Being grateful

[itsme]

This is my first post here and unfortunately it isn't exactly an uplifting post... I can be quite optimistic and so on too, but lately I've been having problems with a few things and that's my main reason for registering on this forum. When these things have been solved and moved out of the way, I will hopefully be able to post more positive things. BTW It's not that I am depressed or cannot believe in God at all, but there are some thoughts that are giving me a hard time lately. And believe me, I am not bashing anything: I'm just being honest.The first thing is: I am having a hard time being grateful to God. 'He deserves all our praise etc. for what He has done for us'. I know what He has done for us, but I've got this nagging thought in the back of my mind... More and more and I thinking 'Why should I be grateful? God created everything and it became quite a mess, so... it's only quite logical that He solved the bad situation... Why should I be grateful for that?' It's a bit like as if a doctor in a hospital made a big mistake which almost killed me: and after that he took care that I didn't get killed. But I am still sort of handicapped and life is quite hard. Should I be grateful to that doctor for saving my life...? This thought is preventing me from being grateful and I don't know how to get rid of that thought... Another thing that is bugging me, is the fact that, when you really dig deep into the Bible, it will tell you to rejoice in God alone (I am reading a book by John Piper about this). We should live for Him and nothing else. That's what I hear a lot. We are not our own anymore: we have given our life to God and He may do with it whatever He wants. If that's so, then why did God create all those things we can enjoy...? I know there is great joy to be found in following Christ, but why do we have to give up a lot of things that can give joy too? It feels as if God created everything so we could learn NOT to look at it and enjoy it, to make it even harder to follow Him and rejoice in Him alone. The fact that I am having problems with being grateful doesn't exactly help to rejoice, of course...Well, these are two things that are making it hard for me to rejoice in Christ and praise God... and I don't know what to do about it. Sometimes I succeed in 'forgetting' the questions and sort of believe as a child, but every now and then these thoughts pop up... So that's why I registered here: I must be overlooking something obvious and hopefully someone here can show me the way.

 

[HammerStone]

The first thing is: I am having a hard time being grateful to God. 'He deserves all our praise etc. for what He has done for us'. I know what He has done for us, but I've got this nagging thought in the back of my mind... More and more and I thinking 'Why should I be grateful? God created everything and it became quite a mess, so... it's only quite logical that He solved the bad situation... Why should I be grateful for that?' It's a bit like as if a doctor in a hospital made a big mistake which almost killed me: and after that he took care that I didn't get killed. But I am still sort of handicapped and life is quite hard. Should I be grateful to that doctor for saving my life...?

At least for me personally, I've found a simple answer. God created the world to be perfect, not in vain. The problem is that the creation, given the will to choose, broke down because of personal lusts to do things their way.

Isaiah 45:18For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

The great book of Revelation tells us we were created for God's pleasure. Clearly, he avoided creating the "perfect" being that would only submit to him for a reason. He wanted his creation to love him of a free volition. Unfortunately, we tend to look at the grand question from the finite human mind trying to reason everything about the unlimited eternal power that purposed, formed, and carried it all out.

Another thing that is bugging me, is the fact that, when you really dig deep into the Bible, it will tell you to rejoice in God alone (I am reading a book by John Piper about this). We should live for Him and nothing else. That's what I hear a lot. We are not our own anymore: we have given our life to God and He may do with it whatever He wants. If that's so, then why did God create all those things we can enjoy...? I know there is great joy to be found in following Christ, but why do we have to give up a lot of things that can give joy too? It feels as if God created everything so we could learn NOT to look at it and enjoy it, to make it even harder to follow Him and rejoice in Him alone. The fact that I am having problems with being grateful doesn't exactly help to rejoice, of course...

Sadly, this is a pervasive rumor in Christianity that glorifying God requires putting aside everything and simply reading the Bible, singing hymns, or verbally praising God. Take a note from the Apostle Paul:

Romans 8:28And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

I submit that God can be glorified in more ways than the obvious. A true Christian will play by the rules in whatever he does. Whether it be sports, business, marriage, or whatever which are all enjoyments offered by this life. The difference is to always keep God in mind, and not become absorbed in the things of this world.Quite contrary to popular myth, a Christian is a Christian at all times. Glorifying God is as easily done in being upright in what one does with God as the focus as much as it is done in singing a song about God. (And I would even suggest more often the former is more real, of which God is the ultimate authority on that judgment call.)

