A very serious question for Christians (give me some honest insight here)?

Question

(I will grant you, I tend to ask some very sarcastic questions from time to time, but take this one to heart cause I've gotta settle my curiosity on this one...)

I know that a lot of Christian sects place a high level of importance on spreading the "gospel" and winning souls to Christ, but have you ever met someone who, even after being saved, just never seemed to really flourish spiritually in the church no matter how hard they tried? Someone who read the bible, tried like hell to be a good Christian and still just didn't seem to benefit from it in any way? Someone who simply wasn't cut out to be a Christian and in fact seemed to fair worse after their conversion (as in becoming depressed or suicidal)?

Many good answers so far...

I do need to let a few of you know however that I myself am not Christian and not dealing with this particular problem - My main reason for asking this question was to see if anyone had ever encountered a person who they felt might have been better off not being Christian.

Answer 1

Well it seems that this person is having a personal battle with themselves. If they are having difficulty with just loving the lord and triing to be a good person, then something deeper is happening. Maybe they have chosen the wrong religion. Or maybe they are having a hard time dealing with their actions. Seems like it is time to revaluate thier position in life.
Good luck hope they find peace....

Answer 2

An honest opinion, everyone can be called Christian, every preacher will say they preach the gospel/Bible, everyone will act as if they are doing a great deal about it. But in reality, you are right there are sects, meaning different sects, different teaching but will tell you that they their god is the GOD. So, a person can be blinded by the good word of these so called good shepherd/preacher without studying or investigating the background of the sects/group, their teaching and the profile of their leader/preacher. They will pour their money and their time but their personal growth and problem was out of the question, no one will have time or effort to see the real picture, because some members are blind followers too, if this is the case a member will be alone if she encounter an abuse in this group,like sexual abuse, the leader can easily persuade the follower that she is an offering while the truth is she was rape and used like a piece of sheet, she will cried for help but no one will listen, the tendency then will be suicidal unless some of the non member of this sects gave her a helping hands.

In some cases, a person can be so untrue, he/she will pretend to be a Christian but after going to church and listen to the teaching ,they will engage in a business far different from what has been taught ,they will be doing the exact opposite of everything good, like illegal drugs ,adultery and other. When after all those escapade ,problems comes ,its heavy and hard to solve, thinking hi's a Christian and can do anything without asking the real GOD'S help, do you think he'll find an answer? Actually no, hi's to far to GOD's present because of his sin. He'll be depressed and suicidal.Unless he poured out his heart to Jesus and ask for forgiveness, truely, deeply and let HIM come to his life. Everything will be resolve, HIS way.There is nothing impossible to GOD, just have faith and trust and go to the right path. This path is so hard to walk too unlike the other path, so just walk with faith and not by sight . This hard path will polish the Christian as worthy as gold the only difference is the gold will be polish in fire while the Christian will be polish by HIS loving hands.

Don't expect that the so called Christian are all real Christian, and Christian sects as you call it the real Christian's house or the body of CHRIST.

The Bible shows that there will be false prophet, in what lifetime, I don't know, but for what I have seen in the news about some sects there are false prophet in our lifetime already. Some may come for the next centuries and so. We just have to be prepared.

If you are a person really wanting to know Christianity try to grab the Bible and read it. Don't just expect miracle to happen because miracles comes in different form, it may come from different/ oposite powers too.

Learn to be wise like a serpent and loving like a dove and always full of oil/gas if your lamp. How can you make the salt salty again? Don't let it came to that stages.

Answer 3

Maybe that person was looking for success in the wrong place in life. Maybe they thought that trying to be a Christian would mean things in life would always be real good for them. Maybe they thought they'd have great health, a lot of friends, a good job and lots of money, etc. Maybe the plan God has for that person is not in place yet. Jesus didn't have it easy and He was/is the Son of God. He was mocked, deserted, tortured, put to death, all while doing nothing wrong...only good things. If Gods own Son endured hardship, how can we expect everything to be wonderful? This earthly life isn't going to be all beautiful. The life to come in Heaven is the life that always will be perfect. Everybody has been given different talents. Some have a talent in music and can play an instrument very well, but most people can't. I can't sing very well, but there are some that can sing very well. It's like that in sports, school, medical professionals, etc. etc. Maybe something you can do very well is almost impossible for me to do. Maybe this person isn't qualified to help the preacher very well, but maybe they can help fix up things around the church. (or the other way around) It might be like this in many areas. The person you are talking about has a given talent. Now they need to find and use it. Use it to the glory of God..

