Believing in the bible is ruining my life...

[Just_me_Mike]

I can't help but feel this way. I suppose for others that believe in the bible they might feel differently, but I find inside the bible instructions that teach this is suppose to happen.
I think for others they "make" the bible augment their life, and it is just another aspect to their life, so long as it does not destroy their life.

We read often times in the New Testament that we are to not Love this world, and those that do are enemies of God. We are told the world has been given over to Satan, and that choosing the ways of the world is an act of defiance to God.

Our leader Jesus had no problem leaving this place, nor did Paul shy away from talking about leaving early.

So, I find that giving myself wholly to the bible and sacrificing my own life for a life that presents Jesus to people, and in no way am I concerned for myself, I am left with no life at all. Yet, I am told by giving up my life like this, I will have treasure in heaven.

It is no wonder why so many people hate or loathe the bible or many religious texts, if they cause this type of reaction. Yet, for others it is the individual people and not the texts, that get the brunt of disdain.

I guess for me it is all the way or nothing, I am either balls to the wall, or forget it. I mean whats the point if it is not real? I don't really give a crap about a book that isn't real. Don't read much fiction, never have. I enjoy a good non-fiction any day.

Any questions, just shoot. Or as some might say, just shoot

 

[Erebus]

I think I've said to you before that in my opinion if something is making your life less enjoyable you should abandon it.
Having said that, I know a lot of Christians who believe that it's fine to enjoy your life and that you don't have to live a strictly Biblical life as God is merciful enough to forgive you for your sins. While I'm not keen on Christianity as a rule, this type of belief seems quite a good one, it's optimistic rather than controlling.
You could also spend some time looking at other belief systems to see if any of those seem any better to you.

Good luck to you no matter what you decide to do

 

[Breathe]

So, I find that giving myself wholly to the bible and sacrificing my own life for a life that presents Jesus to people, and in no way am I concerned for myself, I am left with no life at all. Yet, I am told by giving up my life like this, I will have treasure in heaven.

My good friend, if you do such things and hate the world and sacrifice your own life at the expense of the Bible, and live your life entirely dedicated to God - then you will end up exhausted, and then moving out of the spiritual path of Christianity. As the saying goes, the candle that burns twice as fast, lives half as long - doing such things are going to tire you out.

Christianity is a difficult faith to follow in regards to giving it your all, because it can really feel like your all isn't good enough.

Your best bet is finding the spirituality of the path that drew you to living an evangelical Christian life again, as opposed to rigid structures and do's and don'ts.

Or, failing that, finding spirituality of other paths. The boat's big enough for two of us.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I can't help but feel this way. I suppose for others that believe in the bible they might feel differently, but I find inside the bible instructions that teach this is suppose to happen.

People often find what they're looking for. As someone who greatly appreciates the Tanakh, I wish it the very best.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

People often find what they're looking for. As someone who greatly appreciates the Tanakh, I wish it the very best.

I'm having a bad day today, so I will just come out and say it. Jay I don't understand your post. Are you insulting me again by saying you wish the Tanakh the very best, but not the same for me? Why bother posting such a thing?

 

[Madhuri]

I can't help but feel this way. I suppose for others that believe in the bible they might feel differently, but I find inside the bible instructions that teach this is suppose to happen.
I think for others they "make" the bible augment their life, and it is just another aspect to their life, so long as it does not destroy their life.

We read often times in the New Testament that we are to not Love this world, and those that do are enemies of God. We are told the world has been given over to Satan, and that choosing the ways of the world is an act of defiance to God.

Our leader Jesus had no problem leaving this place, nor did Paul shy away from talking about leaving early.

So, I find that giving myself wholly to the bible and sacrificing my own life for a life that presents Jesus to people, and in no way am I concerned for myself, I am left with no life at all. Yet, I am told by giving up my life like this, I will have treasure in heaven.

It is no wonder why so many people hate or loathe the bible or many religious texts, if they cause this type of reaction. Yet, for others it is the individual people and not the texts, that get the brunt of disdain.

I guess for me it is all the way or nothing, I am either balls to the wall, or forget it. I mean whats the point if it is not real? I don't really give a crap about a book that isn't real. Don't read much fiction, never have. I enjoy a good non-fiction any day.

Any questions, just shoot. Or as some might say, just shoot

I didn't realise that the Bible said to not love the world. I was under a completely different impression!
I think it is sad that any religion would preach this.
This world is created and manifest from God. All the beauty is his creation, all the complexity a representation of his greatness. How can one not love it? It makes no sense. I guess I can't really relate, as I don't believe in the Devil, nor could I ever agree that anyone or anything could overpower God or His will.

