All About GOD - Growing Relationships with Jesus and Others
Giving up...I know it's not the answer
I'm just wondering if anyone has gotten to the point where giving up would seem to be the logical thing to do? It isn't depression...I'm just tired. One tradgedy after another since I was 14...I'm not bitter or angry. I almost feel like god is trying to punish me. I know that is not true, but I don't know any other way of explaining it. I know giving up is not the answer...
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Permalink Reply by Ron Payne on
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Hi Debbie,
I am sure that Carla will be able to give a better answer than I can. I am usually abbrasive where Carla is soft and gentle, with lots more understanding.
Should Carla miss your appeal, then please place it personally on her Page. I know she will be very willing to help and assist you.
The Lord Bless you - Ron
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Permalink Reply by Debbie on
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I want to rephrase something...I said "I almost feel like god is trying to punish me", I couldn't really think of a way to word it but what I have come up with is "I feel like maybe i'm not good enough", the more I try the harder it gets. It has nothing to do with feeling sorry for myself or pity, I think more along the lines of self-confidence... God has performed miracles beyond my belief, he is amazing...but I am having a very hard time with confidence in myself not in god. I hope that makes more sense...I'm not sure how to change my thinking in the area of self-confidence. The thing that pushed me to the edge was my home burned. My son was burned slightly, he went back in the house to try to get my dog, he barely made it back out. By the grace of god he made it out and my daughter wasn't home, the dog and cat didn't make it. Many things have happened but the fire was the last of many things. I'm wondering if anyone has an ideas for direction?
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Permalink Reply by Carla on
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Hello Dearest Debbie,
It is so hard when we go through trials and often feel so overwhelmed and unsure of why things happen as they do. We know that the right thing to do is to stay in Christ, but the enemy of our souls will whisper lies to us which may cause us to question our very faith in Christ. These are the times when our faith is being tested. If the enemy can steal our JOY, he may have us for a season, and could eventually cause us to say...
"What is the point of all this....what am I actually gaining here....?"
This my dear sister, I believe is the starting point of loosing our Joy in the Lord.
Romans 8:5 says "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit" (NKJV). We will live our lives according to the things which we are focused on.
Philippians 3 talks about the Joy in believing.... The first verse says this "Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith."
....What a beautiful thing!
Spend time with the Lord and let Him know exactly what you are thinking. Truly, I urge you to go to the Lord in prayer and just lay it all out for Him.....He knows exactly what is going on in your life, but HE wants you to come to Him. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Lay it all at the foot of the cross. Tell the Lord about your circumstances.
My dear sister in Christ, please let me know how you are doing!
Love in Christ, Carla
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I know you touched on something that feels so true...the enemy is in the middle of this! I am living on borrowed time right now, he had me where he wanted me...as far as I was concerned I was no longer going to be here after August2nd. NOT because I'm weak...because I finally said...after 40 years, 28 years of torture...devil, you win! When the day came I felt something different, god told me "you will come home when I tell you to come home" and I kept hearing in my mind "what did you do with what I gave you" (I know I read that somewhere, but it just kept going through my mind") So I told him from this day on I am "dead" so to speak...I'm giving this all to you...I can't do it anymore. I'm going out on a limb here, i'm so scared of being judged! My first child was murdered on my 15th birthday(Aug2), my mom put me in the hospital for a late term abortion, I begged her not to. I prayed over and over! I even begged a nurse to help me after my mom left(I had to stay overnight), then the next day it was over and I was told it was never to be spoke of. I DONT believe in abortion! After that I was in a deep depression for a year, then anorexic & bullemic, my body couldn't handle it so I started having panic attacks, agoraphobia, and depression. I've been married for 20 years to an abusive man (I do have to say I left 3 years ago and told him I couldn't go back until he got help...it's kind of up and down). The two closest people I had to me were my granmother and uncle, both passed away, then my house burned...I did lose my best friend, my dog. (there's more, but I think you get the idea...I honestly think the enemy is behind all of it...I've stayed true to the Lord. When I got pregnant with my son in 1988 the Dr. told me to have an abortion because of a medication I was on, he had a disabled child and it "really isn't worth it". I changed Dr.'s...I put it in gods hands because I knew if I had a child with a disability it wouldn't be more than I could handle. I was BLESSED, my son was due on December 25th, however he was born perfectly healthy on December 7th, he weighed 7lb7oz @ 7:00. If that isn't a sign from god....quite frankly I don't know what is!! But then I get this sense of shame and not being good enough, I know it's not from god. Since Aug2nd, I am either reading my bible, reading christian books, listening to christain cd's, and if I watch tv christian television. I have had some miraculous signs...but I do feel i'm in the middle of a huge battle. Thanks so much for listening, you have no idea how much it means to me and I really hope you don't judge me. Thanks again....God Bless You...Debbie
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My dear sister in Christ, I Praise God that you are here reaching out for fellowship in trust. It is true that you have been through so much... The beauty of Jesus is that HE encourages us to continue to press on...always moving forward. He knows the plans HE has for us. They are plans for good, not to harm us. God works everything together for good for those who Love Him and are called according to His purpose.
