What do you do when you have all the words you need to get out but you can't seem to focus?
What to do when you start doubting and questioning?
What to do when you have a full belief in God but the doubts and the whole "am I making a difference question pops up?
Well it seems this is a common occurrence.
In fact the other day I was driving and I heard a story. An example of a man who had the same issues.
This man was down, given to bouts of depression and doubts. He was questioning his own salvation, his life choice, his ministry.
He was travelling around through the city and stopped at a chapel, the lay preacher there was preaching one of his sermons!
After hearing this man preach his words he rushed to the front to speak with the man .
The man apologized for using his sermon but Charles Spurgeon was grateful that he had, for he had re-enforced Spurgeon's faith and recharged him to go back into the fray.
If this can happen to Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, it can happen to anyone.
There are times of mighty victories, but then there are times of doubts and questions.
Perhaps the one thing most people forget is that the strongest people, the ones everyone turns to when they have problems, often need to hear a word of encouragement too.
Yet no one ever thinks of it because it never occurs to them. it never occurs to them that the strong self-sufficient one may not be as strong as you
think.
Even David, the man after God's own heart, the king of Israel, The Lord's anointed, had doubts, fits of depression and questions of His own. The man wrote some of the strongest words ever to describe God's majesty, His power, His mercy and His Grace. Yet he too had to search for God sometimes, David was human as we are..
Psa 13:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
Psa 13:2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
Psa 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Psa 13:4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
Psa 13:5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
Psa 13:6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
David too had to strengthen up his own heart. He knew the answers to the questions but he had trouble applying them as well.
Now if these two men of historical renown and spirit filled influence had these doubts, fears, questions then why do we think that we are immune?
The next part of this equation is the time you spend wondering where the attacks are coming from.
Is it satan trying me, tempting me to cause me to fall?
Is God testing me to help me grow?
Is it just my human nature? Am I as committed as I and everyone else think I am?
Or could it be that I was never in God's will and I am being chastened?
Can I talk to someone or are they to holy and much more worthy than I am and will think less of me?
Now if you tell me as a serving active christian you never had any thoughts or fears along these lines, I will not believe you.
They are common, there is built into the human nature a sense of insecurity. Hence our need for God, our need for recharging, our need for the fellowship of other Christians..
One of the biggest problems during these times is when we have these thoughts of doubt we tend to isolate ourselves away from others. We tend to ignore it and push it further down and in, we chew it like the cow's cud. We let it gnaw at us, we let it fester and become inflamed. We start living in our own heads, we become our biggest weakness and our own worst enemy.
It is so very easy to speak of Christ and His salvation when we are up on the mountain. It is so very easy to preach of the grace of God when we are living high from a victory.
But when we come down off the mountain, off the high and we start back into the mundane humdrum of daily life we are most vulnerable to these attacks, these musings.
It becomes harder to speak of Christ and His salvation, of God and His Grace and Mercy.
It is easier at these points to stifle the Spirit and not speak up, not speak out.
This funk is hard to shake off but shake it off we must.
In the middle of these periods do you ask God why He hasn't talked to you, but you have stopped reading the bible?
Do you ask if He hears you yet you have stopped prayer time?
Do you raise your eyes to the heavens but refuse to see? Do you stand hands raised, but heart down?
During these times do you forsake the daily devotions, the daily readings, and the daily prayers?
Most likely you do, we all do.
Do you always follow the doctor's orders for your care? of course not.
We are human.
That is precisely why at these times you must make a conscious choice to be in God's Word.
We have a God who came to earth and was in all points tempted like as we are.
He knows our problems, He has lived a life as we are living.
He walked this earth hungry, cold, and tired. He walked this earth and had all forsake Him, He was surrounded by unbelievers even in those who knew Him best.
He had victories, He had Power, He had pain and suffering, He had those close to Him die.
He knew of the pitfalls of the devil for He was tempted by satan himself.
He was run out of a town for His Work when He cast out a demon, He was celebrated upon entry to Jerusalem.
He fed 5000 but just a short while later His followers doubted Him for safety in a storm.
He knows the ups and downs of this life we lead.
He knows what you need when you need it, before you know what you need.
When you get into a funk there are three ways to get out of it and I suggest all three as soon as you realize you are in it.
Get in His Word.
Get on your knees and pray
Get to a fellow believer, or church. Strengthen your heart with the fellowship of others.
Don't go to others looking for a pat on the back, or a pity party but go to them, count your blessings with them, have an old fashion praise and worship session and you will see the funk slip away.
Just be cognizant of the fact that these episodes are not special to you nor are they a one time thing,
For there will be daily, weekly, monthly doubts and fears.
Satan will try to get to you, count on it. If you are not being tempted, and tried you better check your heart to make sure you are in the proper fellowship with God.
The fervor of God, the on-fire Christian will cool off if they are not careful. Complacency sets in, then the doubts kick up.
The fears start, the questions occur rapidly.
Forestall these issues, head off the qualms. Go to church, stay in the Word.
Maintain communication daily with your walk partner. Find someone who daily will help you testify of your Christ, find a friend who will commit to daily talk, text, email with you.
Find a source of strength or be the source of strength.
There was a man I knew who was having these same issues, questioning His faith and He went to His mentor and told him of his issues, His mentor looked at him and said "so am I".
Together they prayed and set themselves back on a path of service. They were a help to each other because they were not afraid to talk together not just of victories but of failures, of questions.
They talked out loud of the inner issues.
They had the victory because they leaned on each other and fellow-shipped together.
The funk is real.
Be prepared for it, recognize it, rise above it. talk of it, you may very well help someone else out of their own.
What to do when you start doubting and questioning?
