I am not sure that I am a Christian, or ever was one.

[AlwaysOnAJourney]

My problem is that I don't feel or sense joy in my life. A Christian should be joyful and praise the lord even in hard times. I know this in my head but it doesn't transfer into the deep center of my being. That scares me! I spend so much time listening to the Bible. Have done so for years. I have listened to countless sermons. I prayed and asked Jesus into my heart. I got baptized. I don't know what is wrong with me.

 

[Rockson]

My problem is that I don't feel or sense joy in my life. A Christian should be joyful and praise the lord even in hard times.

Actually the Bible says we at times are to offer the sacrifice of joy and thanksgiving. That means when you don't feel like it .

 

[AlwaysOnAJourney]

Actually the Bible says we at times are to offer the sacrifice of joy and thanksgiving. That means when you don't feel like it .

I can't think of a verse that says that.

 

[AlwaysOnAJourney]

I feel like I am going to go to Hell. It is like a gut feeling. I'm not trying to be disobedient to God or anything. I try to remind myself that God keeps his promises. You put your faith in Him then He's on your side. Yet I have doubt for some reason. I'm scared that my doubt will drown out my faith and then without faith I end up giving up my salvation or something like that. It is so weird that I have trouble even explaining.

 

[praise_yeshua]

I feel like I am going to go to Hell. It is like a gut feeling. I'm not trying to be disobedient to God or anything. I try to remind myself that God keeps his promises. You put your faith in Him then He's on your side. Yet I have doubt for some reason. I'm scared that my doubt will drown out my faith and then without faith I end up giving up my salvation or something like that. It is so weird that I have trouble even explaining.

Fear is often a liar. Confidence in what God has promised is an anchor. Such "hope" gives us feelings. I can give you Scriptures.....

Pro 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

Heb 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

but what you're looking for a personal relationship with God. Believe it or not, you're in a very good place to be.

Can you tell me what you believe God to be? You may be talking/praying to a "idol".

Coming to God is more of an abandoning of what you think God is to embrace WHO... God really is.

Be honest with God. Tell Him that you don't know WHO He is and that you are willing to abandon everything you've heard of Him to learn of WHO He is.....

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

This will bring to light just how different you are from God. It will bring you to a place of repentance. A time to deal with what is between you and God's acceptance.

 

[AlwaysOnAJourney]

Fear is often a liar. Confidence in what God has promised is an anchor. Such "hope" gives us feelings. I can give you Scriptures.....

Pro 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

Heb 6:18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
Heb 6:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

but what you're looking for a personal relationship with God. Believe it or not, you're in a very good place to be.

Can you tell me what you believe God to be? You may be talking/praying to a "idol".

Coming to God is more of an abandoning of what you think God is to embrace WHO... God really is.

Be honest with God. Tell Him that you don't know WHO He is and that you are willing to abandon everything you've heard of Him to learn of WHO He is.....

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

This will bring to light just how different you are from God. It will bring you to a place of repentance. A time to deal with what is between you and God's acceptance.

Thank you for your response. I feel that I am 100% honest with God in prayer.

Can you tell me what you believe God to be? You may be talking/praying to a "idol". That is an interesting question. I can't really answer it, but I believe in a Father God, A Holy Spirit God, and Son God, and I believe all three are one. The name Christians give it is "The Trinity". When I pray I say "Dear Heavenly Father" Or I might say "Dear Lord" Because He is supposed to be the lord of my life! I am always telling him my spiritual problems, the ways I fall short in my walk with Him. And I am asking Him to fix me. But I never get fixed. I'm also honest with him about my sin, and my frustrations. And why some sins gets a hold of me, while others don't. Also in hope that He will fix me. I also complain that I'm not good at worship. Also hoping that He will fix my heart. Yet year after year after year goes by and I don't get fixed. It is difficult for me to understand because this is what God seems to want. I am also scared that I missed my calling. I can't hear the voice of God because I have another voice in my head that speaks negative things. It is not of God, I'm sure. I heard that people with a learning disability does have that kind of voice in there head. They say it is because it is a coping thing. When you have a learning disability things come harder for you. Often times I got to motivate myself. It is not easy. I'm sure Satan likes to take an advantage of that.

 

[praise_yeshua]

Thank you for your response. I feel that I am 100% honest with God in prayer.

Can you tell me what you believe God to be? You may be talking/praying to a "idol". That is an interesting question. I can't really answer it, but I believe in a Father God, A Holy Spirit God, and Son God, and I believe all three are one. The name Christians give it is "The Trinity". When I pray I say "Dear Heavenly Father" Or I might say "Dear Lord" Because He is supposed to be the lord of my life! I am always telling him my spiritual problems, the ways I fall short in my walk with Him. And I am asking Him to fix me. But I never get fixed. I'm also honest with him about my sin, and my frustrations. And why some sins gets a hold of me, while others don't. Also in hope that He will fix me. I also complain that I'm not good at worship. Also hoping that He will fix my heart. Yet year after year after year goes by and I don't get fixed. It is difficult for me to understand because this is what God seems to want. I am also scared that I missed my calling. I can't hear the voice of God because I have another voice in my head that speaks negative things. It is not of God, I'm sure. I heard that people with a learning disability does have that kind of voice in there head. They say it is because it is a coping thing. When you have a learning disability things come harder for you. Often times I got to motivate myself. It is not easy. I'm sure Satan likes to take an advantage of that.

