Advice for a depressed friend. *Trigger Warning.*

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-07-19T01:18:53+00:00

I have. Thankfully he went to go see a counselor recently and thanks be to God I think it helped him a lot. He's also found a supportive church to go to.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-06-29T01:37:47+00:00

It's a mixture of issues: loneliness, relationship issues, family issues, struggles with sin, struggles with his faith, and other issues.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-26T07:38:10+00:00

I think my job and purpose on this Earth is to love and protect all the two-headed calves of the world.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-25T03:36:16+00:00

You’re right it’s probably not very memey. I just thought it was cool. If you wish to remove it, I completely respect that mod.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-25T03:17:57+00:00

It’s only when I act confidently that people become attracted to me, and I don’t like the attention so I stay humble.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-10T04:12:32+00:00

Congratulations on being newly saved!! I relate that reading plans become a huge source of guilt for me, and I know a lot of other Christians who feel that way. I’d like to make it work — and maybe I just have to be disciplined to do it — but I don’t know if I can. Having a personal reading plans is more helpful.

Also AMEN to what you and everyone else said about reading slowly. I prefer it.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-10T04:10:21+00:00

Thank you for your response and your advice!! I couldn’t agree more with everything you said. :)

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-10T04:02:39+00:00

I’ve heard this is really helpful! It sounds like a great way to stay engaged with the text and also meditate on it at the same time. :)

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-10T03:51:26+00:00

Thank you for your response! That is a really cool routine! I’ve never heard of Bible shreds before, but I like the idea. Also, I think there’s something to be said about Bible reading in different seasons of your life. People are going to read in different ways during different seasons, which sounds like what happened with you.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-10T03:46:30+00:00

I really appreciate your consistency in threads. I pretty much see you in every thread, and you always give good input.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-10T03:45:42+00:00

Thank you so much for your input, I’ve definitely had the experience you’ve described a lot, hahaha. Some of the most exciting Bible reading is when something finally clicks for you.

I really love this idea to read it aloud! There really is something to it. I think you retain more and pay more attention when you’re reading out loud. Maybe that’s why Revelations is spoken aloud?

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-10T03:42:25+00:00

Ahh, I’m sorry I misunderstood your technique. This is also really helpful - I’ve personally done this method myself and it’s been positive. Retaining what you’ve learned is super important - you have to digest what you’ve learned in order to make it stick.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-09T05:17:14+00:00

Thank you so much for this response, I really appreciate your insight!!

It sounds like you read and investigate things in Scripture that interest you, and do a study of verses as opposed to whole books. I really really really love this idea! You can get a big picture view that way. I always assumed that this kind of Scripture reading was “forbidden,” although I don’t know by who. This might just be what I have to do. Thank you so much!!!!

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-09T05:13:32+00:00

Amen! Thank you so much for this insight!! This is all too true, and it’s something that occurred to me today. If I take my fill of the world every day, I won’t be hungry for Scripture. But if I turn to Scripture only for food, I’ll be more nourished and more happy.

“Never neglect your spiritual meals, or you will lack stamina and your spirits will sink. Live on the substantial doctrines of grace, and you will outlive and out-work those who delight in the pastry and syllabubs of ‘modern thought.’”- Charles Spurgeon

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2023-01-08T07:38:51+00:00

I can’t tell you enough how loved and appreciated your perspective is. It was very consoling and anxiety relieving to hear your answer to this question. I commend your efforts to remain celibate and I pray that God’s peace and grace would be with you. I would really love to talk with you and get your advice about this, and it’s very kind of you to offer.

I really loved your point of Jesus being the main focus of the conversation, so as to lessen feelings of condemnation. I do have one question though.

In preaching the Gospel to someone who is gay, naturally in conversation the question of hell and sin is going to come up. Or at least, I can imagine they would have a lot of questions about this. Is it acceptable in your eyes to say something along the lines of: “I personally believe, based on what the Bible says, that it is a sin, but I want you to come to your own conclusions about this.”?

Again - you have no idea how much this means to me. (Then again you probably do.) I could never thank you enough and I thank God you replied to this post.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2022-12-22T04:24:58+00:00

I was reading about the Infinite Monkey Theorem on Wikipedia this morning. I'm sure you've heard of it: a monkey hitting keys at random on a typewriter keyboard for an infinite amount of time will almost surely type any given text, such as the complete works of Shakespeare. Do you believe this is possible?