What to do when you have a full belief in God but the doubts and the whole "am I making a difference question pops up?
Well it seems this is a common occurrence.
In fact the other day I was driving and I heard a story. An example of a man who had the same issues.
This man was down, given to bouts of depression and doubts. He was questioning his own salvation, his life choice, his ministry.
He was travelling around through the city and stopped at a chapel, the lay preacher there was preaching one of his sermons!
After hearing this man preach his words he rushed to the front to speak with the man .
The man apologized for using his sermon but Charles Spurgeon was grateful that he had, for he had re-enforced Spurgeon's faith and recharged him to go back into the fray.
If this can happen to Charles Haddon Spurgeon, the prince of preachers, it can happen to anyone.
There are times of mighty victories, but then there are times of doubts and questions.
Perhaps the one thing most people forget is that the strongest people, the ones everyone turns to when they have problems, often need to hear a word of encouragement too.
Yet no one ever thinks of it because it never occurs to them. it never occurs to them that the strong self-sufficient one may not be as strong as you
think.
Even David, the man after God's own heart, the king of Israel, The Lord's anointed, had doubts, fits of depression and questions of His own. The man wrote some of the strongest words ever to describe God's majesty, His power, His mercy and His Grace. Yet he too had to search for God sometimes, David was human as we are..
Psa 13:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?
Psa 13:2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?
Psa 13:3 Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;
Psa 13:4 Lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.
Psa 13:5 But I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.
Psa 13:6 I will sing unto the LORD, because he hath dealt bountifully with me.
David too had to strengthen up his own heart. He knew the answers to the questions but he had trouble applying them as well.
Now if these two men of historical renown and spirit filled influence had these doubts, fears, questions then why do we think that we are immune?
The next part of this equation is the time you spend wondering where the attacks are coming from.
Is it satan trying me, tempting me to cause me to fall?
Is God testing me to help me grow?
Is it just my human nature? Am I as committed as I and everyone else think I am?
Or could it be that I was never in God's will and I am being chastened?
Can I talk to someone or are they to holy and much more worthy than I am and will think less of me?
Now if you tell me as a serving active christian you never had any thoughts or fears along these lines, I will not believe you.
They are common, there is built into the human nature a sense of insecurity. Hence our need for God, our need for recharging, our need for the fellowship of other Christians..
One of the biggest problems during these times is when we have these thoughts of doubt we tend to isolate ourselves away from others. We tend to ignore it and push it further down and in, we chew it like the cow's cud. We let it gnaw at us, we let it fester and become inflamed. We start living in our own heads, we become our biggest weakness and our own worst enemy.
It is so very easy to speak of Christ and His salvation when we are up on the mountain. It is so very easy to preach of the grace of God when we are living high from a victory.
But when we come down off the mountain, off the high and we start back into the mundane humdrum of daily life we are most vulnerable to these attacks, these musings.
It becomes harder to speak of Christ and His salvation, of God and His Grace and Mercy.
It is easier at these points to stifle the Spirit and not speak up, not speak out.
This funk is hard to shake off but shake it off we must.
In the middle of these periods do you ask God why He hasn't talked to you, but you have stopped reading the bible?
Do you ask if He hears you yet you have stopped prayer time?
Do you raise your eyes to the heavens but refuse to see? Do you stand hands raised, but heart down?
During these times do you forsake the daily devotions, the daily readings, and the daily prayers?
Most likely you do, we all do.
Do you always follow the doctor's orders for your care? of course not.
We are human.
That is precisely why at these times you must make a conscious choice to be in God's Word.
We have a God who came to earth and was in all points tempted like as we are.
He knows our problems, He has lived a life as we are living.
He walked this earth hungry, cold, and tired. He walked this earth and had all forsake Him, He was surrounded by unbelievers even in those who knew Him best.
He had victories, He had Power, He had pain and suffering, He had those close to Him die.
He knew of the pitfalls of the devil for He was tempted by satan himself.
He was run out of a town for His Work when He cast out a demon, He was celebrated upon entry to Jerusalem.
He fed 5000 but just a short while later His followers doubted Him for safety in a storm.
He knows the ups and downs of this life we lead.
He knows what you need when you need it, before you know what you need.
When you get into a funk there are three ways to get out of it and I suggest all three as soon as you realize you are in it.
Get in His Word.
Get on your knees and pray
Get to a fellow believer, or church. Strengthen your heart with the fellowship of others.
Don't go to others looking for a pat on the back, or a pity party but go to them, count your blessings with them, have an old fashion praise and worship session and you will see the funk slip away.
Just be cognizant of the fact that these episodes are not special to you nor are they a one time thing,
For there will be daily, weekly, monthly doubts and fears.
Satan will try to get to you, count on it. If you are not being tempted, and tried you better check your heart to make sure you are in the proper fellowship with God.
The fervor of God, the on-fire Christian will cool off if they are not careful. Complacency sets in, then the doubts kick up.
The fears start, the questions occur rapidly.
Forestall these issues, head off the qualms. Go to church, stay in the Word.
Maintain communication daily with your walk partner. Find someone who daily will help you testify of your Christ, find a friend who will commit to daily talk, text, email with you.
Find a source of strength or be the source of strength.
There was a man I knew who was having these same issues, questioning His faith and He went to His mentor and told him of his issues, His mentor looked at him and said "so am I".
Together they prayed and set themselves back on a path of service. They were a help to each other because they were not afraid to talk together not just of victories but of failures, of questions.
They talked out loud of the inner issues.
They had the victory because they leaned on each other and fellow-shipped together.
The funk is real.
Be prepared for it, recognize it, rise above it. talk of it, you may very well help someone else out of their own.
No comments:
Post a Comment