Doubts

[PandaPower]

Hi everyone

I guess I'll start with some context so you know where I'm coming from:
I'm 20, almost 21. Growing up, I wasn't raised as a christian, I didn't really know God existed, we never talked about religion or God or went to church or anything! So I didn't believe in God, but whenever I was stressed or had a big test I would 'pray' (just in case).

You might wonder how I came in contact with christianity, if no one in my social circle was a christian... When I was 18/19 I started watching a lot of videos on Youtube about femininity and how to cultivate femininity in your life. A lot of the creators were christian! At first I was surprised christians still 'existed' (I know, very wrong but I just didn't know). I wasn't really interested in becoming one myself, however, a seed was planted in my head! A few months later, 19 almost 20, I had a lot of panic attacks and anxiety and somehow I kind of found my way to God. I bought a Bible and listened to a lot of christian music.

Now, this wasn't that long ago. Writing this I realise that a year isn't a long time, especially since I wasn't raised in a christian household. However, I do still struggle a lot with really believing God is real, loving Him/ believing He loves me, reading my Bible etc. I have a Bible app on my phone where you can choose a lot of different Bible Plans, but I struggle keeping up with them. I don't know any christians in my life, but I'm also scared to go to a church in my city... I'm scared my family and current friends will judge me and I'm not ready yet to let them go (since I'm often not 100% sure God is 'real'...).

My question: I was wondering if some of you have the same doubts. Do 'real' christians question the existence of God sometimes? (I don't feel like a real christian yet haha)... I feel guilty about this. It feels very wrong admitting I don't know if God exists, especially on a platform like this where most of you (I assume) really do believe strongly in Him and that you love Him with your whole heart. I admire your faith and hope to one day have that as well. I don't mean to disrespect this faith, or God. I'm just really struggling with this and hope to get some clearity...

Thank you so much, I hope you have a lovely day
Sophie

PS. sorry if I made any mistakes in my writing! I'm not a native english speaker

 

[Drewandbob12]

Hi Sophie what a great post and you certainly aren't alone(I'm almost 21 as well).

I think, and what I've been somewhat taught and through observations, that all Christians and even non Christians have doubt that God is even real in life or at all. My "simple" answer on this question would be that no one truly knows if God is real or not. BEFORE the comments blow up hating me for stating that, let me make it clear, that we physically weren't there when God created everything, we did not see him(and if we did we'd probably explode from sin in his presence.)

So you might ask yourself "But how does that simple answer apply to Christians?" Faith would be my second answer to that, as the bible says

John 20:29 :
"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." KJV
The modern World English Bible translates the passage as:
Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed."

That would have to be my simple answer for your question.

My personal answer to your question would be that I myself struggle with believing in God and I can't speak for every Christian here so this is my experience. All my life I have raised the Christian lifestyle and what not and throughout that time I struggled with even believing he was 1.) real, 2.) could help me in my life, 3.) could help the world.
(I also actually baptized myself this year to recommit myself to God)

A lot of Christians and non Christians I've read have said "If God is real then why doesn't he stop the evil in the world" or "Why is God making me suffer?" or "Why isn't God doing good things?"

What my understanding has become is that
1.) we will never truly understand God, and people who say he isn't doing enough, I would say "well how do you know what God is doing?" God isn't bound to these worldly laws, he is the Alpha and Omega
2.) That being said why is God letting people suffer? Why does he allow things of evil? For this I would highly recommend the book of Job as I myself have found it to be my favorite. God can use evil for good we just won't ever see it or understand the long term of what he is doing now.

That is somewhat a simplified version of what I think and I don't want to get off topic haha... Sophie you aren't alone in your doubt and struggle. I am amazed that you found God on YouTube and am thankful that you are starting to "get to know him" sort of speak.
With your family and friends I would say that there are indeed people out there in the world, in your world, you just have to find them. It's difficult to go to church by yourself because you will feel like "no one is supporting me", I myself have been going to church by myself (somewhat my mom works and my sister isn't into it) and it's a hard thing to do. You do feel alone and even like an outcast, but that's when you maybe talk to others and be honest and open with them.

