Bible Question: i have been a Christ follower for many years. I hunger and thirst for His word and love spending time with him. Having said all of that, I seem to have lost my joy. I find that the more I study and learn, the more saddened I become for those who are lost. I even start to doubt my own salvation for in 1 peter 1:8-9 it speaks of loving Him and being filled with inexpressable and glorious joy9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. where is my joy? I have felt the holy spirit working in my life and I am so richly blessed beyond measure, but if I am truly converted and saved would I not exerience more than fleeting moments of joy? |
Bible Answer: May I first say that I have been in similar circumstances. There are a few questions that I would like to ask... not for an answer, but for your own contemplation. I had a friend who asked them of me during one of my own doubting periods and they seemed to help. My prayer is that thinking through them will bring you some peace as well. The only people who truly know if you are saved are you and Christ. I would suggest you do an assessment of your beliefs. Who do you believe God to be? Jesus? Man in relationship to them? Then contemplate whether or not you really believe what you think you believe. What do you act on? Do you worry about God's pleasure? Are you convicted when you do something wrong? Check out the fruit of the spirit in Galations 5. Do you see these things in your life? I think that you will probably find that you are saved and I would say cling to that truth. Try reading Ro 8. Are you going to and involved in church? The only reason I ask is because our gifts are given to us to be used to build each other up. Though definately not the only place, church is one of the most common places people find they can use their gifts. What is/are your gifts? Are you using them to the glory of God? Check out 1 Corinthians 14. I also think it is important to see the difference between happiness and joy. Happiness is temporary. It is a feeling. We will not always walk around happy and we should not try to for then we are putting on a mask and hiding from those who are intended to build us up. Joy is in a way equivalent to hope. We have joy not because we are happy, but because we know the future and the fact that we are saved. It is a peace and a knowledge that we have something to look forward too. Look up the exact definitions and see if you can see the difference. I would also be careful about taking scripture out of context. Never just read one or two verses and think you have the whole. In 1 Peter 1: 3-9, Peter is talking about more than just happiness. Verse 3 talks about where our hope comes from. Verse 6 talks of us having to suffer now for a short time (not always having a great life). Verse 6 also talks about how these difficult times will build us up and refine us so that Christ may be all the more glorified. Verses 7 and 8 talk about how we can look forward to eternity and draw hope and strength from the knowledge that we have. I hope this helps. God bless you. tar |