Answered by Precious In His Sight, Drawing Close To God, Feeling Overwhelmed, Feeling Shame/Guilt/Condemnation, Recent Questions & Answers, Self destruction (cutting - eating disorders - low self-esteem) »

Anonymous writes…

Well where to start really, I’m 16 and have been a christian for many years though recently I’m so confused in many aspects of my faith. I feel at such a low in my relationship with God, It’s like I know all the facts I know God loves me etc but I just don’t feel loved sometimes and I don’t hear his voice, or when I worship I always feel like I’m being fake even though I’m not ( if that makes any sense) I just feel like a fake Chrsitian all the time but I know I’m saved, it’s so confusing, or I get irrational doubts about Christianity and ifind it difficult to pray ..Then there are other things in life which are confusing one a guy situation which just hurts a lot and is too long to explain, more recently I’ve started really not too like my body sometimes I just feel so fat even though I kno in reality I’m not, but then sometimes I just turn to food and eat it.. It just seems life is so hard at the moment.  I’m not sure if any of that makes sense it feels better to have said it all.

Regards.

Precious In His Sight replies…

Hi,

I want to thank you for writing into our website to “vent”. Sounds like you’re going for a ride on the “emotional rollercoaster”.

Can I tell you this, you are so normal!!!

You are not the only 16 year old Christian girl that is struggling with your emotions. We’ve all, at some point and time in our lives, struggle with our emotions. Hey, I’m 39, and I’m still struggling with my emotions. With my faith, with whether God truly loves me, I even have “guy situations” with my husband of almost seventeen years and oh girl, let’s not even go there with my body and whether I’m fat or what society has labeled as average or normal. I too love to turn to food in certain seasons of my life, and then when I’m done pigging out I feel all fat and full!!

Then I turn to the word that says: Or don’t you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) This brings my focus back to who I am and Who I belong to.

The bible tells us that we will encounter many seasons in our lives and their will be times that we come across many different activities under the heavens. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

What you are feeling is truly normal and I understand. I may not be as young as you are but I was once. It was different back then but I had my challenges. You are even more blessed at your age than I was because you are a Christian and you are walking with the Lord. At your age I knew about God but did not have a relationship with Him the way you do.

Now, I want to talk to you on a few things that you wrote in about. First of all let me tell you that God loves you deeply. I know that you said you know that God loves you, but I just wanted to remind you of how much. Malachi 1:2a says: “I have loved you deeply,” says the Lord.

Sometimes we as Christians go through so many different challenges and we allow these situations to cloud our thinking, our judgment and our perspective on life. When this happens you are actually allowing confusion to enter into your heart and block your perception and bring doubt into your heart which will waver your faith, your trust and your hope in God. These feelings will allow you to second guess yourself and everything that you are doing for the kingdom.
If you are worshipping and you know that you are doing it from deep within, then don’t second guess your self and don’t allow the enemy to speak to your mind and tell you that you are being a fake Christian. You say that you sometimes don’t hear God’s voice, have you ever wondered why you can’t hear Him speaking to you?

Could it be because your mind is all fogged up with confusion?

John 10:4 says: After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice.

John 10:27 says: My sheep recognize my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

Psalm 95:6-7 says: Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker, for he is our God. We are the people he watches over, the sheep under his care.

Keep your mind free and clear from the things that are going on around you so that you would be able to hear from God.

You mentioned having irrational doubts about Christianity and finding it difficult to pray, what brings you to these uncertainties? Is it when you talk to someone or you watch something on t.v. or you’re around unbelievers and they cause you to take a second glance at your beliefs?

The word of God tells us that a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. James 1:6 When you watch the waves in the sea, they come and go, pushing forward and then just dissolving into the sand.

Is that how your heart is for God?

It shouldn’t be!

What you should do is pray to God and ask Him to show you the plan that He has for your life, and believe me there is a plan, His word says there is; Jeremiah 29:11. Also, ask Him to show you who He has included in His plan for your life and wait for God to send that person to you in His perfect timing and do not create relationships on your own.

I want to give you a few scriptures that you can read and absorb into your heart and when that season of doubt and confusion should arise, then you can speak these scriptures to those feelings and put a smile on your face, knowing that your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ loves you and died on the cross so that you would have peace and joy. Know that you are unconditionally loved by Him.

1Thessalonians 5:17, James 1:2-4, Proverbs 3:5-6, Jeremiah 29:11-14, Hebrews 13:5, Psalm 61:1-4

Sincerely,

Precious In His Sight