Easier said than done right? It's trial and error for me, the will to become better than I was yesterday in my Christian life and this is my thoughts for you. I support you and will pray.
Did this somewhat make sense to you? I hope I wasn't ranting too long
Your Friend
-Andrew

 

[arthurfleminger]

Hi everyone

I


It is a great thing that you are searching for faith in Jesus. He made a promise, Search and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened for you.

Christianity was always meant to be a simple religion/faith for all people. Sometimes, when we are searching we need to accept a 'common sense' approach to our search and understanding. So I proffer the following thoughts:

Jesus asked His Disciples an important question, “Who do men say that I Am?”
So, who is Jesus? Let’s take a look at His life and begin with a plain fact. Throughout all history, it would be hard to find anyone whose life has had a greater impact on the world than Jesus’.

A famous author, an atheist named, H.G. Wells said, “I am not a believer, but as an historian, I must confess that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is easily the most dominant person in all history.”

Jesus’ impact on the world is amazing when we recall that he lived 2,000 years ago in a small town. We know almost nothing about His first 30 years on earth. He never traveled far from home as an adult, never held political office, never wrote a book, never invented something, never discovered anything, never led an army into battle, and He never amassed great wealth.

The three short years of His public ministry were spent in small villages. He avoided publicity and commanded His followers not to tell anyone of the miracles that they saw Him perform. He never did any of the things that are considered to be historic.

Indeed, He is remembered by eyewitnesses for being rejected by his own people, that He died naked, penniless, shamed, virtually alone, and in great agony. He appeared to be a spectacular failure.

So how is it then that Jesus has become the most influential person in the history of the world? Christians see Him as their Savior, other religions regard Him as a holy man. Nations, Cultures, even people of no Christian faith have been deeply influenced by Jesus and His teachings.

Albert Einstein wrote, I am a Jew, but I am enthralled by the luminous figure of the Nazarene. He added, “No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus.”

So, what sets this man apart from the billions of others who have lived upon this earth? Jesus appears to be like some other religious figures, preaching love of neighbor and urging people to turn to God. But something separates Jesus from all the others.

Other religious leaders like Moses, Buddha, Mohammed, or Confucius had a message about God or about the right way of living. But the most they had to say about themselves was that they were prophets or wise teachers.

Unlike all these other religious figures Jesus made a far more radical claim. He claimed to be a more than a messenger from God, He claimed to be the actual Message, the Very Word of God. In short, His identity is the issue.

Jesus demanded the apostles make a decision and asked them, “Who do you say that I Am?”

Actually, the possible answers to this question are surprisingly limited. Let’s look at some of the non-believer attempts to explain Jesus.

Many non-Christians see Jesus just as being a good man, a wise man, and a great teacher.

And yet, we miss the point entirely if we treat Jesus merely as a good and wise teacher, because Jesus made far greater claims.

When Jesus claimed to forgive sins, He was making the claim that it was He was the One who was offended by men’s sins. He was criticized for forgiving sins, because only God can forgive sins. And his critics were right, Only God can forgive sins, and Jesus never disputed that.

Jesus claimed that before Abraham was, I Am. Understand what Jesus claimed here. Jesus claimed to be, “I Am”, and I Am is the Name by which God revealed Himself to Moses. Jesus is claiming to be the same eternal God who spoke to Moses from the burning bush. The religious leaders understood perfectly what He was saying and they picked up stones and attempted to kill Him for blasphemy. (John 8:58)

Jesus guided by word and example, forgiving, loving and caring for others. But far more than showing us the way, Jesus claimed that He is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; and that no one can come to the Father but by Me.

When Jesus appeared to the Apostle Thomas, Thomas fell to the ground and worshiped Jesus praying to Him, My Lord and my God!” Being strict Jews, Jesus and the apostles worshiped only one God, but when Thomas fell down and worshiped Jesus as God, neither Jesus nor any of the other apostles corrected him. It is clear that none of Jesus disciples thought that Jesus was only a good and wise teacher.

Instead, Jesus accepted Thomas’ worship, acknowledging that He is the one God of Israel.