Answer 4

A very good serious question. Thank you.

Don't worry about "Christian sects".

You can try till you are blue in the face to be a "good christian", but it will never work. It is the power of God in you that does the work.

Until you give Him the control you will continue to feel this way.

God is a very jealous God. He neither needs nor wants your help. He wants you to give it all to Him, completely and let Him do it in His time and His way.

The main thing God wants from you, once you are saved, is thanks and praise. If you try to help He won't be able to get all the praise, and He wants it all. If you try helping, He will step back and let you do it all and no matter what you do you will continually fail.

Also, remember Paul said that God gives different people different gifts. Maybe you aren't the type that will flourish in the church so don't worry about it so much.

Put God in control and you will see a big difference.

You have to give Him control, He won't just take it.

Answer 5

Yes.

I am one. I was raised in a very religious household going to Church every Sunday, Bible School/Study and Christian Summer camps... etc and did not feel as though I was a part of them. I felt like an outsider when I could not exhibit the zeal that the others had and felt lacking. I felt alone and distanced myself from them feeling odd and different.
I had my belief and my faith but I always felt as though I never measured up to what was expected of me.
I too thought what is the purpose, why work at it if the feelings I know I am to have are not there. I strayed and lived with the emptiness inside me. It was not until just a few years ago that I came to the self-realization that my belief and faith is in myself and that I was doing for everyone but myself. When I made the choice to make the relationship more personal between myself and God I became more aware of him and became a little happier with myself. I am still a work in progress. :>)
My relationship with God is stronger then it was when I started and I am moving at the pace that God and myself have set. There is no rush for I will live forever and have all of eternity to learn and love more then I will today.

"Slow and steady wins the race."

My choice was to not believe in a Church but to believe in myself and my God.

Answer 6

Yes, most of my Christian life was spent floundering in and out of depression. At one particular point I was told that my depression was caused because of a lack of faith. This was a common view at this particular institution I went to. My depression worsened I did become suicidal. (Ideation at least, I never acted on it)
But when I changed denominations things got better. The church supported my therapy and their mission was a lot more people based as opposed to rule-based. I have never really run into this situation before or since (except for myself).
So if I ran into your hypothetical wilting Christian, the first thing I would do is take them to my church. A lot of people don't seem to realize (based on what I read on this board) that there are all kinds of Chrisitans, someone who doesn't fit well with one set of philosophies might thrive with another set (it worked for me).
Anyway, nifty question, I liked answering it.

Answer 7

Most who call themselves Christian do. And then most give up and just pretend to believe. We're saved by the grace of God and he is our benefit. We all go through trials and the fact that we do is evidence of conversion. Conversion is a process which takes Jesus within us a lifetime to complete. When we realize that it's him working in us and that basically we are empty vessels then whatever happens we acknowledge that the bible is true as being for our good, that is WHATEVER. Depression and suicidal thinking are ways that the enemy of our souls attacks us because he knows that when our faith takes hold in our lives then his minions and cohorts have one less home and more to lose after that. Be encouraged by the fight!

Answer 8

The only thing you need to be a Christian is to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. No other string attached.

You don't have to spread the gospel if you do not want to.

And there is no such thing as a good Christian or a bad Christian.

God made it simple BUT man complicate the whole matter.

Answer 9

Yes people who have played occult games or tried occult practices there in bondage and a lot of them don't no it.They have more than likely received the spirit of the Antichrist/Satan. This spirit is a spirit of bondage and slavery trying to dissuade people from excepting Christ and receiving eternal life in heaven. It is intelligent and will stay dormant in the person only to work Satan's will to take captive the person soul. If the person discovers the truth about the consequences of playing these games/practices there in for a Battle Satan doesn't like to let go easy. There are different degrees of possession and oppression and God will help if the person turns to him. Love the Lord your God with all your heart all your mind and all your strength and your neighbor as your self. The prophets hung on these two commands.

Answer 10

It takes courage to be a Christian. satan fights you every step of the way and when you are still "new" you sometimes don't have enough knowledge in Christ to know how to effectively deal with all the onslaughts of the enemy. If the individual concentrates on the relationship with Christ and how much he loves Christ and Christ loves him, then that puts things in better perspective. But it is fairly easy to get your eyes off of Jesus and onto problems etc. That is usually when depression etc comes into play. But if you are in love with someone fervently, that love carries you through myriad problems --- so it is with our relationship and love for Christ. Like the song says - I keep falling in love with Him over and over and over and over again....He gets sweeter and sweeter as the days go by, oh what a love between my Lord and I.....!