in need of advice

[MommiiDearest]

I am Christian, I believe in Jesus and Jehovah. Lately I started going to a first baptist church with my sister, going to the services and youth group and bible study. I still have that aching hole inside of me telling me that something is missing. I just have no clue what it might be. I was just wondering if any of you felt this way about religion and how you coped.  

[Daffodil the Destroyer]

I don't really know how to answer this for someone else.

For me... In high school, I was hanging out with a particular religious group that really made me afraid of myself and afraid of asking questions that I had. I didn't allow myself to acknowledge any uncertainty I had about Biblical matters, because I thought I would be punished for it. I finally stopped feeling that there was a hole inside of me when I allowed myself to explore my doubts. Of course, for me, that resulted in having to reexamine my entire worldview and come to terms with the fact that my beliefs were changing dramatically. It was hard, but in the end it was what was best for me. I don't believe the same stuff I used to, but I don't feel like part of me is missing, either.

BUT. This might not even remotely apply to your situation, and I can only speak from my personal experience. And if your religion makes you feel happy, then maybe the feeling of something being missing is related to something else?

 

[Scarleey]

MommiiDearest

I am Christian, I believe in Jesus and Jehovah. Lately I started going to a first baptist church with my sister, going to the services and youth group and bible study. I still have that aching hole inside of me telling me that something is missing. I just have no clue what it might be. I was just wondering if any of you felt this way about religion and how you coped.

Religion itself w/c includes the practices, rituals, etc. like regularly going to services, bible studies cannot fill the hole inside us. It is only Jesus - a personal relationship with Him can fill the gap by reading His word (the Bible) and obeying it. Also by fulfilling your God-given purpose in this world.Those practices btw, are just supplements.  

[MommiiDearest]

ScarletXCrossXCrusader

MommiiDearest

I am Christian, I believe in Jesus and Jehovah. Lately I started going to a first baptist church with my sister, going to the services and youth group and bible study. I still have that aching hole inside of me telling me that something is missing. I just have no clue what it might be. I was just wondering if any of you felt this way about religion and how you coped.

Religion itself w/c includes the practices, rituals, etc. like regularly going to services, bible studies cannot fill the hole inside us. It is only Jesus - a personal relationship with Him can fill the gap by reading His word (the Bible) and obeying it. Also by fulfilling your God-given purpose in this world.Those practices btw, are just supplements.

How will you know when you have found your purpose?
I do need to strengtheny relationship with god more too  

[Violet-Shay]

MommiiDearest

I am Christian, I believe in Jesus and Jehovah. Lately I started going to a first baptist church with my sister, going to the services and youth group and bible study. I still have that aching hole inside of me telling me that something is missing. I just have no clue what it might be. I was just wondering if any of you felt this way about religion and how you coped.

I still go through this sometimes. at this point the only thing I know is that I believe in God. It started for me in high school though, and I actually did the opposite of you. I felt so confused I avoided anything religous. I wanted time to think and explore religon myself. I looked into multiple religons online to see what everyone did, and their moral beliefs. For me I just had to explore different ones, even if I don't go to church regularly. What really satisfies me is volunteering, or paying it forward. Then I feel like I am giving in the spirit of god. Services work for some people, along with youth groups, but it never worked for me. But everyone is different, this is what I did, it may not work for you.  

[Aquatic_blue]

MommiiDearest

I am Christian, I believe in Jesus and Jehovah. Lately I started going to a first baptist church with my sister, going to the services and youth group and bible study. I still have that aching hole inside of me telling me that something is missing. I just have no clue what it might be. I was just wondering if any of you felt this way about religion and how you coped.

I have felt this way in my life before and usually when you feel that gaping hole like something is missing, not quite comfortable, or maybe something that's not quite right it's definitely a clue that either you may not be at the right church for you, the church you go to isn't teaching all the right things, the church you go to doesn't believe in The Holy Spirit or doesn't allow The Holy Spirit to lead. At times, this feeling can come from hearing empty sermons - such as sermons that don't correlate or when you have somebody talking about one subject and then go on an all out rant on another subject. In other words - they weren't making their sermon clear and understandable and got distracted with worldly conflicts.

