Yes many have a slow walk – but that’s not the way that God wants it to be – and it’s not the way it has to be – it really is so simple a child can do it – in fact that’s exactly how we are supposed to approach the Lord – as a child – in simple trusting childlike faith. The sooner we stop analysing and thinking about our life and just start thinking about God and what he says about us – the quicker we move in our journey.

I maintain that this position, these words, these doubts are not biblical. (James 1 v 6 and 7 says that doubt is not going to get you anywhere – so why would you choose to operate in doubt?)

I maintain it is actually an insult to God to say all these things because in saying these things we aren’t acknowledging what God has done for us. Yes of course now and again I might fleetingly feel depressed or despair about a situation – but my solution is not to allow myself to wallow but to rush straight to the Word and talking to my heavenly father – five minutes in the Word just reminding myself of who I am in Christ and what God has done for me and has given me – makes me realise instantly how selfish I am being by even thinking depressing thoughts – it’s like saying Heh God what you’ve done for me isn’t enough – and the Holy Spirit inside me lifts me to heights instantly and I choose no longer to focus on depression. I certainly don’t go around saying it’s OK to be depressed because it isn’t!!

I maintain it is nothing to do with having a “bit more experience” but iin the choices one makes about how to control one’s mind. I can choose to keep my mind stayed on God (in which case the bible promises me perfect peace) or I can choose to wallow in self pity – in which case the devil is rubbing his hands with glee. Don’t get me wrong – I haven’t arrived – but I have left – I practice this and I can confirm it works.

From what I read Ian doesn’t feel content and happy in his current situation – he seems always to be searching for something he feels is somehow out of reach? Now which way of doing things makes more sense?

I choose to place trust in God – therefore I choose to believe what he says about me rather than what the devil says about me. I am NOT a sinner because God calls me His Righteousness. I have NO reason to be depressed because I have EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING IN THE HEAVENLY REALM available to me right here and now to overcome and conquer whatever the devil throws at me. I do not have to berate myself for my sin because God says there is no condemnation for me – yes I sin – yes I go to God and say sorry – Yes I know I am forgiven – but I am not going to dwell on my sin – that would be magnifying my sin – I choose to magnify God instead.

The devil comes only to kill steal and destroy – if I talk about being depressed and down I am allowing the devil to steal the love and joy and peace I have inside me from the Holy Spirit. Can you see the difference.

Recognising what we already have should make us joyful, peaceful etc etc – and far more free to start helping others because I have no fear – perfect love casts out all fear (I know how perfectly God loves me so I KNOW i don’t have to be afraid of anything).

I maintain that the bible clearly says that for a Christian it is NOT ok to be any of these things – because we have been given the ability to appropriate world overcoming power through our faith and that if we believe what the bible says then we should not be talking about being depressed etc but actually realising what’s available for us to tap into so that we aren’t depressed etc etc. It is an entirely different way of thinking.

The trouble is as it says in proverbs as we think in our hearts so are we – and there is certainly much evidence of this in Christian and non Christian alike – you can literally talk yourself into being depressed and down and defeated etc. And why? Why would anyone want to do this – it just doesn’t make sense to me?

My walk with God has never been like that – so I cannot obviously agree with you on that. My walk with God has shown me time and time again that when I am struggling with life (note: not when Life is a struggle but when I am struggling to cope with life) as soon as I realise I am finding it a struggle I realise I am trying to cope in my own strength rather than surrendering and relying on God’s strength and power through them – then I run as fast as I can back to him – surrender myself and the situation to him, take pleasure in his word and his promises and climb back onto the safety of his “knee” like the child that I am.

You quote Thomas – yes indeed he doubted – but was this what Jesus wanted him to do – was this a part of his growth – was this a “gift” or was it Thomas operating in sin. I believe the answer comes in the way Jesus spoke to him – I do not believe this doubt was a gift – I do not read that Jesus praised Thomas for his doubt. Jesus rather praised those who would not doubt.

Yes different people – but one Word of God telling us one way to be happy and fulfilled and peaceful. I pick up my bible, I read the promises I believe the promises – if those promises aren’t being fulfilled in my life I examine my life – realise (always) its’ because I’ve been trying to attempt something, cope with something, do something in my own strength rather that the power of God, tell God I’m sorry and listen to what he wants me to do instead.

I am not sure I understand how reading that it’s ok to struggle and be in doubt is actually helpful to people? Don’t think the bible ever encourages us with this message – Paul certainly doesn’t – he always tells people what they should be doing rather than empathising with their situation if they are not experiencing peace and joy and fulfilment. I think I prefer the bible method because I have seen the results of doing it the bible’s way in my own life and the lives of those around me.

(By the way life has been pretty tough for me – I was always bullied and singled out and treated with disdain because I followed God – standing up and rooting for creation rather than evolution tended to single one out in science lessons – saying I believed in miracles didn’t go down too well in RE lessons, not wanting to bitch and gossip about people didn’t go down too well in the playground – I often felt isolated and alone! I was sexually abused as a child, my first husband left me for another woman (and had slept with so many I had to have an AIDS tests) I have been thrown out of a church for daring to state publically that Jesus died for the sins of the world and not just the elect. I have had an abusive email about me sent by that church to every conceivable christian church and organisation and name in my local area – and this is just a small sample of the trials and tribulations I have faced. Again please don’t take this as me boasting just hopefully getting you to see that my assurance and trust and confidence and walk with God is not because my life hasn’t been challenging.

We do walk against the flow – but Jesus never intended us to walk against the flow in our own strength – because he knew that was impossible – after all that’s why he died for us in the first place – because we couldn’t do it on our own. He knows the only way for us to walk effectively against the flow is in his strength not our own – and this is the message I find in the Bible.