If Jesus’ claims weren’t true, then He could not have been a wise man, a good man, or a great teacher. Instead He would have been an egomaniac, an evil and ignorant man who didn’t teach truth. But, if Jesus’ claims are true then He is certainly much more than a good and wise teacher.

Because Jesus taught that He is God and that we are not. He emphasized that He is from above and that we are from below, that we are sinners and that He is without sin, and that God is one. Jesus had a thoroughly Jewish concept of the God of Israel; and Jesus clearly stated a number of times, “I Am!”

One atheist, who converted to Christianity, was the great protestant thinker and writer, C.S. Lewis. He wrote, “Jesus claimed to be God, so there are only two possibilities, either He is God or He is not God.” There are no other possibilities.

He added, if Jesus is not God, then we are left with two options: He either knows that He is not God and is a liar, or he is a lunatic and mistakenly thinks that He is God.

If Jesus was a liar, His lies were about the most important things imaginable. For a man to lie about such claims to His friends and followers, He would have to been deeply evil.

Liars tell lies in the pursuit of some gain. So, if Jesus was a liar, for what purpose? What does Jesus gain as a result of His lies? Earthly power? No, when men try to crown Him, He runs away. Status? No, He only wins the admiration of unimportant people; prostitutes, tax collectors, fishermen, along with the undying hatred of powerful men bent on His destruction.

When He is on trial for His life, why would He lie when asked if He is the Christ, the Son of God? He didn’t hesitate. He answered, I AM, (Mark 14:62) thereby inviting crucifixion, the most horrific death known to man. No liar, bent on earthly gain would do this.

So, if Jesus is not God and not a liar, we are left with only one other alternative; He was mistakenly insane. The trouble with this thought is that there is nothing in Scripture to indicate that Jesus was insane. Study His interactions with His enemies or His warm conversations with His friends. No one ever thought that He was a deranged man, out of His wits.

So, if Jesus wasn’t a compulsive liar or insane, it begins to look as though there is difficulty in accounting for Jesus in any other way but the way that Peter did. When Jesus asked him, “Who do you say that I AM.” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

And Jesus asks the same question to all people, throughout time, He asks the same question of you and me, “Who do you say that, I Am?”

ONE FINAL THOUGHT

The Apostles were the people who knew Jesus best. And they believed His claims. They believed so much that they would go out into a world filled with wolves and spread Jesus’ Gospel. Except for John, all of them willingly gave up their lives in martyrdom for their Lord and God.

 

[Magenta]

I admire your faith and hope to one day have that as well.

Dear Sophie, how wonderful that you are seeking God and have an open heart towards Him even as you struggle with thoughts and doubts concerning His existence. I quoted the above part of your post (I did read the whole thing ) because you have a concern about how others may judge you if you begin to attend church services. I wish to impart to you my own belief: that seeking to know and having faith in a Spiritual force within the universe is highly regarded across lines of belief and non-belief, even if and when people are personally against religion in general and Christianity in particular.

I can tell you that even as a non-believer, I really loved hearing people's God stories, though I was set against God and religion in my own mind at the time. Even so, I knew there was some hidden spiritual reality into which I'd had glimpses, and seeking to understand and know it better set me on a course I will never regret. It was also one of the greatest adventures of my life! I was raised in a fairly strict religiously oriented home, and rebelled big time against what I saw as boring, repetitious, hypocritical, nonsensical, restrictive, legalistic, outmoded and short-sighted traditions... so your upbringing was quite different from mine, but you have the same need as I did, and this need lies at the heart of human existence, since questions regarding the origin and purpose of life have been with man very likely from the beginning, and these matters also pertain directly to the question of whether or not there is a God Who is our Creator and has a purpose for His creation, including mankind. God does have a wonderful plan for your life.

God is pleased that you are seeking Him. He has promised to reveal Himself to those who diligently/sincerely seek Him, and God's promises are true! Please stay the course you on. I hope you are able to find a wonderful family in a Bible believing, Bible teaching church. Allow it some time as you explore and weigh your options, and try to lay aside any preconceived ideas you may have. I commend you as a younger person for your desire to know God better. I did not become a born again believer until I was almost fifty! Your experiences may differ significantly from those of others, but you will cherish them none-the-less, and the common theme will always be there, of God dwelling in our hearts and desiring a personal relationship with us. I cannot leave off without saying, this is because He loves you so very much, He Sent His only begotten Son to take the penalty we deserve, that we may be reconciled to Him, and have a life more more abundant.