When I had this feeling, it led to depression for me and I thought it was my faith that was bad. This wasn't exactly the case, it was part of the problem, but not the root of the problem. I left the church I had grown up in my entire life - sent everyone there a letter saying that I am leaving as my beliefs have changed and I will not be returning. Of course a lot of those people hate me, don't speak to me, and my parents seem to want to keep visiting or talking to me in public to a minimum. Even though a lot of hurt came from the people after I left - it was the best choice I had ever made because I finally felt free.

Around my area, I haven't found a church to go to that isn't corrupt or all about the social time. However, I have been to a few good churches in other states where they allowed The Holy Spirit to lead and used their gifts through The Holy Spirit and it felt like this gap had been completely filled in - like I wasn't spiritually starving anymore. I had been missing out on The Holy Spirit because I grew up with people that didn't find their gifts in The Holy Spirit, some didn't believe in The Holy Spirit, and others believed in The Holy Spirit - but not to the extent that they should have and never let The Holy Spirit lead in any church service.

There are some churches out there that have people suppress their gifts because they mention it is "disorderly" to use them in church, or rebellious even - when in fact we are supposed to use our gifts from The Holy Spirit no matter where we are. We should never suppress them. In the church I used to go to, if they saw a church being led by The Holy Spirit where people were speaking in tongues, praying for one another, and worshiping in The Holy Spirit - they would probably call it sinful and disorderly. That's why I believe a lot of those people seem depressed or angry about things - because they never soaked in the love of God before or embraced The Holy Spirit like they should have.

One time I posted once, "Why is church so boring?" in a Christian guild and people told me, "Are you sure they are teaching God's true word?" Since my heart was so hard and my faith so unsteady and that church was the only type of faith I knew my entire life- I thought, "HOW DARE THEY!" and got super upset at it and didn't want to believe it. Although, they were right - that church wasn't teaching the gospel. I only wish I would've listened earlier, but I was forced to go to church while I lived in my parents house. After I had turned 18, they'd take the computer, video games, dessert, and even friends from me if I didn't want to go to church, and I'd have to do endless chores. I only wish I would've said, "No," and stayed home to read my Bible the whole time because that is what would've been the better thing to do.

In churches that don't allow women to preach - that put a gaping hole in me because I felt like saying something and wasn't allowed because I was a woman - therefore, it was inappropriate. I didn't agree with this because I had to hold my tongue on things that should have been said. If I had a prayer request, I had to tell a male member in the church so they could say it. When I said something - it was never taken seriously because I was a woman. So my gifts were suppressed, I wasn't treated as an equal, I wasn't allowed to say what I truly thought without getting in trouble, and I was taught that church was meant so you sit down and listen to every word you hear and believe it as the truth. These things were incredibly wrong, and definitely could dampen my spirits because I felt controlled and powerless. When I spoke against that church and left, that is when I felt I was in control of what I believed even if I was hated for it - at least I knew what I was believing felt right in my soul.

I know the feeling all too well. If you ever want to PM me, feel more than free =) I hope I helped at least a little bit.  

[sorrowfulmaiden]

Alhamdullillah, never in my life....
I just feel so blessed that it can make me cry sometimes...  

[xena91388]

Growing up, I didn't like any of the churches around me though I do identify mostly Catholic.

How did I cope? I ran off to start my own denomination! With flapjacks and hookers! Ok, maybe without hookers....

You shouldn't feel like you have to belong to any particular denomination of Christianity to show your love for God or be a good person. You can either skip church altogether while keeping love for the holy spirits alive inside you (what I did) or seek out a non-denominational church until look-up the other churches and you find the place you feel you belong.