How many would say: I am born again, but feel like Mother Teresa did?

Question

An example of her feelings, "— how painful is this unknown pain — I have no Faith — I dare not utter the words & thoughts that crowd in my heart — & make me suffer untold agony."

Thank you in advance for your openness.

Poppy -- thanks for your honesty. I am very sorry to hear about your experience. Jesus came to give LIFE AND GIVE IT MORE ABUNDANTLY. The pain and fear you describe is not rooted in Love.

I am sorry no one ever got through to you with the freeing message of Jesus Christ. In perfect love there is no fear.

Debra M - I have never heard of this experience until I became aware of Mother Teresa's suffering.

Answer 1

That's how I felt back in my believing days. I never really believed, never fully. Those thoughts were always at the back of mind, screaming and yelling to be recognised, but I was too afraid to let them out at that time. I believe I know through what agonies Mother Theresa went through. Even today I clearly remember the fear, the sense of blasphemy, the feeling of my world falling apart if I only give those voices a chance to come out. Horrible! I wouldn't wish such tortures upon anyone, not even upon my worst enemy.

On a brighter note though, I did let them out finally. It might have taken me long to admit, but here I am today.
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Answer 2

Mother Teresa went through some serious problems. She had to be one of the most giving and thoughtful people that ever walked this earth, and these entries are not a failure of her Faith, but the fact that when she is alone in her quest, whatever she was trying to do, you doubt whether you are right. It's like knowing the answer to Life's big question, and telling everyone, and no one believing you. She doubts because she was the few attempting what she was attempting. Her love was unconditional. Her Faith was unconditional, but every faith cracks under doubt, and we don't know where she was when she died. What we do know is that she never faltered in her mission, and that requires faith enough.

Answer 3

Mother Teresa was A far better person in my eyes than Princess Di ever was.
They Died only days apart I think The World was so caught up with the whole Princess Di thing and her death that no one even cared about Mother Teresa.
The previous summer Princess Di was asked to travel to Ireland on a peace trip there, but later refused, instead ended up on a luxury ship in the Mediterranean cavorting with Dodi Al fad.........

Mother Teresa travel the world even though when she was sick as a dog to raise funds for the poor in Calcutta.

Mother Teresa, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, died on September 5, 1997, in her convent in India. She was 87. Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu in 1910 in Skopje, Yugoslavia, she joined the Sisters of Loreto in 1928. She took the name "Teresa" after St. Teresa of Lisieux, patroness of the Missionaries.
Mother Teresa gained worldwide acclaim with her tireless efforts on behalf of world peace. Her work brought her numerous humanitarian awards, including : the Pope John XXIII Peace Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. In receiving this award, Mother Teresa revolutionized the award ceremony. She insisted on a departure from the ceremonial banquet and asked that the funds, $6,000 be donated to the poor in Calcutta. This money would permit her to feed hundreds for a year. She is stated to have said that earthly rewards were important only if they helped her help the world’s needy.

Answer 4

I think it is fact that all, or most all Christians have doubts about their faith at one time or another. Even Mother Theresa! I think that doubting can be a part of faith and the two are inseparable.This happens to most people at some point in their faith-life and it's not at all a comfortable thing. Each person will probably have their own ways of coping with these periods of desolation, these 'dark nights' and, to some extent, the coping mechanisms are individual things. For most of us doubting leads to searching which leads to answers and a stronger faith which Mother Theresa defintely shown in her life. But alas for a few it can lead to a dogmatic anti-faith as well.

Answer 5

Mother Teresa was a little Romani Gypsy woman, who cared for the sick, dying, and blind in Calcutta, India for most of her life. She was a natural leader, stern but did what had to be done. She may have questioned her faith at times, but in the end it was her actions that spoke for the genuine beauty that was this wonderful woman.

Answer 6

I am born again in Christ by grace and i have ups and downs and sometimes i feel abandoned by God but ,like Bl Teresa of calcutta, I carry on and live by faith,hope and love even when I am worn down and barren of feelings of faith,hope and love and i hope that i will live in Christ in this life with even a portion of the faithfulness that Mother Teresa showed.

The closer the person to God the more the devil attacks with temptations and other assaults.

I am sorry to say that i have experienced the "Black Diety of Hate andUnmercy" that so many Fundmentalist Protestants i know idolatrousy serve and bow down before as a version of a truly satanic perversion of the divine( the same is true of many Jansenist Catholics' and"hyper' Orthodox')
and i find the virtuous presentation of the divine of many Muslims,Jews, Hindus, Buddhists and other Non Christians to be much closer to the New Testanent presentation of God in His virtuousness,mercy and goodness.

As John Wesley said "Your god is my devil" to many fellow Christians

Just because one feels certain of his rightness,as Hitler was in his wickedness, does not make the reality of righteousness secure. As John the Baptist said," Bear fruit that declares repentance and do not presume to say'We have Abrahm as our father"" Matt3:9

Many have presumption disguised as security in salvation: the life reveals th grace and the actions reval the faith,hope and love. Faith without lived -out hope and love is worse than dead but a damning delusion since it is mere belief and not real faith at all. Faith that cohabitates with mortal sin is fraudulent and cannot be a channel of grace and salvation.

Let us all pray for each other..

Answer 7

Not I.

I agree with and applaud both Sherry (who summed up my position so well!) and thundercatt9 (who made excellent points on the subject of doubt).

It is a shame when people are tormented and agonize over doubt. It can be--as you said--the catalyst for a greater, stronger faith. Conversely, doubt can weaken faith and cause people to abandon it, which is a shame.

The greater shame is that apparently those who have doubts seem to have no one to take their concerns to.

This was a great question, very though-provoking.

God bless you. †

Answer 8

this term of born again is a man made term ; God gives you life once and death once ; a person becomes closer with God; only God can dictate who is saved ; who knows how Mother Teresa felt in her heart; only two know , Mother Teresa and God; people see an outside persona and think they know the person; the only one that knows someone in their heart is God; that is why judgment belongs to him only. We are here to live our life , a gift given to us by God; we are accountable at the end for our actions, our life; Jesus suffered the untold agony of the world, period.

Answer 9

Mother Teresa had not over come the state of ignorance completely.

Answer 10

Have you never heard of the Dark Night of the Soul? It is common for saints to be thus tested. She was and is a beacon in this life and therefore a desirable target of those who oppose God so therefore why should it amaze anyone that her faith was deeply tested? Was not Job tested severely too? And no I have never been quite thus tested. My faith is apparently no concern of his at the moment. Maybe I need to strive more.