Isaiah 45:22 + Revelation 3:20

Revelation 22:16-17

John 3:16

 

[PandaPower]

Hi Sophie what a great post and you certainly aren't alone(I'm almost 21 as well).

I think, and what I've been somewhat taught and through observations, that all Christians and even non Christians have doubt that God is even real in life or at all. My "simple" answer on this question would be that no one truly knows if God is real or not. BEFORE the comments blow up hating me for stating that, let me make it clear, that we physically weren't there when God created everything, we did not see him(and if we did we'd probably explode from sin in his presence.)

So you might ask yourself "But how does that simple answer apply to Christians?" Faith would be my second answer to that, as the bible says

John 20:29 :
"Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." KJV
The modern World English Bible translates the passage as:
Jesus said to him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed."

That would have to be my simple answer for your question.

My personal answer to your question would be that I myself struggle with believing in God and I can't speak for every Christian here so this is my experience. All my life I have raised the Christian lifestyle and what not and throughout that time I struggled with even believing he was 1.) real, 2.) could help me in my life, 3.) could help the world.
(I also actually baptized myself this year to recommit myself to God)

A lot of Christians and non Christians I've read have said "If God is real then why doesn't he stop the evil in the world" or "Why is God making me suffer?" or "Why isn't God doing good things?"

What my understanding has become is that
1.) we will never truly understand God, and people who say he isn't doing enough, I would say "well how do you know what God is doing?" God isn't bound to these worldly laws, he is the Alpha and Omega
2.) That being said why is God letting people suffer? Why does he allow things of evil? For this I would highly recommend the book of Job as I myself have found it to be my favorite. God can use evil for good we just won't ever see it or understand the long term of what he is doing now.

That is somewhat a simplified version of what I think and I don't want to get off topic haha... Sophie you aren't alone in your doubt and struggle. I am amazed that you found God on YouTube and am thankful that you are starting to "get to know him" sort of speak.
With your family and friends I would say that there are indeed people out there in the world, in your world, you just have to find them. It's difficult to go to church by yourself because you will feel like "no one is supporting me", I myself have been going to church by myself (somewhat my mom works and my sister isn't into it) and it's a hard thing to do. You do feel alone and even like an outcast, but that's when you maybe talk to others and be honest and open with them.

Easier said than done right? It's trial and error for me, the will to become better than I was yesterday in my Christian life and this is my thoughts for you. I support you and will pray.
Did this somewhat make sense to you? I hope I wasn't ranting too long
Your Friend
-Andrew

Wow... thank you so much!

It's so cool you baptized yourself and are recommitting yourself to God!! And I really resonate with questioning why there is suffering and bad things in the world if God could just choose to end it... But yeah, like you said, we can't know what God is planning.
Maybe that's part of the reason I have difficulty believing. God is so much bigger than us, I can't even wrap my head around it!

Thank you for your recommendations and especially for sharing your own experiences! It's really encouraging

I'm very grateful for your story and you definitely weren't ranting too long!
And I'll be praying for you as well! Hoping you find someone to go to church with

 

[Magenta]

I hope you watch and find these videos helpful

I was going through the alpha course when I realized
I needed no more convincing of the Truth of God's Word

This movie on the gospel of John is word for Word

I have watched it many times! I hope it likewise feeds your spirit.

 

[PandaPower]

Thank you so much! It was really interesting reading what you wrote here When you put it like that it does certainly make sense! If he is not insane or a liar, there is only 1 option left...
Thank you so much for taking the time to help me out You gave me a lot to think about

 

[PandaPower]

Dear Sophie, how wonderful that you are seeking God and have an open heart towards Him even as you struggle with thoughts and doubts concerning His existence. I quoted the above part of your post (I did read the whole thing ) because you have a concern about how others may judge you if you begin to attend church services. I wish to impart to you my own belief: that seeking to know and having faith in a Spiritual force within the universe is highly regarded across lines of belief and non-belief, even if and when people are personally against religion in general and Christianity in particular.

