What is wrong with me?

Question

I am so tired lately of being down and out. Man am I on a pity pot. I want to ask God, why my life has been so hard, although many good things he has done for me, and well do I know it. But I am scared to ask him why he puts me through so much pain. Mentally, spiritually, and physically. I am afraid to question God. I have sense enough to know that everything he does is for a purpose. I am usually strong, but just how strong can one person be. I just want to ask him sometimes why has he abandoned me. But, then deep in my heart I know he has his reasons, and that he does not abandon his children. I'll just try and remember that sometimes our darkest days can turn to light. I'm not angry at God, I guess I should really be thanking him for giving me the strenghth to be able to deal with all of the things I am going through. I need to pray really hard for greater faith. I'm getting weak. Does anybody out here feel me? I know I have not been totally faithful to him, but I am really trying.

Answer 1

I was on a pity pot yesterday. I love tomatos. Here it is August and I've yet to have a fresh tomato. I was mowing the campus yesterday. As I was riding the tractor I came up on one of the faculties garden. It was full of tomatoes. I just stopped and said Lord, don't let me envy the people who have tomatoes. Please send me a tomatoe. Sounds dumb doesn't it. But you know, He loves us so much that He takes a personal interest in us. When I finished for the day, two people came by the house and brought me tomatoes. The secret to knowing God is just to trust Him and share with Him every detail of your life. Sure you will have pain, that is part of life. But pain won't last forever and we cannot imagine the things He has in store for us. I will be praying for you.

Answer 2

God bless you, sweet sister.

I've been fighting with my own faith struggles, lately - namely, to get back my prayer life. I've had to sit down and seriously ask myself why I don't pray anymore, and why I don't care. I've spent a lot of time lately studying prayer, reading the catechism and the catholic encyclopedia. More importantly I've been trying to pray everyday, just me and God. I fully admit that my heart is not where it's supposed to be, that I have little or no faith and virtually zero trust in God. However, I prayed anyway.

I asked myself, "If I don't need prayer, why do I bother going to Mass. The Mass IS a prayer, isn't it?" I asked, "What is prayer?" I read, studied. I found out it is communion with God. I also found out why it's so hard to pray. The catechism flat out stated, "prayer is a battle". I was shocked out of my tree when I read that. It's a battle with ourselves, and with Satan. "Afterall," I finally understood, "wouldn't prayer, communion with God, be the one thing the devil would fight us the hardest on? And us with ourselves?"

So, the past few days, I picked up an old copy of the Magnificant and prayed. I've renewed my subscription and am waiting to receive fresh ones. In the meantime, I’m starting to enjoy my time with God again. I think I’m looking at myself and my faith more honestly than I have before. I’ve even learned that the saints were all in complete agreement about the importance of prayer. It was their center. It was their everything.

Lately my personal life has been a wreck. It leaves me tired and leaning back toward bad habits. I still pray though, and the more I do the more I realize how much I need it.

I’d ask that you might think about doing the same. Also, are there other things getting you down, like maybe in your personal life, work, or money? The catechism also says that we need to look to God to help us with those things as well (for everything, really), and then get busy fixing them.

Keep your chin up. If you haven’t read the sections on prayer, I’d say go for it. I was surprised by what I learned. Might help you too.

God bless and take care.

Holy Mother, pray for us.

Answer 3

Dear, always question. If you want to be close to your god, never, ever, stop asking why. Because as soon as you find the reason, you'll have your answer and be all the happier for it. I know I'm not of your religion, but They are not some great big thing looking down on us like little ants. They are all around us, in us, every single moment of every day and night. Right now you're asking the right questions in the right way. Nothing is wrong with you. Not one thing. Life may suck a little, but it will get better. This is probably the hundredth time you've heard this, but it's always darkest before the dawn. I wish you luck, dear. Pm or Im me anytime.

Blessed be

Answer 4

You know, God knows the thoughts in your heart and mind before you even acknowledge them to him.

Just cry out to God--talk to him about everything. It's okay to be angry. It's okay to be sad, down or depressed.

Have you ever considered you may be clinically depressed? The serotonin levels in your brain can cause you to feel down continually--even when things go well. There's even some evidence out there (sorry I don't have a source) that going through lots of stress can alter the brain chemistry. It may be possible you need to try an anti-depressant if you're still feeling down. It's not a sin to get help.

Look, God did not give a heavy burden and hard yoke to you--give all your cares over to him for he careth for you. He loves you and has not abandoned you. God's yoke is light and easy.

There is another possibility that you are maturing in your faith and this can be painful.
When I was a babe in Christ Jesus I really depended on the "feelings" I had. I had a real sense of the presence of God almost continually.
Gradually, over time, God stopped allowing me to "feel" or sense his presence. It didn't make sense to me at first and I felt abandoned by God. It felt horrible.
But God showed me very clearly that I would walk by faith and not by my feelings.
Since then I have an inner peace of knowing God is with me and working through me but often times I am not aware at all of "walking in the spirit". It's actually pretty awesome to know that I know and I'm not dependent on how I feel.