Believing in the Trinity is a good thing. However, I want to make sure that you understand what it means to abandon what you think you know to embrace what you can NOT know.

I've referenced this in the past as coming to he point of "knowing that you don't know" something. In my mind, many people never get to this point in their lives. Even what you might consider a very small/trivial thought might create "baggage" in our lives relative to how we expect God to be.

I was once where you are today. I had to realize that I didn't know God. I knew about what others had said about God but I didn't know God personally. I didn't have a intimate relationship Him. I had an "idea" of God that might or might not be who God is. I think if you study the Scriptures....

God always surprised His converts. God wasn't what they imagined Him to be.....

Might I ask......

Do you want God to change YOU or do you want God to change your circumstances? Though you might consider this to be the same desire..... it really isn't.

The Truth of the matter is that God is our treasure or He isn't. We spend our lives looking for God to change our circumstances when God is looking to completely and "to the uttermost" change US.

Even if your circumstances doesn't change, God can and will change you. I got to the point in my life that I sincerely believed this. I knew that if I would let go of everything I found comfort in..... and was willing to make God.... MY comfort.... that He would save me.

Perfect love casts our fear. For fear has torment.

1Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.
1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

I don't believe God is treating you like a son. I can tell you. That from that day I abandoned everything (metaphorically speaking) to this day in my life, even when I'm at my lowest, I've still found my treasure in Him alone. I don't find them in my circumstances.

When I've asked Him to comfort me, He has. He has treated me as a son. I find peace in Him.

Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Do you really desire to know God and are willing to abandon everything that you treasure to know Him?

He alone has Immortality. He gives/grants such to those who truly seek Him. Those that seek Him, find Him.

I believe you are on that search. I pray you are!

Cry out to Jesus. I was listening to this song on the way to work this morning....

 

[Rockson]

I can't think of a verse that says that.

Psalm 116:17​

I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.

You do that even when you don't feel like doing it. There's many such examples in the Bible.

 

[praise_yeshua]

Psalm 116:17​

I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving and call on the name of the Lord.

You do that even when you don't feel like doing it. There's many such examples in the Bible.

I must challenge you. If you do not "feel like" doing such, then why would you believe God would value such a sacrifice? What meaning does it have to you if you don't "feel like it".....

Contrary to what you've been taught, it is all about feeling. Feelings betray what you really believe. Feelings betray what you really are. Hiding how you feel in your actions is insincerity.

I realize that people have been taught this their entire life. I believed it myself but I've discovered differently in my own personal walk with God.

Why do you feel this way? Remember when God asked Jonah this? He appealed to Jonah's reasoning to confront the bias he had in his feelings.

There is a place in our lives where faith and feelings meet. It is when we are in complete agreement with God. The Spirit leads us to such a place in having "peace" with God. Peace is mistakably.... feeling.

Jon 4:9 And God said to Jonas, Art thou very much grieved for the gourd? And he said, I am very much grieved, even to death.
Jon 4:10 And the Lord said, Thou hadst pity on the gourd, for which thou has not suffered, neither didst thou rear it; which came up before night, and perished before another night:
Jon 4:11 and shall not I spare Nineve, the great city, in which dwell more than twelve myriads of human beings, who do not know their right hand or their left hand; and also much cattle?

Feelings are tricky things but when God leads us with peace.... You must understand why you don't have it.

 

[Rockson]

I must challenge you. If you do not "feel like" doing such, then why would you believe God would value such a sacrifice? What meaning does it have to you if you don't "feel like it".....

When I say we may not feel like doing something I'm talking about in the flesh. The flesh or the natural mind doesn't want to do a lot of things of the disciplines in the Christian life but wise is the person who yields and carries them out anyway. God values one's sacrifice of doing so for it brings order and peace within ones life. A life without restraint brings one into misery.

 

[praise_yeshua]

When I say we may not feel like doing something I'm talking about in the flesh. The flesh or the natural mind doesn't want to do a lot of things of the disciplines in the Christian life but wise is the person who yields and carries them out anyway. God values one's sacrifice of doing so for it brings order and peace within ones life. A life without restraint brings one into misery.

I see no reason to attribute feelings solely to the flesh nor the "mind". Feelings are part of our senses. (entire consciousness)

With the senses of the flesh we feel via "touch" but we feel such deeper than just our flesh. With the mind we discern the experience.