Drawing attention on this comment you wrote [quote] However I struggle that it would appear that this joy and encouragement varies depending on circumstances. [unquote] I feel this was what Ian’s original post was about drawing answer on for you to understand. I am unsure of who you are or what your circumstances are or have been, but I was bullied before they found out about my faith, and it would have been so much easier for me to give in to the world because that is sometimes just the easy option. We as Christians are walking against the flow, or paddling against the tide. I tried that once on particularly difficult stretch of beach in a Kayak with a friend… and it certainly wasn’t easy. I’m pleased that God has given you the gift of such assurance in him, but he also must have given the gift of doubt to, a strange way to look at it, but particularly with the story of Thomas, when God revealed himself after the doubt he had… well he exclaimed Christ. Different gifts, different people, I suppose that is what makes Gods tapestry so rich in colour that we all see faith in different ways and have different gifts that God has placed upon our lives, maybe Ian’s gift is blessing those who are unsure and at ill ease so to say with faith and Christian life through his struggle. Maybe yours is through the certain certainty and unbreakable joy… I suppose only God will know.

Of course I haven’t missed that people struggle with faith – ask the many people who I pastor how much finding out the truth has freed them to enjoy life in all its fullness. Someone said to me only the other day (we were discussed their period of depresssion) that if she had realised then what she realised now she need never have been depressed. Sadly I realise you will even read this statement as boasting. But understanding what Faith is and what God has given us enables us to be free indeed.

Of course I support people but not by allowing people to wallow in self pity but to point to the bible and what they have available to them to solve the problem. If you had found water in the desert and came across someone dying of thirst – what would you do? Offer them the life giving water -or empathise with them that they are dying of thirst?

I am sad you think I am boasting – I can only assume you consider the writers of the epistles to have been boasting too and lacking in encouragement too? I am not boasting because nothing of any of what I say is gained by me in my own strength. Quite the opposite – I know how worthless I am and how much I have to be grateful to my wonderful Father for.

I am sorry that obviously my faith is not strong enough or real enough for you, but is often in my doubting that God reveals himself to me. I would hope that you would consider brief encouragement next time, rather than what appears to be more an attack.

You may feel I am critical about your writings but it appears to me – the reader- that you are not experiencing the fullness of life and peace and joy that the bible promises you and me that we CAN live in through the power of the Holy Spirit. Surely as a fellow Christian I would be wrong not to encourcage you to seek that joy and peace and fullness of life to free you from your apparently worries?

Hey no – I am not living in a bubble (and I don’t say what follows to in any way boast – just to hopefully make it clear that all thanks and praise to my heavenly father I live a wonderful blessed God filled God centred life – which seems to be giving me far more happiness and joy and peace and laughter than it would appear other are living – and I wonder why on earth you think I would want to swap my lifestyle for yours?)

I am well and truly in the world (but I rejoice that I am not of it). I have wonderful wonderful fellowship with a large community of believers from many different and varying church backgrounds – I meet four separate women each week for Bible Study – we have a house church fellowship where we meet for a fellowship meal, study and worship – including children’s work each week I am affiliated to a Bible College where I am doing a bible study correspondence course and have fellowship with past and current students. My husband and I go on a prayer walk each morning, and take it in turns to pray with each other each evening. Every breakfast we listen to a twenty minute teaching from God’s word which we delight in discussing with each other. I have experienced personal healing in my life and live at a point where through the power of the Holy Spirit living in me and in Jesus’ name I can banish pain from my body.

Yes Ian I experience troubles – but like Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4 v 8 I am not distressed or in dispair. As you quite rightly say Jesus told us to expect troubles – but aren’t you forgetting how he told us to deal with those troubles – he said do NOT despair for I have overcome the world. I am an overcomer through Christ the Lord who strengthens me and I am not going to apologise for it.

Bx – I did not mean to attribute that quote about faith from you – my concern was that you felt able to quote it – so I assumed you had validated it as a true statement. If this is not the case I am delighted that you have compared it to scripture but would query why if you didn’t believe it to be true you would quote it?

Ian – I am very very sad that you can’t accept the “notion” that Christianity is a “victorious life” – sad firstly because it isn’t a notion it is a truth of scripture – it is the word of God. Secondly Jesus did not suffer “defeat after defeat” in his life (name just one – just one defeat Jesus suffered). He experienced victory after victory. He experienced trials and tribulations and came through them all – resting entirely on the power of the holy spirit – and that is what he has told me to do. Have you ever thought that the inability to accept a victorious life actually stops evangelism and helping others because one’s own thoughts are so wrapped up in oneself and one’s problems and stresses and sins and trials that one is unable to focus on others.

The secret of a victorious Christian Life is to be hidden in Christ – to surrender self and accept His power. Surrendering self is not a struggle – it’s just accepting that we never can and never will be worthy so just accept what Jesus has done for us and live a victorious life in his power.

Tell me Ian – why do you want the Christian life to be full of pain and suffering and defeat and depression and sin and more sin and more pain and more suffering?

My Christian life isn’t like that (actually never has been) despite everything that the devil has thrown at me I have kept my eyes on Jesus and hey – here I still am – walking in victory and not defeat – handing things to him – leaving things at the foot of the cross and not walking away with them.

If your Christian walk isn’t giving you fullness of joy and peace and happiness that is promised to every Christian in the bible – I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to give my way a go?

Secondly [quote] Sorry Bex but your writing (and sometimes Ian’s) might very well explain what you see in Christians all around you today – but that does not mean that is how God wants us to be living.[unquote]I may have understood this wrong and mis interpreted it but are you saying you live in a bubble of you and just God, separated from the community of believers, which is very much a biblical phenomenon Acts 2 44All the believers were together and had everything in common.

I just wish for clarification upon this statement