Help on fatalism

Hello,
I would like some godly counsel on a very dificult time I am having right now. I have been having clouds of doubts and skepticism the last month or so, concerning God's motivation for creating us knowing full well we were going to sin, and then holding us accountable for that sin.

I have no joy, for worship nor evangelism, and am feeling quite fatalistic, as if anything I do or any emotion I feel (even love for my children) is pointless. I realize the error of my doubts and have no other suitable answers, but am still feeling utterly hopeless.

Joe

Hello Joe,

I see you are in Alaska, is the season of darkness possibly a part of your depression? Are you a native or a new transplant?

How long have you been feeling this way? Do you have anyone locally you can go to and talk it out?

The best thing to do is pray and ask God to give you understanding and instruction. Ask for the grace to submit to His will. To answer your questions as to God's motivation for creating us - read Genesis and if you still don't get understanding, read it again.

Remember, God loves you so much he gave His only Son to die on the cross for your sins. Surely that great love will reach out to help you when you ask.

When I find things in God's Holy Word that confuse me, I consider if the thing I may be questioning interferes with my serving Jesus and Praising Him, is it a soul saving issue. I only have to reread John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

I believe God made the World and Man for companionship, He used to walk in the Garden and talk with Adam. He wants to have us talk with Him about everything, to lean on Him for all our strength. The closer you draw to God the more he will reveal Himself to you.

Read the Bible & Pray. All day, pray in your mind while you are going about your business. I will pray for you, too,
white stone

I have been having clouds of doubts and skepticism the last month or so, concerning God's motivation for creating us knowing full well we were going to sin, and then holding us accountable for that sin.

I have no joy, for worship nor evangelism, and am feeling quite fatalistic, as if anything I do or any emotion I feel (even love for my children) is pointless. I realize the error of my doubts and have no other suitable answers, but am still feeling utterly hopeless.

Brother Joe, let your troubled feelings cause you to look to and long for the glory which awaits you in heaven (2Cor 4:17). Would you be more comforted with a GOD who did not know the future? Surely not! GOD created you so that you would glorify HIM and enjoy HIM forever! That was HIS motivation. He made you so that HE could reveal HIMSELF to you. Since HE is the greatest good, the greatest good HE could do for you is turn you towards HIMSELF.

He allowed sin to enter the world that HE may be glorified in contrast to it. HE doesn't desire sin but HE decrees it work together for good to accomplish HIS purposes. HE does not will murder and yet HE willed for CHRIST to be murdered. It was part of HIS plan from before the foundation of the world!(Rev 13:8)

Do you see that there is a higher prerogative of GOD which is greater than HIS desire for everything to be perfect and everyone to be sinless and saved? Namely HIS own glory demonstrated in both HIS justice AND mercy! (Rom 9:23-24) How can you truly appreciate HIS goodness if there was no evil to contrast it? How can you rightly glory in HIS amazing mercy apart from contrasting it to HIS righteous judgement? HIS justice is as much a part of HIS character as is HIS grace. HE can do no wrong. All men are under sin and deserving of condemnation and yet HE gave you grace!

HE is not the author of sin but HE allows it in order that you may glorify HIM in choosing the good. Every man is accountable for his free will choices but if you belong to CHRIST, rejoice! HE chose to die for you and grant you a new heart that you may live for HIM! HE bore the punishment of your sinful choices and demonstrated that not even the most wicked sin of men could hinder HIS purpose in saving you because their evil in crucifying CHRIST accomplished the greatest good in securing your redemption! What a privileged and blessed saint you are! REJOICE! (Eph 1:11-12)

Obey HIS command to preach the Gospel and be CONFIDENT in its power and joyful in your great privilege of being the instrument GOD has ordained to use in bringing the message of life to all men, whether it be a fragrance of life to them or of death in their rejection of it.(Rom 1:16; 2Cor 2:15-16)

Brother, you ought not to be fatalistic. You know GOD's desired will through HIS Word and you can be comforted that HIS sovereign will shall be accomplished despite the fact that HIS desired will is contradicted by us continually. HE will accomplish HIS purposes and HE will continue the good work HE began in you until HE completes it on the day of CHRIST JESUS.(Phil 1:6)

There is no fatalism in the Christian life, only confidence in GOD and the power of HIS Gospel to save as well as hope of the resurrection and assurance of eternal blessing and joy. Rejoice and be glad... and go preach the Gospel!