Feelings are part of our "will". Our "living soul". Something that can't feel in our very being is dead.... Consciousness is part of our (human) innate being. Paul references the death of our feelings several times throughout his writings. For example....

Eph 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
Eph 4:20 But ye have not so learned Christ;

1Ti 4:2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;

It is a rejection of being who we are as created by God.

First and foremost, we are created to seek God. I saw a man just the other day in an apologetic conversation repeating the false narrative that we were created to "Praise God".....

That is not entirely true. We were created to potentially be to the praise God but we were created to seek God. To accomplish this, we must "feel after him"....

Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

This is the responsibility of all of humanity. This takes time, effort and experience to know God of our own volition. God seeks such to worship Him.

The Scriptures can guide us and teach us to discern God's guidance through our senses/feelings but they can not be an absolute determining factor for us individually. They begin the journey but we finish it through the Spirit of Christ personified in us.

Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

 

[AlwaysOnAJourney]

Believing in the Trinity is a good thing. However, I want to make sure that you understand what it means to abandon what you think you know to embrace what you can NOT know.

I've referenced this in the past as coming to he point of "knowing that you don't know" something. In my mind, many people never get to this point in their lives. Even what you might consider a very small/trivial thought might create "baggage" in our lives relative to how we expect God to be.

I was once where you are today. I had to realize that I didn't know God. I knew about what others had said about God but I didn't know God personally. I didn't have a intimate relationship Him. I had an "idea" of God that might or might not be who God is. I think if you study the Scriptures....

God always surprised His converts. God wasn't what they imagined Him to be.....

Might I ask......

Do you want God to change YOU or do you want God to change your circumstances? Though you might consider this to be the same desire..... it really isn't.

The Truth of the matter is that God is our treasure or He isn't. We spend our lives looking for God to change our circumstances when God is looking to completely and "to the uttermost" change US.

Even if your circumstances doesn't change, God can and will change you. I got to the point in my life that I sincerely believed this. I knew that if I would let go of everything I found comfort in..... and was willing to make God.... MY comfort.... that He would save me.

Perfect love casts our fear. For fear has torment.

1Jn 4:13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
1Jn 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
1Jn 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1Jn 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
1Jn 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
1Jn 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear hath torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love.
1Jn 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.

I don't believe God is treating you like a son. I can tell you. That from that day I abandoned everything (metaphorically speaking) to this day in my life, even when I'm at my lowest, I've still found my treasure in Him alone. I don't find them in my circumstances.

When I've asked Him to comfort me, He has. He has treated me as a son. I find peace in Him.

Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Do you really desire to know God and are willing to abandon everything that you treasure to know Him?

He alone has Immortality. He gives/grants such to those who truly seek Him. Those that seek Him, find Him.

I believe you are on that search. I pray you are!

Cry out to Jesus. I was listening to this song on the way to work this morning....

Sounds a lot like what Beyond the Fundamentals on youtube talks about.

“God always surprised His converts. God wasn't what they imagined Him to be..…”

I know this….

“Do you want God to change YOU or do you want God to change your circumstances?”

When I pray to God I already know that I don’t have a say in the way He answers that prayer. I want God to change me, and I want Him to change my circumstances. But I don’t normally care what He does, as long as He does something that is an improvement on one or the other or both.

I believe that God is always trying to change us and sometimes He uses circumstances to do that.

I am reminded of an old Plankeye song:

“I feel Your presence when I'm on my knees
Asking for forgiveness, Lord, hear my cries and pleas
I know You're there Lord, I knowyou care
I know you set me free, but I'm still scared
I know You're there, but I'm still scared...
Through prayer, Lord I see the works You've done in my life
Even when the times get hard You lift me up in Your light...
I know You're there Lord, I know You care
I know You set me free, but I'm still scared”

I know that I don’t have perfect love. The writer of that Plankeye song probably didn’t have perfect love when He wrote it either. But at least the writer was being very honest about where He was at with his walk with the Lord.

“I abandoned everything (metaphorically speaking) to this day in my life, even when I'm at my lowest, I've still found my treasure in Him alone. I don't find them in my circumstances.”

That concept always gets my wheels turning because we don’t really own anything at all. God owns everything already. Where I have a problem is with casting my cares onto the Lord. Inside I can say, that should be given to the Lord, but for some reason my body and brain won’t let the cares go. They keep repeating themselves over and over inside my head. And the rest of my body reacts in a bad way. That is why a lot of times I try prayer. I ask Jesus please take this away from me because I can’t seem to give it like I should. What is wrong with me?

“Do you really desire to know God and are willing to abandon everything that you treasure to know Him?”

That is an interesting question, because I don’t think I treasure anything. I don’t think I would know what I treasure until I lost it. I could ask God in prayer to show me what I treasure, but don’t think there is any promise that He will do it that way. If you can think of a verse or passage of scripture that shows that to be a promise He will answer for sure, then that might be helpful.