Tired of Being a Christian!

[~Natsumi Lam~]

I know some friends who just feel so warn out about being a christian and following the morals and caring for people. They say... well other christians dont show care... and drink heavily.. why cant i have fun. My responce is, dont look to other christians, look to christ. Other christians will always fail you. But it seems like when i use christ they say... oh he was perfect i am not why should i try. What should i say?

~Natsumi Lam~

[Nate]

11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

From Romans 6

Romans 6, the whole thing actually, is pretty good at getting across the message that we are to try our hardest not to sin, because we are dead to sin. We will fall every once in a while, because we are human, but ultimately we are to strive to do only that which is righteous...for the wages of sin is death (verse 23).

[termyt]

I would ask such a person why he/she is a Christian. Chances are, they are just blowing off steam. Fallowing Christ is in no way easy and frustration is understandable.

However, if they want to believe that poor behavior on the part of those who call themselves Christians entitles them to engaging in bad behavior themselves, then I question their commitment to our Lord.

[mitsuki lover]

It might also just be spiritual exhaustion,even the apostle Paul had
days when he was depressed.

[oro!]

Being a Christian is not abou' rules, but a relationship with our savior. Perhaps they are stressing out...they need a good friend to talk it over.

[Mangafanatic]

I seriously Christians who have this mentality, for one major reason. While we do follow "the rules" because we're commanded to in the Bible, the real reason why we will truly obey is because we love God. Afterall, Jesus said it himself: "If you love me, you will keep my commandments."

Christianity isn't about "do's" and "don't's." It's about loving your savior so much that you would never WANT to disobey the laws given to you, because that displeases him. Never will we feel aggrevated and annoyed at following rules if we're doing it out of a genuine desire to hear Christ one day tell us "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

If your friends are living by a law code, I don't think that just getting them to "do the right thing" is going to be the answer. They're going to have to figure out who Jesus is and they'll have to learn that he's the kind of person we can be excited and thrilled to follow, even by following rules.

[K. Ayato]

I couldn't have said it better myself, Osaka. It's not much the doing and the not doign that sticks out in a Christian, but the being.

[Cognitive Gear]

Here's a comparison that I find to be true often in life:


Sometimes, in life, you will meet people who, while they do not know the Lord, awsome people. They are beautiful, respectful, courteous, generous, and valuable. There really isn't any better way to describe them than as a real gem. A diamond, if you would.

Then there are Christians that when you compare them to those diamonds, they're like a cabbage. Common, ugly, dirty, bitter, and when it gets in the way it can easily be kicked aside.

However, there is a big difference between a diamond and a cabbage...

A diamond has no life in it. A cabbage lives.

Think about it.

[faithfighter]

the comands aren't there just to keep us from having fun, they are there to keep us from harm. they are for our betterment so we can live life to its fullest.
We obey God because He loves us, not because we have to, because he will forgive us, but because we love him and want to please him. we should throw his love back in his face by disobeying...even though he will forgive us.
I hope that made some sence,
God Bless

[Mr. SmartyPants]

I know some friends who just feel so warn out about being a christian and following the morals and caring for people. They say... well other christians dont show care... and drink heavily.. why cant i have fun. My responce is, dont look to other christians, look to christ. Other christians will always fail you. But it seems like when i use christ they say... oh he was perfect i am not why should i try. What should i say?

~Natsumi Lam~

maybe say to be like Paul? For he is like Christ (he says that)

but Paul still made mistakes...

Tell them that Christianity is a journey, and you will have ups and downs. Augustine once said to "Never judge a philosophy by it's abuses"

just cause you see christians doing bad things, don't talk bad about it. Much like atheism. Hitler and Stalin were atheists (Hitler following the niechtze mindset i believe and stalin failed seminary school). Now they did a lotta killing. Does that mean all atheists are megalomanical killers? of course not!

[mitsuki lover]

We're all human. In my view, Christianity has never been about being perfect. It's about doing the best you can for Christ. We all sin everyday... no one was perfect except Jesus himself. When you're Christian, you're going to go through some rough times... but we all know that there is a better place in the end.

I agree totally,and that's why we have all those stories in the Bible about
how the Saints of old failed a lot of the time.Knowing that someone like,say
Samson or even David in the Old Testament and Peter and Paul in the
New were considered faithful believers despite their inadequacies and sins should encourage us.

[Mr. Rogers]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0785273425/qid=1131135730/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-9088714-4305757?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

I'd highly recommend you read this book

[~Natsumi Lam~]

thanks guys for your advice!!

~Natsumi Lam~

[Michael]

Sounds like your friend is questioning why he or she has to be good. Well, s/he shouldn't have to even ask that question, to be a Christian is to become like Christ, a little bit more each day. That's our santification. We strive toward the goal, but we can never forget, we won't get there without Christ.

[Eriana]

I know some friends who just feel so warn out about being a christian and following the morals and caring for people. They say... well other christians dont show care... and drink heavily.. why cant i have fun. My responce is, dont look to other christians, look to christ. Other christians will always fail you. But it seems like when i use christ they say... oh he was perfect i am not why should i try. What should i say?

~Natsumi Lam~

for the fool hath said in his heart there is no God.
Just something I decided to quote from the Bible.
I feel down a lot but I never give up in God no matter what, that seperates the commited and never been commited. Sorry if I sound rude it's just my opinion. (By the way this is nothing against you NL just to make sure you know! )
But I think that you did the right thing Natsumi don't worry about it. Pray for them. Sometimes thats all that can be done for someone who is stuggling.
~Eriana

[SP1]

We so often focus on the "perfection" of Christ. But, to quote a recurring theme from a Sunday School group study: Reclaiming the Real Jesus, by Larry Garner and Ivan Parke, "Those around Jesus had no difficulty believing Him to be a man; they had difficulty believing Him to be God. Today, we have no difficulty believing Him to be God; we have difficulty believing Him to be a man."

Jesus was injured, Jesus wept, Jesus felt hunger and thirst, Jesus got mad, Jesus got tired after he preached a lot, Jesus was tempted - he just didn't give in to that temptation, Jesus requested God (in his prayer in Gethsemane) to release Him from His coming fate - then he accepted God's will.

It is this focus on the "perfect" Jesus that gives people that cop-out answer: "Well, I can't do that because I am not perfect like Jesus." Jesus did not live a life that was intended to show us all the things we can't do because we are not perfect. Rather, it was to show us all the things we can do, if we follow the will of God and live in His kingdom.

[Eriana]

Very good post SP1.
By the way I like your avvie! ^-^
~M~I~R~O~K~U!!!!!!!