Am I doing what is right?

Question

Well my biggest fear is the Lord coming back or me dying.
That sounds awful because I am a 15 yr old christian. I have slacked off from God so much lately but I still pray everynight,I go to church sing in my church choir so why am I am scared?
I have decided tommorow to start changing and getting back into my bible and fixing some problems in my life. I believe in God but what I would like to know is if I read the Bible will my fear go away?
Any scripiture reccomendations?

Answer 1

Please read this man's story - it will inspire you!

http://www.near-death.com/storm.html

Answer 2

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Answer 3

The bible shouldn't be read out of fear, it should be read out of the desire to seek knowledge.

You seem pretty insecure, just remember that you are a good person, even if you don't read the bible or go to church. I believe that and God (whoever he is) believes that. It is your duty to yourself to lead a good life not out of fear, but because its what you believe. No one else can tell you whats right and whats wrong. Only you can.

I don't know too much about the bible, so I can't suggest any scriptures. Good luck.

PS- I would also like to mention that as someone with OCD, I know that a symptom of it is excessive praying. There's probably a very little chance that this is what's happening to you, but I know that if I were in your situation, I'd probably be praying all day just to keep myself relaxed. Thats not healthy. Praying to communicate with god is.

Answer 4

Yes, if you read the Bible and pray for understanding, and ask the Holy Spirit to take control of your life, your thoughts, and your mind. There is no fear in Christ, there is no fear of dying, and as for the Lord coming back, to the believer it is salvation, to the non-believer it is God's wrath.

Every morning when you wake up, ( have your Bible by your bed ) as soon as you can see, open your Bible to, Ephesians 6:10-18; the Armour of God will take you through the day.

Romans 8:38-39; 2nd Cor. 5:21; 1st Peter 1:5; 1st John 5:13; John 5:24; Ephesians 2:8-9.

God is with you,
Reverend, William M. Butler,
St. Luke Christian Ministries

PS Feel free to e-mail me if you need to, I will be praying for you.

Answer 5

To some degree, these are natural human fears, that we all have from time to time. But if it is extreme, you may need to deal with this. You may need to get some counselling if it is really affecting your ability to enjoy life. This doesn't mean you are crazy or that there is something terribly wrong with you. I have received a lot of help from a Christian Counsellor. And one of the things he helped me with is realizing that I spent a lot of time and energy worrying about things that were very unlikely to ever happen. He helped me come up with ways to lose that fear. He was a licensed counsellor with a Master's Degree. If there is someone like that in your area, that might be good. If you trust your pastor, you may talk to him/her, but be careful about it because sometimes pastors just do not make good counsellors, even if they mean well.

When I was your age, I had some fears of that nature too. It may just be a stage we go through at your age. It is an age when we start to think a little more for ourselves, instead of just repeating everything our parents have told us. It is an age when we start to wonder about bigger things in life. So this is probably natural.

I believe that God would never ever send you to hell. He loves you and will guide you. If you feel led to read the Bible out of devotion and love for God, then by all means, do so. But don't do it just because you feel like it is some kind of protective amulet that will ward off the wrath of God or something like that. God wants a sincere heart, he does not just want empty acts that are done for the wrong reason. You seem to have a genuine heart. So you already have that. Just do what you feel led to do. Have love for Jesus, and rest in his care, and trust in Him. Ask him to help you with this. Talk to him like a close friend to whom you can tell absolutely anything.

There is a passage in the Bible, and I forget where it is, where God describes the immense love that a mother has for her suckling infant. He says, would a mother with her little one at her breast ever forsake that child? And He says, believe it or not, yes, sometimes a mother has been known to forsake her child. But I will never leave you. So God's love is even stronger than the love a mother has for her child.

God does not require us to be perfect. But it is great that you desire to improve. Just keep aspiring to be a better human being.

God bless you!

Answer 6

A lot of people feel that going to church and reading the bible is the best way to get closer to God. I personally disagree. The best way to get closer to God is within. I asked a priest if it is necessary to attend confession...he explained to me that you must be sorry for what you've done. He told me that some individuals need a physical representative to "tell" them that they are forgiven, and to help them overcome their fears, to help them believe. I was explained to by the priest that church is one way, not the only way to reach God. Some people read the bible, which gives them an additional way to understand God. But I will never forget when he told me..."As long as you believe, you are on the right path." It's NOT about anything physical; i.e. Church, Confession, Bible, etc...it's about how you feel and deal with it internally!

Answer 7

Yes, it sounds like you don't feel close to God. Does this sound familair to you? If you get near to god he'll get near to you. The more you search for God, the closer you'll feel to him. He loves you so much, and inside the holy Spirit is driving you to do these things. The Holy spirit is "working in you." I am so glad that you have decided to change for the better. I am very proud of you. Some verses I'd give you would be:

Deutoronomy 6:5 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

Isaiah 41:13 "For I am the Lord your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you: Do not fear; I will help you."

1 Peter 5:5-7 "Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because
God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble.
Humble yoursleves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you."

Proverbs 3:5-6 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Answer 8

You should make yourself aware of other points of view rather than those espoused by the Bible. Living your life in a good charitable way is a humanitarian, rather than a religious way of going about your existence. If you need further evidence, look at the parts of the Bible (particularly in the Old Testament) where a vengeful, jealous God was less than charitable to those who were not of his chosen, race, belief, or even sex.
Your fear of a vengeful God is not justified, and an objective look at different ways of thinking, even if they do not change your views, should help you not to be scared when your personal faith wavers.
If your God is so loving, He (or she) will not mind if you ask yourself critical questions, even ones concerning his (or her) existence. If He (or she) does mind you thinking for yourself, rather than basing your thinking on the stigma passed down through generations of families, preachers and teachers then He (She) is not a personal God I would want on my side.
I hope you find yourself in your answers and do not blindly follow the guilt laden path towards a vengeful God who would have you, a fifteen year old, worrying about death or His return so late on a Sunday night. You're still young, use your own moral compass to decide what is right and wrong.
Try reading 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins and maybe someone on here can suggest an equivalent religious text to balance my, more atheistic, point of view. Once you read them both, use your intellegence to come to your own conclusions and you will be happy.

Answer 9

It seems like you care about your religion, but are you really getting the secure feeling within you? My recommendation to you is to turn to Islam. Thats the BEST decision you can ever make in your entire life. Once, and if you turn to Islam, you will in the end be in a place that the eye has never seen, the mind has never imagined or ever come across, the ears have never heard, and the nose has never smelled. This place is called heaven (Jannah). Also, read the Quran, which is the islamic holy book, if only for research, and do some studying, just to see what Islam has to offer. May Allah guide you in the right direction, and may you find peace within yourself.

Answer 10

If you live by the principles of the Bible your fear will go away. Now that is not saying that you are saved by works, because that is not true, but when you walk so close with God that you do what He desires you to do, you will loose the fear that you now have.

If you are doing anything that the Bible teaches against, then please stop. It is not your good works that save you, but your bad works could hinder your relationship with Him.

As a babe in Christ, you should not be hanging out with non-believers. You are too new in Christ and they can lead you astray.

Read John 17:3 and see if that helps you.

Frankenchrist, there is so much joy in going to church and fellowshipping with such great people. You will not be able to understand that until you become an adult and a little wiser.

grace2u

Answer 11

I think that by reading the bible, you will rediscover that God loves you no matter what. He knows you believe in Him. You go to church and pray. He's always listening to you.
I don't know why you're scared, has someone said something perhaps? Has someone made you literally fear the Lord? He knows we all make mistakes.