Circumstances will happen to each of us....they are what they are, circumstances. I would certainly not ever say that what you have gone through is not hard....you have been through the ringer.....But God is still on the Throne, and He is bigger than anything we are facing. The way we react to each circumstance in our lives is a choice. By the choices we make, we will either choose to complain...and spend time groping through a wilderness type of life, OR..we will choose to trust in God, always be thankful and Rejoice through Adversity, as we know by God's Word, that He will work all things out for good, for those who Love Him and are called according to His Purpose.
My dear sister, each of us is in this battle of Spiritual Warfare. We are only Victorious in Christ. We must stay hidden in Him. My mom gives a great visual....Picture Jesus on a horse. He is riding like the wind, and you (we) are all riding along with him on the back of the horse....just holding on watching and trusting in all that He is doing. He is saying..."Look now, watch this, I want to show you great and marvelous things" The glow that is coming from Him is so appealing and beautiful, we are just drawing nearer to Him all the time and as we get closer we are warmed by His Love and His Life. We must always keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Another visual is this. Picture yourself walking down a narrow pathway. At the sides, things are coming at you from every direction. Temptation, Doubt, Frustration, all kinds of sin...trying to distract you. But at the very end of that pathway is a Glorious Light, and Jesus is beckoning you to come forward and rest in Him. Keep moving forward...press on towards the goal... resist the devil and he will flee from you. Keep your focus on the beautiful light that is Jesus.
Please know that you are in a good place here, and you will not be judged. Debbie, have you forgiven yourself for things in your life which have happened? Sometimes, even though we know God has forgiven us, we have been unable to forgive ourselves. I urge you to ask the Lord if there is any unforgiveness in your life towards yourself or others which needs to be addressed. Unforgiveness will cause a bitter root, and it is not what God wants for any of us. He has a purpose for you Debbie, and He loves you, you are so special to Him.
prayer:
Heavenly Father, help me to be a forgiving person. Show me where I am not. Expose the recesses of my soul so I won't be locked up by unforgiveness and jeopardize my future. If I have any anger, bitterness, resentment, or unforgiveness that I am not recognizing, reveal it to me and I will confess it to You as sin. Specifically I ask you to help me fully forgive (name anyone you feel you need to forgive). Make me to understand the depth of Your forgiveness toward me so that I won't hold back forgiveness for others. I realize that my forgiving someone doesn't make them right; it makes me free. I also realize that You are the only one who knows the whole story, and You will see justice done. Help me to forgive myself for the times I have failed. And if I have blamed you for things that have happened in my life, show me so I can confess it before You. Enable me to love my enemies as You have commanded in Your Word. Teach me to bless those who curse me and persecute me (matthew 5:44-45). Remind me to pray for those who hurt or offend me so that my heart will be soft toward them. I don't want to become hard and bitter because of unforgiveness. Make me a person who is quick to forgive. Lord, show me if I have any unforgiveness toward my mother or father for anything they did or did not do. I don't want to shorten my life by not honoring them and breaking this great commandment. And where there is distance me and any other family member because of unforgiveness, I pray you would break down that wall. Help me to forgive every time I need to do so. Where I can be an instrument of reconciliation between other family members who have broken or strained relationships, enable me to do that. I don't want anything to come between You and me, Lord, and I don't want my prayers to be hindered because I have entertained sin in my heart. I choose this day to forgive everyone and everything, and walk free from the death that unforgiveness brings. If any person has unforgiveness toward me, I pray you would soften their heart to forgive me and show me what I can do to help resolve this issue between us. I know that I cannot be a light to others as long as I am walking in the darkness of unforgiveness. I choose to walk in the light as You are in the Light and be cleansed from all sin (1 John 1:7). I pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
~The Power of a Praying Women,
Author: Stormie Omartian
I hope this helps you.