I can tell you that even as a non-believer, I really loved hearing people's God stories, though I was set against God and religion in my own mind at the time. Even so, I knew there was some hidden spiritual reality into which I'd had glimpses, and seeking to understand and know it better set me on a course I will never regret. It was also one of the greatest adventures of my life! I was raised in a fairly strict religiously oriented home, and rebelled big time against what I saw as boring, repetitious, hypocritical, nonsensical, restrictive, legalistic, outmoded and short-sighted traditions... so your upbringing was quite different from mine, but you have the same need as I did, and this need lies at the heart of human existence, since questions regarding the origin and purpose of life have been with man very likely from the beginning, and these matters also pertain directly to the question of whether or not there is a God Who is our Creator and has a purpose for His creation, including mankind. God does have a wonderful plan for your life.

God is pleased that you are seeking Him. He has promised to reveal Himself to those who diligently/sincerely seek Him, and God's promises are true! Please stay the course you on. I hope you are able to find a wonderful family in a Bible believing, Bible teaching church. Allow it some time as you explore and weigh your options, and try to lay aside any preconceived ideas you may have. I commend you as a younger person for your desire to know God better. I did not become a born again believer until I was almost fifty! Your experiences may differ significantly from those of others, but you will cherish them none-the-less, and the common theme will always be there, of God dwelling in our hearts and desiring a personal relationship with us. I cannot leave off without saying, this is because He loves you so very much, He Sent His only begotten Son to take the penalty we deserve, that we may be reconciled to Him, and have a life more more abundant.

Isaiah 45:22 + Revelation 3:20

Revelation 22:16-17

John 3:16

Hi!
I find it very comforting reading your message. It's good to know that we don't have to be perfect christians to be loved by God! And thank you for the links to the alpha course and the movie of johns gospel! I'm definitely going to check them out! It's so smart to use modern media to spread the gospel I never thought of looking for movies :')

You're words have given me comfort and hope <3 thank you so much for taking the time out of your day!
I hope you have a lovely day

 

[Drewandbob12]

Wow... thank you so much!

It's so cool you baptized yourself and are recommitting yourself to God!! And I really resonate with questioning why there is suffering and bad things in the world if God could just choose to end it... But yeah, like you said, we can't know what God is planning.
Maybe that's part of the reason I have difficulty believing. God is so much bigger than us, I can't even wrap my head around it!

Thank you for your recommendations and especially for sharing your own experiences! It's really encouraging

I'm very grateful for your story and you definitely weren't ranting too long!
And I'll be praying for you as well! Hoping you find someone to go to church with

Yeah me and my "brother", best friend who I knew forever in my life, decided to get baptized since well now that we understand God, Jesus, Christianity more and just wanted to have it be a symbol in our lives and something we can remember more of.

It's also a difficult concept to wrap your head around all this, even today I think like "but HOW?". Me being somewhat of a history nerd also I try to find "the truth" and just want what has happened. I haven't read the whole Bible yet, it's dry a lot of the time and the names get quite boring to read, but my friends were discussing how Mark, Luke, John, Peter, and some others, all had the same experience but different perspectives with Jesus and when he was crucified. I was like "WHOA, you mean a book written almost 2,000 ish years ago thought of different perspectives on a situation?" Like it's so unbelievably amazing to even think how old all this is too.

 

[Magenta]

Hi!
I find it very comforting reading your message. It's good to know that we don't have to be perfect christians to be loved by God! And thank you for the links to the alpha course and the movie of johns gospel! I'm definitely going to check them out! It's so smart to use modern media to spread the gospel I never thought of looking for movies :')

You're words have given me comfort and hope <3 thank you so much for taking the time out of your day!
I hope you have a lovely day

Thank you, Sophie, and you are ever so very much welcome! There are ten videos total in the alpha series, and yes, quite a lot of content available on youtube, which I would caution you to be careful of, as much is questionable, conspiratorial, and contrary to the Word of God. Paul, who penned the majority of the New Testament, called himself the worst of sinners. It may be worded differently in different translations, such as chief of sinners, greatest of sinners, foremost, etc, but the idea is still there and you can see/check out the differences for yourself here (<= link ). We are all sinners, and none of us is worthy of the great love and mercy God bestows upon us; we all fall short, which is exactly why Jesus came.