 

[gumby]

Its very important to be thankful, read Psalm 92:1, Psalm 95:2 and 2nd Thessalonians 1:3. God loves you because he created you and he sent jesus to be our savior.

 

[mjrhealth]

Hi lots of good questions,first off, God gave us all we needed, food, friends, love, water, air , and the abilty to think so we could take care of ourselves, the necessities of life, everything else is contrary to God, we make think it brings us Joy, but if you look around at todays society, people are becoming more and more isolated, family in a home may never speak to one another face to face because now they can text, send emails, when you dont want to face someone , email or text, see the world has become divided, our smarts have made us foolish, the only Joy I have is in Jesus. As for finding it hard to be gratefull, the simple fact that you came on here and said you are having problems speaks volumes to Him of a heart that is hungry. He will fill you, it is hard when you have lost much , but I have learned to try focus on His promise , for sometimes that is all that keeps me going.In His Love

 

[armourbeaer]

[quote name='itsme;72760]This is my first post here and unfortunately it isn't exactly an uplifting post... I can be quite optimistic and so on too' date=' but lately I've been having problems with a few things and that's my main reason for registering on this forum. When these things have been solved and moved out of the way, I will hopefully be able to post more positive things. BTW It's not that I am depressed or cannot believe in God at all, but there are some thoughts that are giving me a hard time lately. And believe me, I am not bashing anything: I'm just being honest.The first thing is: I am having a hard time being grateful to God. 'He deserves all our praise etc. for what He has done for us'. I know what He has done for us, but I've got this nagging thought in the back of my mind... More and more and I thinking 'Why should I be grateful? God created everything and it became quite a mess, so... it's only quite logical that He solved the bad situation... Why should I be grateful for that?' It's a bit like as if a doctor in a hospital made a big mistake which almost killed me: and after that he took care that I didn't get killed. But I am still sort of handicapped and life is quite hard. Should I be grateful to that doctor for saving my life...? This thought is preventing me from being grateful and I don't know how to get rid of that thought... Another thing that is bugging me, is the fact that, when you really dig deep into the Bible, it will tell you to rejoice in God alone (I am reading a book by John Piper about this). We should live for Him and nothing else. That's what I hear a lot. We are not our own anymore: we have given our life to God and He may do with it whatever He wants. If that's so, then why did God create all those things we can enjoy...? I know there is great joy to be found in following Christ, but why do we have to give up a lot of things that can give joy too? It feels as if God created everything so we could learn NOT to look at it and enjoy it, to make it even harder to follow Him and rejoice in Him alone. The fact that I am having problems with being grateful doesn't exactly help to rejoice, of course...Well, these are two things that are making it hard for me to rejoice in Christ and praise God... and I don't know what to do about it. Sometimes I succeed in 'forgetting' the questions and sort of believe as a child, but every now and then these thoughts pop up... So that's why I registered here: I must be overlooking something obvious and hopefully someone here can show me the way. [/QUOTE']Where do those negative thoughts orginate from? From God. From the Holy Spirit...or from the evil one?Everytime that kind of thought enters your mind tell the evil one to get behind you. If you are a child of God then you have athourity in His Name. Take authority over those thoughts and in the Name of Christ rebuke them until they cease.Remember the joy of the Lord is our strength.

 

[itsme]

Thanks for the replies so far.

Where do those negative thoughts orginate from? From God. From the Holy Spirit...or from the evil one?

You've got a point there. Simple but true. I KNOW this but still...The last week things have changed a little, I have to say. I've been reading a book (halfway through now) from John Piper (Desiring God: does anyone here know him or that book?) and my son (19) sort of (it's a long story ) gave his life to God. Well, that really helped getting those negative questions out of my head... I know the main problem is in my mind: I have to focus on God on not on question that pop up and are hard to answer (if that's possible at all). About that 'pervasive rumor in Christianity that glorifying God requires putting aside everything': I know, I know, but I was putting it all a bit er... black and white. So I'm sorry for bringing that rumor to life again. I just had a bad day, I guess.