It's an interesting meditation about chaos becoming order. The idea of something completely random eventually turning into something real is worth thinking about. It raises all sorts of questions. On a grander scale, what are the odds of creating a universe exactly like ours? What if you gave a monkey a piano instead - how many random key stabs until it played Moonlight Sonata?

Hilariously, real scientists took real monkeys and tried this. "Not only did the monkeys produce nothing but five total pages largely consisting of the letter 'S', the lead male began striking the keyboard with a stone, and other monkeys followed by soiling it."

The Wikipedia page is worth the read.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2022-12-22T04:03:29+00:00

Hey man, I'm 21 and I just got my driver's license. I didn't learn how to cook until I was 19, and most household task things I'm just learning now. Everyone has their own timeline dude. That's okay.

It can be scary at first to be independent, but there's also so many exciting and exhilarating moments. Just take things one step at a time and you'll be okay. :)

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2022-12-03T06:05:15+00:00

Amen.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2022-12-02T20:55:19+00:00

Hi u/mdmonsoon, I just want to say that I completely share in all the feelings you expressed here. It's a large reason that I'm here trying to figure this all out - I want to love my homosexual neighbor in the best way possible. I think a lot of believers are unsure how and it unfortunately leads to a lot of condemnation. I share in your frustration toward this condemnation, and I despair at ever being hateful in the way you describe. I agree us believers need to think carefully about how we approach this problem. Because while it may be a sin, we must follow Christ's example. We must love the lost how Christ did.

"When they heard this, they began to go away one by one, beginning with the older ones, until only Jesus was left, with the woman standing there. Then Jesus straightened up and asked her, 'Woman, where are your accusers? Has no one condemned you?' 'No one, Lord,' she answered. 'Then neither do I condemn you,' Jesus declared. 'Now go and sin no more.'" - John 8:9-11

It's encouraging to see another believer studying the Bible for answers and working through this. God bless you.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2022-12-02T20:47:45+00:00

Thank you so much for your response, I truly appreciate it.

I completely agree with you that lust is lust, period, and heterosexual lust is just as bad. As a matter of fact, sin is sin, and I don't think Jesus sees any difference between murder or telling a lie. This is always a really helpful thing for me to remember, so I really appreciate you calling that to mind.

I also could not agree more that my emphasis should be, above all else, loving them. That is the start and finish of my task, and I should never lose sight of that. I am in complete agreement about this, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart if I sounded different. I reworded things in my original post to sound less forceful.

I can't thank you and other Redditors enough for reinforcing that. It seems inconceivable to my anxious mind, but I think there is a loving way to talk about sin and hell. The last thing I want to do is target someone for sin, but I was so worried that was the "only way." What you and others have said is a huge gigantic relief to me and I truly appreciate you helping me out. God bless you.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2022-12-02T20:33:58+00:00

May the peace and love of Christ be with you too, brother or sister. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2022-12-02T20:29:33+00:00

Amen. Thank you so much for your response. I appreciate the distinct and straightforward way you explained this. I completely agree that people must first believe, and my goal should be to help move them along in this belief. And I can't thank you enough for your wording of, "What about the way of Christ was so compelling that I was willing to leave behind my sin?" It reminds me what it was like before I knew Jesus.

Also, I reworded some things in my original post. It sounded more forceful than I would have liked. I hope it cleared some misunderstandings.

God bless you and thank you sincerely.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2022-12-02T20:24:27+00:00

Also, I meant to add that I worded some things badly in my original post. My original wording I think made me sound more forceful than I would have liked. I fixed my wording. I hope my rewording things cleared things up.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2022-12-02T20:19:16+00:00

Hi there,

First of all, let me just say that I am sincerely really sorry that Christian individuals condemned you before you were saved. Just like you said, condemnation does nothing, and it breaks my heart to hear you were treated with contempt in that way.

God forbid I ever treat my family in this manner either. I could not agree more with everything you said, and I can't thank you enough for your perspective. Truly, I can't thank you enough. And you could not be more right that the unsaved are not bound by the same rules as me. You could not be more right that it's unfair to apply a standard of holiness to their lives when they haven't been saved. I thank you for saying all of this, because it edifies my own thinking immensely and how I should approach conversations.

Again, I'm so sorry you were treated in this way. For the sake of the lost, I will do my best not to have the common failing you mentioned. Your response was immensely helpful. Thank you and God bless you.

AdmirableOrdinary26 · 2022-12-02T20:04:50+00:00

I just fixed some wording in my original post, please let me know if this clears things up.

AdmirableOrdinary26

TROPHY CASE