I feel a little silly confessing this much of my life to a group of people I don't know, but I guess it's kind of my best thought right now.

I'm twenty and in college, and I never considered myself a Christian until I was seventeen. My family isn't any particular faith, but I struggled with existence in high school and turned to the only place I could think of - a local Church. Through Church and a patient minister I found faith and began to find Christ in my life, but since leaving home I have encountered so many struggles and made so many mistakes that I have no idea where to turn.

I need help in many ways, I think, but I don't know where to turn. I am searching for some good soul (or more than one - if that's possible!!) to respond to this ridiculous cry for help and offer an open ear to someone desperately lost. Is anyone out there?

I think you already have your answer. Turn to Jesus. But many members on this board would love to help. If you have a specific prayer request, I would try the prayer forum or counseling, if that is more appropriate. In the meantime, what can we help you with?

I am literally almost tearing up with relief and appreciation that someone has read my question and cared enough to offer a response. I know that sounds a little desperate, but I have honestly sought answers in myself and from others with such little success that I can't put into words how grateful I feel for any kind of answer. Thank you for being there!

Basically, I guess, my problems are affecting all arenas of my life - and everything makes me question what is the right thing to do and how I can possibly continue any life in Christ when I feel so lost and insignificant.

My main and driving need for advice and help is something I can't define - I guess all I can say is that I am lost and unsure of where to turn...my wonderful boyfriend of the past three years seems to be drifting away from me, and my progress in college is going further and further down the drain. My family is very controlling and wants to treat me like a fourteen year old still living at home, and while I love and cherish my parents and my younger brother, they are not very helpful in offering guidance for my life -they seem only able to tell me exactly what to do and what is allowed - not what I might try myself or what might help me make my own decisions.

I am lost and feeling faithless - I don't feel like I know what is important any more. I want to be a good person and live a good life, but I feel like I don't even know what that is any more. I am desperate for help with my faith in myself and in Christ, and I don't know how to begin finding that in myself again.

Hi Krissi,

I noticed that you've checked your status as: "I am not a Christian, but am seeking Christ".

Is this an oversight?

Hey welcome. No one can come to Christ unless the Father(God) draws them. So if you are seeking Christ then it is God drawing you. Confess your sins to Him, ask forgiveness, believe that Jesus died on a cross to save you and was raised again to give you abundant and eternal life. Also, you must give your will to Him and be His disciple. No longer will you live but Christ will live through you. What did Christ do when He was on earth, He ministered to ones who were the most needy? If you are a disciple of Christ He will lead you also to care more about others and their needs than your needs and material things of the earth that do not last! I have been a Christian a long time but have just began to realize how I have been too concerned with living for the world instead of being a follower of Jesus by letting God's will be done in my life to help others. I hope this helps, I will be praying for you!

Hi Krissi, my collage years are well behind me but I think I have an idea how you are feeling. Feelings of desperation, confusion, isolation etc. do not discriminate by age, gender, race etc. This might sound like a token response, but it all starts through prayer and confession. Let God know exactly how you are feeling and ask Him for help. He wants to hear from you...and He wants to help you, but first you have to reconnect through prayer.:pray:

Have you been reading the Bible at all?

It's not so much an oversight as it is an insecurity - I don't feel worthy to name myself among the Christian faith when I am so conflicted. I hope that makes sense - I have certainly found Christ and tried to live my life according to Christian teachings, but at the moment I feel lost..and I didn't want anyone to think I was pretending to be something I'm not sure I am.

I must add a little. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life no one comes to the Father except through me." Jesus is all you will ever need. Colleges today teach a very liberal and new age philosophy, don't believe lies. Jesus Christ is the only way to God and to life. Read the Bible, a real version like KJV or NASB not a paraphrase like Living Bible or The Message which is very new agey. Read the Gospel of Mark and pray to God to help you find the answers you seek.

It's not so much an oversight as it is an insecurity - I don't feel worthy to name myself among the Christian faith when I am so conflicted. I hope that makes sense - I have certainly found Christ and tried to live my life according to Christian teachings, but at the moment I feel lost..and I didn't want anyone to think I was pretending to be something I'm not sure I am.When you say 'lost', do you mean that you don't believe Jesus is Lord, or do you still have faith but think you are to 'bad' to consider yourself a Christian?

Thanks for the answer Krissi. :)

You say that you've found Christ...and that's a good thing. I'd like to to consider the following passages from the book of Romans and John:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written:
“ For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. John 6:37

What do these verses say to you?

According to God (not how you feel right now)...are you a Christian?

Note to all: This thread is now in the Christians Answer forum.

Please review the rules of the forum here (http://bibleforums.org/showthread.php?t=138023) as they are different from the rest of the board.

Thanks! :)

I feel a little silly confessing this much of my life to a group of people I don't know, but I guess it's kind of my best thought right now.