Those are just some thoughts I had when I read what you wrote. I'm glad you're reaching out. To some extent we've all been to dark places, hard times and testings. We've all had periods of trials and temptations but God has surely brought us through and he is faithful.

God loves you. I am praying for you.

Answer 5

It is the case with many of us......we trust that God is in full control over the happenings and things ought to change for the better. The more you believe in God the more you expect him to save you....but true belief is never to worry about anything and leave it to God. You have to look at all the positive things which God has given you and let the ones that trouble you not disturb your happiness....it is easy to say but in reality it is the only way out.So please thank God for all the good things you are blessed with which a vast majority of the world does not have.I am sure you will realise God has been good to you.
It is kind of difficult but it is worth being so than to keep worrying.

Answer 6

Try problem-solving techniques instead of leaving everything up to God. Just think, God might be in another part of the universe helping alien life forms for a while. If so, you're gonna have to be accountable for how productively you spend the time while God's away attending to other business.

So put on your best bravery, and make the best possible plan for each and every day you have on the planet. Then make yourself happy with the fact that you are following your plan.

Answer 7

You sound like you are going thru some tough times. I do indeed know how you are feeling. When it gets that hard for me, I stop and think of Footprints in the Sand. And right now Jesus is carrying you, he loves you and knows you need the xtra support from Him. He will let you down to walk on your own when your ready. I pray for you to let Jesus carry you and just be ready when He lets you know, you can walk beside Him again.

Answer 8

Richard Dawkins

Answer 9

Some good answers on here Girl,,take heed!God helps the helpless ,but also ,God helps them who helps themselves,The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force!,,,Get your pray warrior armor on and go to battle,,Sincerely from Been there!

Answer 10

Your experience is a common one. If we could always feel God's presence, our faith would be strong. No one has problems believing when God's presence is felt. The problem is when God feels a billion miles away. I have learned the hard way, that feelings are not reliable. Faith is believing the Word of God despite what our feelings tell us. I know God loves us deeply and enduringly. How awesome is the gift of the sacrifice of the Beloved Son of God. We cannot truly appreciate the infinite greatness of this gift. Yet that love is blatantly in front of our faces and in our hearts. How dare we believe the lies of our feelings. Yet we do. ashamedly we do. We get mad at God and accuse and blame Him for ills. Our faith is crushed. We drift. The mind is part of our spirit and the brain is the physical portion. Paul says be renewed in the spirit of our mind. I strengthen myself in the Lord by willing myself to believe His word daily. Yes, I would prefer the feelings. No matter what problems you are facing you can lean on your own understanding or you can make the choice to trust the Lord in those problems. Adjust your expectations to the truth of the ways of God. We have not suffered yet like Job did. Job suffered for at least many months, probably more. I highly recommend a book to you. Hannah Whiteall Smith's Secrets of a Happy Christian Life. She teaches us to put our faith in the Word of God and not our feelings which betray us. Renewing the mind is vitally important. The carnal mind is enmity with God and neither can it be anything different. Renew the mind. Feed on the Word daily. It is food to our soul. This is a long journey. We are weak and stumble often but the Lord remains faithful. He cannot be what He is not. He cannot be faithless or unfaithful. He cannot lie. God is awesome in power and awesome in Wisdom. He has well proved His love with an unspeakable gift. GIFT. While we were sinners, Christ died for us. While we were going astray. God laid on Christ the iniquities of us all. Think on that. Let gratitude fill our hearts. Let us praise His holy name. We are so unworthy yet this is for us. It is ours. Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Once you start thinking on these truths, it changes the feelings. God wants us to grow in our faith. Once faith is deep in our spirits, feelings cannot overcome it. Yet it is a lifetime activity to train our feelings to correspond with the Word of God. With problems, give them to the Lord, don't lean on your own understanding, trust in the Lord, AND ALLOW THE LORD TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM THE WAY HE WANTS TO and not the way you expect or want Him to. We are so rebellious, and that is the problem. We love God when it suits us and even when it doesn't, but when some big thing comes, we think that is too much. We have a conflict of faith because we don't expect God to allow THIS. We lose confidence in God. I reckon that I have failed in this so many times that it makes me sick. I am determined to believe the Lord no matter what, and when it gets really tough, well, I go to God for grace. I don't want untruths gaining ascendancy in my mind. I want truth there. The Lord is our strength and life. I sure am not going to wait around for feelings. I go directly to the Lord. Here is a mental trick I play on myself when the heavens feel like brass and my prayers are bouncing off the ceiling. I ask myself, if I just think a wicked thought, does God hear it? Of course He does. We all know that. So how silly we are when we think God cannot hear our prayers. Our minds get really silly. They must be renewed. We think we only believe 75% and doubt 25%. Hogwash. Draw a line on the ground. Label one side, I believe in Jesus Christ and the other side, I don't believe. Now stand on the side of your choice. 100% of you believes. You made the choice with your heart. Now it is time to retrain the mind and the feelings where carnal thoughts of unbelief reside. Put God's Word there instead. This is a daily battle. Find a church that feeds your soul and helps you grow in faith in God.