Love in Christ, Carla
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Dear Dear Carla,
I have been praying over this since last night, other than a couple of hours of sleep that's all I have been doing. I have had a very scarey revelation which has caused me to have anxiety attacks all day. (I have used your visiulation which has helped emmensly! In 1988 when I gave my life to the lord when I was pregnant with my son, I knew God wouldn't give me anymore than I could handle, but I had to forgive many people and for the most part it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. Since then I have not been angry,bitter,or resentful towards anybody. I honestly gave it to God and I have no animosity and not a mean or angry bone in my body. The more I prayed I knew something wasn't right...I'm a good person, I'm a giver, I have a good heart and would do anything for anybody, I don't even dislike anyone, I don't talk about people, and I'm the one that is always there for everyone. I feel I am here to serve because I know I have the gift of mercy, I actually feel peoples pain.(it may have to do with the night in the hospital when I was alone...I would never want anyone to feel like that, anyone EVER. What was revealed to me was...yes you are a giver but you don't know how to receive, you honestly from your heart love everyone except for yourself. Its true, I HATE myself! I always thought it was low self-esteem, but I really do hate myself with so much disgust...and I don't even know why! I thought I had forgiven myself but I have been punishing myself everyday, i've gotten exactly what I've thought I deserve. And nobody that knows me would ever guess that in a million years, because I can always help everyone else. I don't know what to do about this...I have been praying about it. Since August I have felt an incredible sense of urgency, I know it's from God because I feel peace about it and he has guided me in certain directions. The urgency of purpose, to USE what I was given! I do believe this is a stronghold and I'm not sure what to do about it, because I can't figure out why I hate myself so much. I'm going to keep praying, please pray for me. I thank you so much for all you have done. God Bless You and Keep You Safe...You are a gift from God!
Love in Christ
Debbie
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My dear sister... I am Praising God that He has revealed to you the thing that He wanted you to know, so that now you can work past it.
I just want to give you some food ;o)
Gen 1:26 Then God said, "Let us make people [fn] in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life--the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the livestock, wild animals, [fn] and small animals."
Gen 1:27 So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.
.....be assured dear sister of your worth and value in Christ. For you are made in God's image, and God does not make mistakes. He has given you tremendous responsibility here, because of His great Love for you.
Psa 8:3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers-- the moon and the stars you have set in place--
Psa 8:4 what are mortals that you should think of us, mere humans that you should care for us? [fn]
Psa 8:5 For you made us only a little lower than God, [fn] and you crowned us with glory and honor.
Psa 8:6 You put us in charge of everything you made, giving us authority over all things--
~Debbie, you have great worth because you bear the stamp of The Creator. God considers you highly valuable. He watches over all that you do, calling to you.. "come unto me".
Rom 12:3 As God's messenger, I give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring your value by how much faith God has given you.
Debbie, be sure to not evaluate yourself by wordly standards, but by your true value in God's eyes. You are so important to Him, that Jesus died for you. When He was on the cross, you were on His mind (as the old song goes).
Debbie, above all else know you are loved! You are free!
Rom 8:1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
So you know, that if it is condemnation that you are feeling, it is not from God. God's Word is so satisfying.....it can fill us right up to the brim so that we are overflowing with His Joy and resting in His perfect Love which casts out all fear.
~Adveristy not only reveals what we are made of, but makes us more than we were. ~Joanna Weaver
Praying for you...
Love, your sister in Christ, Carla
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Carla,
I have been reading Romans, and found an awesome website to study the word. For the life of me I can't understand Romans 12:3. It says "I give you this warning" (which makes me want to really understand what it is saying). "Be honest with your estimate of yourself", I have read it also as "Don't think more highly of yourself", I'm confused (I think you could understand...because of our conversations) I can't think any less of myself than I already do...I have been praying over this for a week now and I don't understand it, I hate to bother you...Carla I'm really trying:) Bare with me!