Human pride was in fact the cause of the fall of man and the corruption of all creation, and what keeps man from God of his own self will, a term I prefer to free will, since the will of man is constrained by too many factors to be considered truly free. Along those same lines, in James 4:6, Paul says: "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

Which translation of the Bible did you purchase for yourself? There are so many theses days; some hold strictly to the King James version (KJV), which others find difficult to read due to the old language of thees and thous etc used (as well as, in some places, awkward sentence structure), and there are others that I would recommend if you prefer a more modern translation, such as The New International Version (NIV=== an older one is better than the newer ones that have been changed too much; 1984 edition is more faithful to the original text than any of the NIV's later editions), and my personal fave these days is the Berean Study Bible. Though I do read from those three mainly, I do consult others at times. There are other sites like Biblehub that I linked to earlier, also, such as Biblegateway.com, where you can search by verse or keyword, and they have attached commentaries and in depth word studies also. Another excellent resource is gotquestions.org, where you can look for answers according to categories (though I must admit I do not agree with everything they put forth). I hope that is not tmi LOL Sophie, blessings to you on your journey

 

[PennEd]

Hi everyone

I guess I'll start with some context so you know where I'm coming from:
I'm 20, almost 21. Growing up, I wasn't raised as a christian, I didn't really know God existed, we never talked about religion or God or went to church or anything! So I didn't believe in God, but whenever I was stressed or had a big test I would 'pray' (just in case).

You might wonder how I came in contact with christianity, if no one in my social circle was a christian... When I was 18/19 I started watching a lot of videos on Youtube about femininity and how to cultivate femininity in your life. A lot of the creators were christian! At first I was surprised christians still 'existed' (I know, very wrong but I just didn't know). I wasn't really interested in becoming one myself, however, a seed was planted in my head! A few months later, 19 almost 20, I had a lot of panic attacks and anxiety and somehow I kind of found my way to God. I bought a Bible and listened to a lot of christian music.

Now, this wasn't that long ago. Writing this I realise that a year isn't a long time, especially since I wasn't raised in a christian household. However, I do still struggle a lot with really believing God is real, loving Him/ believing He loves me, reading my Bible etc. I have a Bible app on my phone where you can choose a lot of different Bible Plans, but I struggle keeping up with them. I don't know any christians in my life, but I'm also scared to go to a church in my city... I'm scared my family and current friends will judge me and I'm not ready yet to let them go (since I'm often not 100% sure God is 'real'...).

My question: I was wondering if some of you have the same doubts. Do 'real' christians question the existence of God sometimes? (I don't feel like a real christian yet haha)... I feel guilty about this. It feels very wrong admitting I don't know if God exists, especially on a platform like this where most of you (I assume) really do believe strongly in Him and that you love Him with your whole heart. I admire your faith and hope to one day have that as well. I don't mean to disrespect this faith, or God. I'm just really struggling with this and hope to get some clearity...

Thank you so much, I hope you have a lovely day
Sophie

PS. sorry if I made any mistakes in my writing! I'm not a native english speaker

Hi and welcome Sophie.

It certainly appears God the Father is drawing you to Him.

A few fundamentals.

A Christian is someone who is born again or anew in God’s family, as His child.

Here is the pure, unadulterated Gospel. This is how we ALL become His Child:

THE Gospel unto Salvation:
God wrapped Himself in human flesh in the form of His Son, Jesus the Messiah. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin. He suffered, was crucified, and died to pay OUR sin debt. He was raised to life from the grave to prove He had defeated death. If you confess Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that His Father resurrected Him to Life on the 3rd day, you WILL be saved. You will be filled, and sealed with the Holy Spirit, who will empower ALL to turn from their sins. The sin of adultery, lying, stealing, homosexuality, gossip, slander, drunkenness, covetousness, etc... And most importantly the sin of DEAD works, or a moral life in an attempt to EARN Salvation. He will also equip you to love like He did and do good works for HIS Glory.

Be blessed.