I started out writing this, "How do you bounce back when your faith has been pushed past its limits?" I didn't even get to finish this sentence when I remembered the verse people quote about God not giving us more than we can handle, which I had to look up because I can't always quote chapter and verse in scripture. I couldn't find it, and it doesn't seem to be in the Bible. The closest thing I have found is I Corinthians 10:13. But this verse only speaks about temptations, and in that, living righteously. How many things are said in church circles or in religious circles that can't really be backed up by scripture?
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we'll find something in life that GOD can't get us through. Hebrews 13:5 states that ... "He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."" God is always there. I could pull many more scriptures where God makes it plain He wants us to lean on Him in times of despair and doubt and when we just don't think we can go on. He wants to give us His strength, His wisdom, and His love when things go so wrong that we question His very existence and question the point of what we are doing. I'm fighting these very questions lately and have even found it difficult to want to open my Bible or listen to praise music. I fight the urge to give in and give up. No my life isn't exceptionally hard compared to just about every other person walking this planet, but it doesn't mean it's exceptionally easy either.
Leaning on God in the hard times is one of the biggest tests that we have. He wants me. All of me. In the good and the bad. In many ways, our relationship with God is like a marriage, but one that is held together by a covenant made by one party, instead of two. God made the covenant. We just have to walk in it. He cries after us when we turn away from Him, but He never leaves. I'm learning this time and again. When we feel that we are utterly alone and God is nowhere in sight, we have to remember that God won't leave us. He never leaves. We do.
Many churches seem to misinterpret, or misremember, a lot of the bible. The reasons are likely varied, be it to simplify in some cases or possibly to manipulate others in other cases. It is hard to say because these "variations" came about years before. For example, people always like to say that God states that money is the root of all evil. That is simply false. We both know the scripture tells us it is the LOVE of money. Or in another case, most of us grow up learning that Noah loaded the ark "two by two", or two pair. Whereas Gen 7:1-3 clearly states it was two pair of the unclean animals only, and seven pair of the clean.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite sure where I was going with that. Just pointing out the discrepencies you can often find between what the church believes and what the Word actually says. And to ensure you there are indeed those of us out here that are reading what you have to say. That we care about what is on your heart and about you as well. Even if we fell out of your life and haven't heard from us in nearly a year :) Continue to question everything. God does not want us to be simple blind lemmings who just go with the flow. For only by questioning can we ever learn, grow and come to true understanding.
Logan
I'm learning that questioning things is much more important than I thought, but it took a rude awakening. Also learning about who truly cares and has the best intentions and who's intentions are rather questionable. It has been awhile. :)
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