Do you think it's sometimes God's will to be at peace with being unsure about a spiritual situation?

Question

What I mean: I have been off balance spiritually in a specific situation in my life for a few years now. I pray. I think. I ponder. I analyze. But this situation hasn't resolved much.

It's like: I'm here at point X on the spiritual map. I can see point Y in the distance, which I'm pretty sure is where I need to be. But I can't seem to make much progress getting there.

As I see it, I can relax and try to learn something about delaying gratification -- and risk the spiritual mistake of not working hard enough to resolve my own problems ...

or I can redouble my efforts and risk the mistake of ignoring God's lesson of "Relax and let it ride for a while."

Input from anybody who has experienced something like this is welcomed.

Answer 1

In my opinion, you are wise to be at peace at this time. Provided you feel you are living within the will of God, you should feel confident and secure in knowing that God will help you resolve the situation in His time.
Continue to pray about the situation, and leave it up to God. "let go of the rope" so to speak.


rawk!

Answer 2

Such a common question, and such a simple answer!
Lots of people, for example, Descarte, Isaac Newton, that person who jumped out of his bathtub saying Eureka!, they all were at the same situation that you are now dealing with, although it may or may not be at the same level. Your mind can ponder, analyze, think constantly about a problem, but then it also needs time to assimilate everything. Let your mind rest, for a few days, and try not to think about anything related to what you are looking for, eventually either the subconcious mind will make a connection and give you the answer, or you'll see or encounter something else that will provide the missing key. Always there is the part where you think conciously and try to find the answer, and there is the intuition part, whcih is an integral part of every major spiritual experience, or scientific discovery. 99 percent are the technicalities, and the other 1 percent is intuition. I have often had this all happen to me, and when I leave the question for a while, I will usually get this burst of understanding.

Ofcource this whole method might seem to be a very scientific approach, and you are looking for something more spiritual, so here is the key....

Think about that situation that you are stuck in right now, ruminate on it, then leave it along completely,then meditate. Meditate for as long as you want, and on whatever topic you feel like meditating on. For some people, its listening to music, for some it may be listening to the wind, or looking at the water, whatever it is, make sure it soothes your mind, then you stop. Then you continue with your life as it ordinarily would, oh and, make sure you read books. Lots and lots and lots of books. and on different subjects. this will give more material for your mind to connect with. Then leave all this, and search for the ultimate truth, whatever that is for you, whether it is god, or a devine being or something. Forget the problem and look at the consequences of it all, Look at the end, and the path will reveal itself.

Answer 3

Not working hard enough to resolve your problems doesn't sound like a spiritual mistake but a practical mistake. maybe thinking about 'it all' this way might help you out. It's not about the destination, it's about the ride. Think of yourself as a cork floating down a river. If you were a stone, you'd sink and stay in one place and get pummeled around anytime the current got nasty, and the only way you'd ever get anywhere else is by somebody picking you up and throwing you there. But then, they might throw you someplace you don't want to be. If you were a fish, then you'd be worried about getting food and you'd have to go where the goodies were, even if that meant having to struggle and suffer against the current, and you'd still never get anywhere. As a cork, you're light enough to float harmlessly on the current, going along with it as it takes you, and eventually, you reach the vast ocean, upon which you can float forever. That's just a clever way of saying, relax, enjoy the ride, stop trying so hard to 'get somewhere,. realize that you already are somewhere, and make where you are at every given point of time your destination, instead of someplace somewhere else you may or may never reach, and you'll always be okay.

Answer 4

Religion and Spirituality play a big part in my life. My life is basically run by my beliefs.
I've been in the same place as you. For years I felt as if I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I prayed, I sought answers from others and the church and it never seemed to come to me.
A lot of people have never had a "true" conversation with God where the answers come to you in your mind. One day out of the blue I was worried about the situation and sitting in my car before I opened my art gallery. I was talking to God outloud because I felt that the situation was growing worse. I felt a presence in my car and no one was there. I was a bit afraid but went with it. No physical voice spoke to me but in my mind and heart the answers came. It also came to me that the reason I hadn't known the answer before was because I wasn't ready to face the situation as I needed to.
I did as directed and things began to turn around in my life. I had some tough decisions to make and some people who were hurting me that I had to let go of.
I'll never forget it because in the conversation I was told that I can handle anything, just to continue to have faith.
I have now learned to hand things over to the Lord. Pray on them, do the right thing and then let the Lord take over. I later figured out that part of my problem was that my unwillingness to give the Lord total control of the situation only made the problem worse.
Now I use this technique a lot. First I try my hardest to solve the situation, and then I hand it over to the Lord.
It worked then, it worked when I had cancer more than once, it worked when my Son was in a near fatal car accident.
I love the Lord and now understand that there are reasons why we suffer and go through turmoil. God tests us to make us remember that with him there is an answer to everything. We may not agree with the answer, but it is the right answer.
Total trust and faith. Sometimes we think we are doing that but we are somehow holding back.
I'll pray for you. You are intelligent and have a vast knowledge of God and life.
The answer will come to you when the time is right and you are ready.
God is Good.

