How to keep the faith?

[Bongza]

Right now I feel like I am sinking, I have so many problems, sometimes I feel like God does not hear my prayers I become so frustrated and I am losing hope, how should I keep the faith or hope?

[Beingist]

This is going to sound counter-intuitive, but put your disconnected attention into whatever you're feeling. If you feel like you're sinking, feel *more* like you're sinking; if you're worried, worry *more*; if you're angry, get as p*ssed off as you possibly can.

Just don't identify with the emotion. It's not you.

[Cado]

Don't. Faith is useless. God's not going to save you. You want something better? Make it happen.

To quote Courage Wolf, "When God gives you lemons, find a new God!"

Alternatively: "When God closes a door punch him through it!"

You're helpless when you place your fate in someone else's hands and tell yourself that you can't control your emotions. You're empowered if you work inch by inch to change things according to how you want them.

Is it arrogant to talk like this? Perhaps, but even God has to perform if he wants to keep his job.

[RonSouther]

A ton of great feedback on this thread.... Maguru's final curtain call.

Faith is forced, forced against your doubt. Doubt is your bullcrap detector. Faith is you trying to ignore doubt.

Relieve God of the responsibility of having to take care of you. He gave you the ability to grow you intelligence to handle life. Waiting for him to save you is foolish. He knows you already have what it takes to grow. What you need is trust not faith. Trust that you can continue to grow just like you already have. There is so much in life you can handle now that you know you couldnt handle as a kid. Well, trust that you can keep growing to handle your challenges today. You're a witness to your ability to grow so trust that if you face your challenges that you will find your way through them and come out of them wiser and stronger.

[zeitgeist]

True, knowing that you can rely on your own strength is nice to know. Yet, I would not underestimate the potential for a profound spiritual transformation when the going gets tough. It is the struggle of the "I" that allows the break-through.

[RonSouther]

Originally Posted by zeitgeist

True, knowing that you can rely on your own strength is nice to know. Yet, I would not underestimate the potential for a profound spiritual transformation when the going gets tough. It is the struggle of the "I" that allows the break-through.

That's well said and that's what I meant about trust. Trust that when going through the storms (which are mostly assaults on the ego), that you will grow through them vs denial and escape. That's the spiritual transformation, to feel like the sky is going to fall, to square up and march forward into the fears and then find out that the sky didn't fall and the next time, there won't be fear, but trust in that area of life.

So keep facing each fear as they come and keep seeing that everything will work out in the end because everyone involved is forced to be real and grow.