Thanks for the replies, I seem to have an analytical mind that is my biggest stumbling block when it comes to my salvation, maybe too much head and not enough heart...White Stone, I was born and raised in interior Alaska, and am certainly glad for the weather, see that it was -55 below for the last couple weeks and it is currently 44 above zero this week, a difference of nearly a 100 degrees.

Even if we have the free will to make choices in our lives, I still feel as sense of fatalism, as God knew every single thing that I would do before I did it, and responds accordingly, somtimes I feel as if I can't lift a spoon to my mouth without the feeling that it has been accounted for by God. Irrational feeling to be sure, and hard on my mind.

Any more thoughts? or anyone else have this feeling?

Hello Joe,

Glad to have you reply. So many times I get to speak a few words of encouragement to a person to never see or hear of them again.

You said

I feel as if I can't lift a spoon to my mouth without the feeling that it has been accounted for by God. Irrational feeling to be sure, and hard on my mind.

Of course God has accounted for it all - He is God. He knows all we have done and all we will ever do. He wants us to be dependent on Him and for our dependence to magnify His Glory to the world. How He accomplishes His will is not my concern. The fact that He called me to Him is all I have to know.

Perhaps you need to spend more time doing what He wants and less trying to use your mind to understand things that are beyond our understanding. When we are with Him in Heaven will be time enough to learn the details that are clouded for now. Everything will be revealed to us then.

Personally, I would feel it presumptuous to question His motives or ways. I am painfully aware how flawed human minds are. How could a man know the mind of God? (I am Googling this and will add more later, right now I must prepare food for my starving husband)

Please check back later, even if I am delayed, someone more versed in this can post.

I know you can't go wrong if you are praying for God to reveal Himself to you. The closer you get to Him, the more He will reveal. All the answers you need are in His Holy Word. Search the scriptures - literally. AND relax while you are doing it because

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Talk to you soon,
white stone

Of course it is presumptous to question God's omniscience, I certainly have no better explanations myself. I told a brother on this forum that I feel like a little child that pushes the love of their parent away, for no other reason than selfisness, or perhaps to get even more attention from the parent.

I cannot walk in any confidence of my flesh, I have sought Him in prayer, and will continue to do so.
thanks,
Joe

Hi Paul,
Thanks for the response, I'm not so much fearful of God's judgment for picking the wrong shirt (so to speak) as I am facing the feeling that absolutely everything I do is already planned out and being used for Gods purposes, as if I have no other choice in what I do. Does that make sense? Now that I write it it doesn't seem that bad of a thing...Selfishness remains in me.
Joe

"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." Eph.2:10

If He did not ordain the works, we should not have done them.

[b][color=0033FF][font=Arial]God is GOD! Some of the attributes required in God are that He must be ALL-knowing, ALL-powerful, EVERYWHERE-present. If you want to make Him SOME-knowing, A BIT-powerful, SOMEWHERE-present, it simply is not the God of the Bible that you worship.[/font][/color][/b]

[i][b][size=medium][color=993300]AMEN!![/color][/size][/b][/i]

Thanks all,
I did a fair bit of airing my griefs to God last night, and then simply asked for His help, as my flesh is so very weak. I read this today:
"He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered." Proverbs 28:26

Meditating on the two greatest commandments has helped me as well. I can see the folly of thinking of God as somewhat knowing as opposed to all knowing, that seems to be where "open theism" is a draw for people.

I suppose that I am recieving a revelation of how far we are supposed to die to self to be used by Him. I've heard that we in America are rarely put in a position where we are completely subject to an individual in all areas of our lives, so to have a realization of that requirement from God, my flesh recoils from it.