alone.

This movement crept in Messianic Jewish/Christian groups and has caused havoc due to its authoritarian structure.

Your friend's move toward that shows that she too as all people have some things that happened in her life on a personal level that wounded her too.

You see, Suzie, let me try to explain and be try to be brief if possible

The lord begins to make us aware of our personal life baggage we carry that trips us up in life. When one becomes born again, the belong to the Lord. Who begins the Isaiah 61:1-4 process in each person in a omni-personal way. Healing the broken heart is oft a mortal life long process.

Why this is so is because of the deep wounds of the heart and soul. During the christian experience these are brought to light in a omni-personal way. This happens because our baggage blinds us from being aware of His presence. How close he he is to you right now. This is part of the process to heal the wounded heart and set folks free from what is actually enslaving them. It is often a lifelong process. What baggage do you carry that is hurting you - quenching you?

This baggage comes by the natural need to feel, feel, accepted, approved, validated, be somebody, etc... and having this being violated, betrayed, exploited, abused by others and even by our own self all the time.

We gain baggage from abandonment, rejection, betrayal in life we encounter in a struggle to find someone or something that will validate us, make us feel alive, important, valued. For some folks, they stray into legalism to feel important, be a somebody and validated by human peers. Thus one creates a house, system, to live in. Sets up people to seek significance by the approval of others, or to justify self to live as victims who deserve to be worthless, doormats, control with no voice of his or her own. Is that you? You feel this way Suzie?

This sets one to be controlled by people for their approval. Bad relationships, falling into cults, following the crowd, being a powerless victim, or even justify being an exploiter, or a betrayer or justify one to be on a control power trip, etc. Truth is avoided that reveals who one really belongs too controlling one's need to be needed, validated, as a person so that exploitation, rejection, abuse, negelct is all they end up receiving... Thus we end up carrying baggage because of it. Jesus came to set us free from baggage...

In the Christian walk - what wounded us, what causes us to carry baggage is made manifest. Why? Our source for being accepted, approved, validated, and be somebody can only come from Jesus by the Holy Spirit. If this is not a reality, these needs will keep hurting us and we only find more self seeking to fill the emptiness we already feel.

Only Jesus can fill that void. That void was caused by the dysfunction the wounded us. He fills it often by confronting us with what we think we need. Whether it be in relationships, feelings being significant, that someone really cares, etc, well, because it drives us all batty keeping us from experiencing the reality of Jesus Christ within the Heart by the Holy Spirit of God that actually sets us free when we come to the following conclusion: HE will never leave me nor will HE forsake me: people will let me down, wound me, so my importance cannot be found in the approval of man or woman or in things but only in Him.

Controversy happens within because one is confronted with the ways that do not work for very long verses being drawn into an awareness of God's presence that your significance - validation - can only come from the Lord because 'trust in self or others or things causes woe in life.' The Lord is in the business of removing the woe. Do you desire that Suzie?

Controversy that surfaces, though painful, does brings a revelation of God’s grace to remove what hinders the Holy Spirit granting you validation as a human being with worth and everlasting dignity the Lord originally designed for us. Which we, by the way tossed out the window for the approval of man, others, things, self... God reveals the thoughts and intent of the human heart. You maybe going through this very process as is your friend.

If one does not become more free from seeking acceptance, approval, validation, to be somebody, and healed of fear of rejection, betrayal, abandonment, etc that causes this; then, when the controversy comes, one draws away from the presence of God to be approved of people, religion, culture, society etc and etc.

The need to be free from this is part of the work of sanctification and is rarely taught or understood in the modern church world. Therefore, when the trials, controversy, battles, struggles come some folks simply walk away for a bit but later will return.

Suggest you read the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-24 - what does that speak to you, right now?

"Lean not on your own understanding and in all your ways acknowledge Him... and he will direct your path," Proverbs 3:5 NASB
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