Dondi
Well-Known Member
I hoping to hear of personal accounts about how you faith has changed your life, changed the circumstances, mended relationships, brought peace and harmony in your life. I think it would be encouraging to others to seek God more effectively if they knew the possibilities their faith has for them. I'm starting this in the Christianity forum, but will welcome other faiths, and may eventually move this out in the open forum.
As one who has been raised in a Christian home, I haven't always been faithful in my walk with God. There was a period where I rebelled against religion in general and God in particular. But on my return to God, in quite the Prodigal Son fashion, I've found a stabilizing factor in my life. By submitting to the will of God, the relationships I have with others have been more favorable, probably for the fact that I've changed through a relationship with God. I'm less bitter and depressed. The Love, Forgiveness, Mercy, and Encouragement I've received from the Lord has given me a calming Peace that I lacked before. I find I'm less prone to anger and dealing with situations with a lot more patience. My relationship with my wife, being God-centered, has improved greatly, as is my relationship with my children. There have been bumps in the road and I'm far from perfect or sinless, but I found the best thing to do when fallen is to GET BACK UP. I'm learning to love others more, as Christ loved, and am learning the value of giving rather than receiving (oddly enough, I gain greater joy in giving than receiving. Funny how that works). But I still have my selfish moments, as we all do. I enjoy friendships with people of like faith in my church and my community. I don't feel I'm getting stabbed in the back or used like I did with my old friends. (Not saying that my new friends are faultless, but there is a greater sense of trust and forgiveness with them. They are like family).
One thing that I am particularly thankful is how the Lord has worked in my oldest daughter. When she started middle school a few years ago, she really struggled with some of the cruel kids at school and found it hard to relate. You know how kids get. Not that she was excessively picked on any more than anyone else, but she is a bit shy and had trouble making friends at school. One day, she came home really upset about it, but clammed up to me about it at first. She being the independent one, wanted to work things out for herself. But I eventually told her not to worry what others thought. I related similiar problems I had when I was in school. I basically told her to be who she is and not let anyone try to change who you are. God made you like you are.
When she turned teen, she hooked up with the teen group at church and really took off with better friends. We have an excellent teen group in church and it has changed her whole attitude. She has a great desire to serve the Lord and never misses an activity that the teen group participates in (She's going to a Teen Conference at a megachurch in Indiana next week). She is not as shy as she used to be and is generally happier than I'd ever seen her before. She is an honor student at school and I can't be more proud and more thankful to the Lord for what He has done in my little girl.
I could go on and on, but I'll stop for now.
What do you have to share?
As one who has been raised in a Christian home, I haven't always been faithful in my walk with God. There was a period where I rebelled against religion in general and God in particular. But on my return to God, in quite the Prodigal Son fashion, I've found a stabilizing factor in my life. By submitting to the will of God, the relationships I have with others have been more favorable, probably for the fact that I've changed through a relationship with God. I'm less bitter and depressed. The Love, Forgiveness, Mercy, and Encouragement I've received from the Lord has given me a calming Peace that I lacked before. I find I'm less prone to anger and dealing with situations with a lot more patience. My relationship with my wife, being God-centered, has improved greatly, as is my relationship with my children. There have been bumps in the road and I'm far from perfect or sinless, but I found the best thing to do when fallen is to GET BACK UP. I'm learning to love others more, as Christ loved, and am learning the value of giving rather than receiving (oddly enough, I gain greater joy in giving than receiving. Funny how that works). But I still have my selfish moments, as we all do. I enjoy friendships with people of like faith in my church and my community. I don't feel I'm getting stabbed in the back or used like I did with my old friends. (Not saying that my new friends are faultless, but there is a greater sense of trust and forgiveness with them. They are like family).
One thing that I am particularly thankful is how the Lord has worked in my oldest daughter. When she started middle school a few years ago, she really struggled with some of the cruel kids at school and found it hard to relate. You know how kids get. Not that she was excessively picked on any more than anyone else, but she is a bit shy and had trouble making friends at school. One day, she came home really upset about it, but clammed up to me about it at first. She being the independent one, wanted to work things out for herself. But I eventually told her not to worry what others thought. I related similiar problems I had when I was in school. I basically told her to be who she is and not let anyone try to change who you are. God made you like you are.
When she turned teen, she hooked up with the teen group at church and really took off with better friends. We have an excellent teen group in church and it has changed her whole attitude. She has a great desire to serve the Lord and never misses an activity that the teen group participates in (She's going to a Teen Conference at a megachurch in Indiana next week). She is not as shy as she used to be and is generally happier than I'd ever seen her before. She is an honor student at school and I can't be more proud and more thankful to the Lord for what He has done in my little girl.
I could go on and on, but I'll stop for now.
What do you have to share?