Love in Christ,
Debbie
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Hi There Debbie,
It is so great to hear from you. I am so happy to know that you are praying for answers. When we pray for Wisdom and Understanding, God is faithful to respond.
Regarding this verse, Paul is telling us the key to having an honest and accurate self-evaluation is knowing the basis of our self-worth--which is our identity in Christ.
In addition to people thinking too highly of themselves, they can also think to lowly of themselves...
NEITHER OF WHICH IS TRUE!
The Question to ask is :Who am I in Christ?
Well....Here is the answer:
I AM ACCEPTED
Jn 1:12-I am God's Child
John 15:15-I am Christ's friend
Rom 5:1-I have been Justified
1 Cor 6:17-I am united with the Lord--One Spirit
1 Cor 6:19-20-I am bought with a price; I belong to God
1 Cor 12:27- I am a member of Christs body
Eph 1:1-I am a Saint
Eph 1:5-I have been adopted as God's child
Eph 2:18-I have access to God thru the Holy Spirit
Col 1:14- I have been redeemed and forgiven
Col 2:10-I am complete in Christ
I AM SECURE
Rom 8:1-2-I am free forever from condemnation
Rom 8:28-I am assured all works together for good for those who are called
Rom 8:31-34-I am free from any charge against me
Rom 8:35-39-I cannot be separated from the Love of God.
2 Cor 1:21-22- I am established, anointed, sealed by God.
Col 3:3- I am hidden with Christ in God
Phil 1:6-I am confident that the good work God has begun in me will be perfected
Phil 3:20-I am a citizen of Heaven
2 Tim 1:7-I have not been given a Spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind.
Heb 4:16-I can find Grace and Mercy in time of need.
1 Jn 5:18-I am born of God; the evil one cannot touch me.
I AM SIGNIFICANT...
Matt 5:13-14-I am the salt and light of the earth
Jn 15:1-5- I am a branch of the true vine, a channel of His life.
Jn 15:16-I have been appointed and chosen to bear fruit.
Acts 1:8-I am a personal witness of Christs.
1 Cor 3:16-I am God's temple
2 Cor 5:17-21- I am a minister of reconciliation for God.
2 Cor 6:1-I am God's co-worker (1 Cor 3:9)
Eph 2:6-I am seated with Christ in th eheavenly realm.
Eph 2:10-I am God's workmanship
Eph 3:12-I may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Phil 4:13- I can do all things thru Christ who strengthens me.
Debbie, you are Loved and Valued. God is growing you up, because HE wants you to know what He already knows! Be thankful and Rejoice in all things...God is always with you! HE will never leave you or forsake you...If we feel distant from Him...It is always us who moves away from Him.
Love in Christ, Carla
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Watch this until you know that you truly are the Lord's Beloved!....and this!
Find more videos like this on AllAboutGOD.Net
and this one too! :)
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Permalink Reply by Rori on
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Thanks so much carla, just like always...AllAboutGod has exactly what I need when I need it...THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
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Permalink Reply by ANNABELLE O. MADAYAG-OANDASAN on
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Hi Debbie,
I understand what your going through as I was once in such a situation. Things weren't going the way I expected, problems beget problems, seemingly insurmountable. I almost gave up on my marriage too because of irreconcilable differences with my husband. Bitterness, hurts, anger creep to my nerves and began to grow in my heart. Little things bother and made me angry. I always point the blame on other people, I was too proud to admit that I was part of the problem, until it had a toll on my health. The Lord made me realize that I was too self-centered and never allowed Him to work in my life. When I almost about to give up, that's when I was moved to cry out to the Lord in prayer. I asked forgiveness to the Lord and then poured out everything to Him. I did not realize I was crying to the Lord for hours after which, I felt peace and joy. My family, my marriage is intact, thank the Lord! The Lord has impressed upon me His words in Jeremiah 29 11:(KJV) "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end"; Jeremiah 33:3 "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not"; Psalms 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him; and I am helped; therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him"; Psalms 118:6 "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear; what can man do unto me?;2Tim:7 "for God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love and of a sound mind". These are just few of the many wonderful promises of our Lord Jesus Christ. Sis, I will pray for you that God will deliver you from your situation. Trust in Him, and be still with the Lord. He will see you through. Am glad were both in the NET. God bless!
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