Answer 5

Indeed it is a hard place to be; however, you've been coasting already. Time to buck up........a bit. Each step to God is small. Can you think of one thing that will help you make that first step towards Point Y? Sometimes a step in that direction is a sideways step to go around an obstruction. Have you clearly defined Point Y and understand the hurdle between X and Y? Is there more than one, but you've lumped them together? Divide and conquer.

God is timeless, we are the ones with a clock. I don't hear mention of a spiritual advisor.....maybe you need one. I know I get in a spot.......then talk to my spiritual advisor who amazingly comes up with something, often quite small, that gets me moving again. It's not a slap or a kick in the pants, it's more like a gentle hand turning me back in the right direction.

Answer 6

There should be a happy meduim in there for you somewhere.
Everyone is in their own place spiritually. You are in your place and have to accept it.
Things happen for a reason and sometimes they just have to run their course and there is nothing we can do about it.
When my mom had a stroke I knew it was going to be my job to take care of her though I didn't know that would be for 9 years. I was wondering what God's plan was, for having me go through something I really didn't want to do. She died in 2006 and I can say now that I was glad I could help her as much as I did. The only reason I can think of that God put me in that situation was because he knew I would be the only one who could do it in a caring and knowledgeable way, though it was very trying at times.
Well maybe that don't have much to do with spirituality but it really worked on my spirit a lot. It made me realize that some people don't care at all about what your life is like and then there are others who say they care, but don't do anything about it to help you. Then there are those who don't have to, but help you all they can.
I think maybe I learned a lot about people in general.
I don't know if that's what you wanted or not.

Answer 7

Even though this is very vague, it's probably one of the most honest questions I've seen on answers all morning. If it helps any, I have found that working against where I'm supposed to go will always bring resistance and if I just let go of the situation and "go where I'm led", everything works out. We have a tendency to hold on to preconceived notions of how situations are supposed to end or where we are supposed to be. Life is not meant to be a struggle, but blessing after blessing from the spirit. When we feel that God is challenging us, usually it is not God that is challenging us, but our own ego preventing us from going in the direction that we are supposed to that is challenging us. The best advice I can give is to realize that everything is perfect just the way it is, go where you are led, and learn from the experience.

Answer 8

that is a hard place to be.

I feel that it's very rare that God wants us to stay in a limbo between what we are and what we are supposed to become. I feel that there must be something you are supposed to learn from this that you aren't quite getting yet. When you learn that lesson, I bet you'll see great spiritual advances in this situation.

I feel that God wants us to grow and growth often involves chaos for a little while. But I feel that God is a God of order and peace, not chaos. If you're feeling chaos and being unsure, there is some lesson you still have to learn.

But from some of the questions and answers from you I read, it seems to me that you are not lax about seeking and analyzing, so I bet you'll find the answer and see great spiritual progress as soon as you figure out what God wants you to learn.

Answer 9

I've been upset about certain issues and have prayed for an answer before. And God has said to me, "relax, this battle is mine, not yours" that's when I turn those issues over to God and to let him decide the outcome.

There are scriptures which talk about being not to be worried and let your requests be made known to God. (you can do a search in Biblegateway.org for the reference to those keywords).

So, yes, I have been there myself. When I feel God saying that statement to me, I know that the answer will be in his Perfect will, not in his permissive will. Just remember that God's perfect will may not always be what we want personally.

Answer 10

I've had similar experiences. You can "be still and know" or "wait on the Lord" or you can "work harder" as you put it. Ultimately, the best advice anyone can give you, is to try to do God's will, whatever it may be. Keep praying about it, and do what He says. I wouldn't do anything without that peace of God you're waiting to experience. But again, listen to God, not me or anyone else. I'll Keep you in prayer.