I'm twenty and in college, and I never considered myself a Christian until I was seventeen. My family isn't any particular faith, but I struggled with existence in high school and turned to the only place I could think of - a local Church. Through Church and a patient minister I found faith and began to find Christ in my life, but since leaving home I have encountered so many struggles and made so many mistakes that I have no idea where to turn.

I need help in many ways, I think, but I don't know where to turn. I am searching for some good soul (or more than one - if that's possible!!) to respond to this ridiculous cry for help and offer an open ear to someone desperately lost. Is anyone out there?


The simple answer is to return to the faith you once had. To answer your second question, you've come to a good place to ask any questions you have about the Christian faith.

There are lots of us here, only too willing to share our thoughts with you.

I feel a little silly confessing this much of my life to a group of people I don't know, but I guess it's kind of my best thought right now.

I'm twenty and in college, and I never considered myself a Christian until I was seventeen. My family isn't any particular faith, but I struggled with existence in high school and turned to the only place I could think of - a local Church. Through Church and a patient minister I found faith and began to find Christ in my life, but since leaving home I have encountered so many struggles and made so many mistakes that I have no idea where to turn.

I need help in many ways, I think, but I don't know where to turn. I am searching for some good soul (or more than one - if that's possible!!) to respond to this ridiculous cry for help and offer an open ear to someone desperately lost. Is anyone out there?

In all your posts you sound like many of us on these boards. We have good days, where our strength helps others and bad days where we come seeking the rest of Christ's family to heal our pain and sorrow.

You don't, i feel, become a full member of these boards or a church, or a true friend (brother or sister) until you do both. Some come in tears needing help, some angry, some looking to promote and not listen. I was in pain and looking to argue. :cry:

What i love about the leadership here, is they are strong enough to show weakness and have the odd bad day and admit it.

I gave you your first reputation points, for showing a strength that it took many of us weeks to learn. :) The bible says we shouldn't judge another person's servant - another person's position before our Lord. I hope i don't do that, when i say i feel you are already my sister and a believer in Jesus Christ/ a Christian. Please consider changing you position on this site to - Christian.

I have time and would like to help you. SofTy.

It's not so much an oversight as it is an insecurity - I don't feel worthy to name myself among the Christian faith when I am so conflicted. I hope that makes sense - I have certainly found Christ and tried to live my life according to Christian teachings, but at the moment I feel lost..and I didn't want anyone to think I was pretending to be something I'm not sure I am.

I praise God that he led you here when you felt the need for direction and encouragement! It is certainly not uncommon for us to have feelings come upon us that are very much akin to what you described above! This in no way means we are lost, or not Christian.

It is through our relationship with Christ that we find our meaning, and our purpose. Earlier, you said:



I am desperate for help with my faith in myself and in Christ, and I don't know how to begin finding that in myself again. Not to pick on specific words or anything, but this is absolutely not something you CAN find in yourself. The world would have us believe in the "Self-Help" mentality - that we can seek within and be content. Nothing is further from the truth however. The answer is to seek the face of God.

God created us - He had every single day of yours written out before you were even conceived! He knows everything about you, the good things AND the bad things - and with all that, he STILL loves you so completely and passionately.

It is only by seeking him, getting to know him that you will ever get to know yourself, and find purpose in your life. I do not know any specifics about your relationship issues you mention, so I can not help in any specific way, other than to say the only way you will EVER feel true contentment is by truly surrendering your life to God.

In our current society (in the west anyway) it is fashionable in many circles anyway to say "yes, I am a Christian" - But what IS it to be Christian?

Is it going to Church?
Is it believing in God?
Is it being good, and doing good things?

While all of those things are great and all, they are not the fullness of what it is to be Christian. Please take a look at what I put here below - this will give you an idea of what saying "I am a Christian" means.


IN ORDER TO BE SAVED
Believe in not just Christ - but his primary message.
a - He is the Son of God (the father)
b - He is the Word of God
c - He died to pay the price YOU COULD NOT PAY for your sins
d - You need to turn from your sins and toward him for salvation (repentance)
e - You need to make him Lord (center) of your life

If you do these things and MEAN THEM in your heart you will be saved.
The thing is - God KNOWS if you mean them or not. So mouthing the prayer that the TV evangelist tells you to means nothing if it does not truly come from both the heart and the mind. It is ALL about the heart state.


If you read that, and said "yep, that is me, done all those things - and mean them" Then you most certainly can call yourself a Christian!

I belabor this point just because - I can assure you the very first thing you can do to help with these issues in your life is to get close to God. If we try to find direction in the storm without being connected to him, it will never ever work over time.

Please feel free to post any more info, there are a bunch of great people on here that would love to pray for you and help in any way!

Be Blessed!

My heart goes out to you. You have such a sweet and tender spirit. It sounds like you're in a lot of pain and confusion right now. I wish I could wrap you up in a big ((((hug)))).

College is a time of big changes. Do you have anyone in your "real life" to help you through your spiritual struggles? A Christian friend or pastor, a Bible study group on campus, etc? Are you reading the Bible?

I will pray for you. Please know that you are loved by God.