linsalata85
Apr 19th 2009, 03:59 AM
Greetings all,
I accepted Christ into my life early on, probably at the age of 13 or 14. I talked with my dad quite a bit about it as a kid, but wasn't serious in my own studies until 18 or 19. I am now 23 and consider myself an avid Christian. Like all Christians, we strive for perfection and we try to imitate God's son in our conduct of daily life. (of course we can't be perfectly like God) I understand God's word but have trouble implementing it into my daily life so I can be a more responsible and productive person.
I am 23 years old, (24 in may) and I work as a web designer for a small business. I don't make great money, but I'm able to make enough to contribute money to my family. I live at home right now with my mom and dad (yeah, go ahead and laugh it up) and I really love them, so it makes me feel good to contribute what I can, financially, but most importantly, with love and respect towards them.
I have run my own business before, and I have even been out on my own before, but I have had trouble with keeping a job because I fall into temptation and let other worldly things bog me down and suck any positive energy I have. For instance, I've wasted much of my hard earned money on playing poker at casinos, but thank God, I have been able to overcome that addiction through God's grace. That took 2-3 years of my life. Now it isn't poker, but I just think I might be hanging around the wrong people.
I am probably rambling, so I am going to try to keep this shorter and simple. Right now, I have friends that I have known for a few years. I really enjoy hanging out with them and love them as people, but I feel their lifestyles aren't really good for me. I tend to waste many of my weekends hanging with them and just being a party animal,(drinking and socializing) when I could be investing more time in getting my own business going, or helping my parents around the house, or getting together with other christians. I do not attend a local church, but I always worship God in spirit and in truth, on a daily basis. I really want to get a bible group going and want to invite my friends to it, so we can grow together in Godliness, not in any form of wickedness. I am fed up with being bogged down by worldy things, and I'm not quite sure on how to tell my friends that I can't hang around them unless it is for the sole purposes of growing in the gospel together. They claim to be Christian, as many people do... which is why I would like to invite them to have bible studies with me, and some other serious Christians - but I do not know if it is a good idea and if they are ready to embark on this type of journey. I need to be around people who are more then just believers in namesay, but people who truly have a passion for the word of God. As we all know, even the devil himself 'believes and trembles'
Sometimes I feel guilty and I feel like God is angry with me when I go out for a night of drinking and partying, when I could be finding new ways to grow closer to God. Do you guys think it is ok to feel guilty even though God loves and forgives us for our sins? Sometimes I feel like I should ask for God's forgiveness more - I have a bad habbit of assuming.. "God knows I am sorry, so I don't need to say sorry..." - if that makes any kind of sense. I need to get out on my own, still help my family out, but I need to GROW UP and become more responsible overall. I do consider myself a very inwardly and spiritual person, but I need to follow God's commands more so I can implement this in my life and become a more righteous and honorable child of God. I know what God want's me to do, (at least, I think I do) but I have trouble disciplining myself and cutting out petty things and distractions.
Thank you for listening and I really appreciate any feedback any of you may have. Any scripture you'd love to point to will be greatly helpful as well.
In Christ,
Dave
I accepted Christ into my life early on, probably at the age of 13 or 14. I talked with my dad quite a bit about it as a kid, but wasn't serious in my own studies until 18 or 19. I am now 23 and consider myself an avid Christian. Like all Christians, we strive for perfection and we try to imitate God's son in our conduct of daily life. (of course we can't be perfectly like God) I understand God's word but have trouble implementing it into my daily life so I can be a more responsible and productive person.
I am 23 years old, (24 in may) and I work as a web designer for a small business. I don't make great money, but I'm able to make enough to contribute money to my family. I live at home right now with my mom and dad (yeah, go ahead and laugh it up) and I really love them, so it makes me feel good to contribute what I can, financially, but most importantly, with love and respect towards them.
I have run my own business before, and I have even been out on my own before, but I have had trouble with keeping a job because I fall into temptation and let other worldly things bog me down and suck any positive energy I have. For instance, I've wasted much of my hard earned money on playing poker at casinos, but thank God, I have been able to overcome that addiction through God's grace. That took 2-3 years of my life. Now it isn't poker, but I just think I might be hanging around the wrong people.
I am probably rambling, so I am going to try to keep this shorter and simple. Right now, I have friends that I have known for a few years. I really enjoy hanging out with them and love them as people, but I feel their lifestyles aren't really good for me. I tend to waste many of my weekends hanging with them and just being a party animal,(drinking and socializing) when I could be investing more time in getting my own business going, or helping my parents around the house, or getting together with other christians. I do not attend a local church, but I always worship God in spirit and in truth, on a daily basis. I really want to get a bible group going and want to invite my friends to it, so we can grow together in Godliness, not in any form of wickedness. I am fed up with being bogged down by worldy things, and I'm not quite sure on how to tell my friends that I can't hang around them unless it is for the sole purposes of growing in the gospel together. They claim to be Christian, as many people do... which is why I would like to invite them to have bible studies with me, and some other serious Christians - but I do not know if it is a good idea and if they are ready to embark on this type of journey. I need to be around people who are more then just believers in namesay, but people who truly have a passion for the word of God. As we all know, even the devil himself 'believes and trembles'
Sometimes I feel guilty and I feel like God is angry with me when I go out for a night of drinking and partying, when I could be finding new ways to grow closer to God. Do you guys think it is ok to feel guilty even though God loves and forgives us for our sins? Sometimes I feel like I should ask for God's forgiveness more - I have a bad habbit of assuming.. "God knows I am sorry, so I don't need to say sorry..." - if that makes any kind of sense. I need to get out on my own, still help my family out, but I need to GROW UP and become more responsible overall. I do consider myself a very inwardly and spiritual person, but I need to follow God's commands more so I can implement this in my life and become a more righteous and honorable child of God. I know what God want's me to do, (at least, I think I do) but I have trouble disciplining myself and cutting out petty things and distractions.
Thank you for listening and I really appreciate any feedback any of you may have. Any scripture you'd love to point to will be greatly helpful as well.
In Christ,
Dave