To me the healthiest and brightest reality is love. Because I see God in everything (he is present everywhere and in everything) then I am complelled to stive to love all that is. To live in fear or shame or repression is not healthy, and no God, in my opinion, would recommend it.

 

[Wandered Off]

I mean whats the point if it is not real? I don't really give a crap about a book that isn't real. Don't read much fiction, never have. I enjoy a good non-fiction any day.

Mythology works by embedding the truth so that you don't look for it in the facts of the story but rather in the underlying message.

The story of Rudolph the Red-nosed reindeer may be fiction, but the story teaches truths such as that being different is OK, and that what some consider weakness can be strength. You don't read it to find out what color reindeer noses are or whether animals can talk. To do so would be to miss the point.

The truth is real, even if the events depicted are not.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I'm having a bad day today, so I will just come out and say it. Jay I don't understand your post. Are you insulting me again by saying you wish the Tanakh the very best, but not the same for me? Why bother posting such a thing?

I wish and assume that you find what you're looking for.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

I wish and assume that you find what you're looking for.

Have you figured out why some look for what I look for? I am not sure why one would do that unless they believed the promises to be true.

 

[Storm]

Believing in the bible is ruining my life...

Honey, if you really feel this way, you need to reevaluate your beliefs.

 

[Just_me_Mike]

Honey, if you really feel this way, you need to reevaluate your beliefs.

i think what is so hard for me is I want it to be true so badly, and I am not sure why I want that.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

Have you figured out why some look for what I look for?

Nope. I haven't even figured out why some engage in [the arguably related practice of] body piercings.

 

[tumbleweed41]

As a Christian, I struggled constantly. I was a leader in the church, and as such, was constantly struggling with the doubts that invariably surface. Was I doing everything God wanted of me?

It was not until I want through many stages of belief and unbelief that I found contentment in my current Deistic philosophy.

 

[Madhuri]

i think what is so hard for me is I want it to be true so badly, and I am not sure why I want that.

What part of your religion do you want to be true?

 

[Storm]

itwillend, are you looking for advice, or just some support while you vent?

 

[Tiapan]

We are all brought up on books and others opinion but we find our real life when we follow our own path.

Cheers

Welcome to the real world

 

[MSizer]

I feel for you itwillend, it's not fun to struggle through those kinds of things. Everyone will have different advice. IMO, you should take it all back to basics and consider what things you KNOW are true (not necessarily the things you've considered true in the past) and try to construct a worldview that way. That's not an attempt to render you an atheist, that's a suggestion that you appeal to your true thoughts.

Good luck, and I hope you find mental peace soon.

 

[TheKnight]

May I suggest that you consider why you are here. Why would God put you here, give you life, give you a way to live that life, expect you to live that life, only so that you could be miserable within it?

I believe that God wants us to be happy (and there is a difference between being happy and being comfortable). The Bible is not supposed to ruin your life, but to enhance it, to make it better.

You will suffer, everyone does. But the point is to reform yourself, to refine yourself and discipline yourself in such a way that you are able to withstand your suffering and turn it into joy.

I find immense pleasure in the Bible and in serving God. I believe that everyone should be able to as well. If it's not making you happy, but ruining your life. Then maybe, as Storm said, you should reconsider.

You want it to be true, we all want our beliefs to be true. But if we evaluate our beliefs with an open mind, and look at them objectively, we will either A) get rid of them and be happier or B) realize they are right for us and be happy. Either way the end result is happiness. It can be a fearful process to challenge or question what you've believed for a long time. And it can be a long arduous process of internal debate (when I left Christianity, it took me a full year and a half to completely break free from it. I still experience times where I will look back and remember it and think about it--However, I am a much better person and happier person without it. Not to mention that I believe I've found the truth).

All in all, it's up to you. It's your choice. Whether you want to remain believing as you do, or to change what you believe. It's your choice. And God is not going to throw you into eternal torment because you questioned.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

There is a great difference between believing in the Bible.
and being a Christian.
Being a Christian entails following Jesus teachings, not following a book of ancient Jewish and early romanised rules and stories encapsulated in a book we now call the Bible.

There are large chunks of the bible I do not believe.... but I still believe what matters.

 

[angellous_evangellous]

I'm a believing scholar of the Bible.

I think that the Bible is a classic and enduring work because it has been pregnant with meaning for centuries. It is one tool among many others that as an artistic masterpeice teaches us who we are: our dark side, the power of our hope, our intelligence and lack of it.

Our God is no different.