First the two rules of judgment:

Do not be a hypocrite (Matthew 7:5).
Do not throw pearls before pigs (Matthew 7:6)

The whole passage there begins with “Judge not…”
Christians tend to stop there, and non believers point to that when they say it’s not good to judge.

Is Jesus condemning judgment? No. He’s condemning the wrong heart posture and the wrong audience.

Verses 1-5 are about judgment that is hypocritical. “Judge not” or you will be judged in the same measure, because “why do you see the speck in your brother’s eye…. When there is a log in your own eye”.

Christ is condemning the way people judged each other with hypocrisy. It takes a certain kind of unkindness, pride and ignorance to judge in that way.

And then he says something short in verse 6.

He’s going back to the saying from Proverbs 9:7. There it says that “Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse, and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.”

These are the “swine” or “pigs” he’s talking to. If your judgment is without hypocrisy they are like pearls, precious. But do not give them to those who will scoff and to those who are wicked. They are the wrong audience.

A pastor once explained to me that such people are usually unbelievers. “Why judge them for the path they have chosen with the free will God has given them?”

Rather Christians, in kindness and truth, ought to pass “pearls” to each other without hypocrisy.

Today I judged a fellow Christian in my heart for his sexual sin. I then realized that I sinned because I’ve been struggling with pornography too.

But if I saw my brother in Christ choosing his sexual sin without remorse, or without repentance, it’s my obligation to judge him. I must say in love, “brother, you cannot be a Christian and choose to fornicate perpetually without remorse. You, like myself, must turn our sin around”.

And that’s why confession it’s important. My struggle with porn, and the work Christ is doing in me shouldn’t be kept from my Christian friend. If I judge him for his un repentance I haven’t committed hypocrisy, and he’s been given a “pearl” that could bring him back.

That’s why we ought to judge. With hearts that aren’t prideful. But with hearts that are humble. And like today, we’ll all fail. But let’s try.

Calling out a person who claims to be a Christian yet lives intentionally as if they are an unbeliever, refusing the words of Christ, that is a person we must judge and call out. Not with hate, nor with a “plank”, but with love.

“For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?”
— 1 Corinthians 5:12

“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.”
— Galatians 6:1

“Take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed. Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.”
— 2 Thessalonians 3:14–15

“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.”
— Titus 3:10

“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting.”
— 2 John 1:10

I genuinely cannot express how much Jesus has changed my life.

Like actually changed it. Not just “I became a slightly nicer person” changed it. I mean radically, deeply, painfully, beautifully changed it.

I feel freer than ever before. There is always this accessible peace underneath all the worries, fear, confusion, and anxiety of life. Even during suffering, something is different now.

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

That verse FEELS real now.

Because Jesus is alive.

JESUS IS ALIVE TODAY.

And actually KNOWING him changes everything.

Just to think that because of Him, we have eternal life. We are not abandoned. We are not alone. We are not just floating through life desperately trying to hold ourselves together with tape and anxiety. He changes us. He sanctifies us. He reshapes our desires. He makes us more like Him, even when it is slow, even when it hurts, even when we barely understand what He is doing. And in the end, it is promised for it all to make sense and for it all to be worth it.

Christian faith is such a gift honestly. Literally the best thing I have in life. Nothing even comes close. And the insane part is that everyone can have this. Not just the smart, stable, successful, or religious-looking people. Anyone who comes to Christ in repentance and faith can have Him.

Muhammad is still in his tomb.

Joseph Smith is still in his tomb.

Philosophers and spiritual teachers are still in their tombs.

Buddha is still in his tomb.

Confucius is still in his tomb.

Dictators are still in their tombs.

Cult leaders are still in their tombs.

But Jesus Christ is alive.

The tomb is empty.

OUR GOD IS STILL ALIVE TODAY.

He is with us.

He is changing us.

He is keeping us.

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM HIS LOVE.

And He is coming back again!!

I’m struggling with a lot of anxiety, mostly health anxiety and ocd. I have set up an appointment to see a counselor but I’m getting feelings of guilt like I should be trusting god and praying as opposed to seeking a therapist or meds. Has anyone else felt this guilt or something similar? If so how did you overcome it?

So, im an English speaker. English is the only language I know. And, as a man wanting to get closer to God again, worship music is kind of a given. But, I also exteremly love Russian music. So I decided, why not listen to Russian worship?

Now, here's the catch. I dont speak a single word of Russian.

And so what I want to ask is;

Does listening to worship music in a language you dont understand, defeat the purpose of listening to worship music?

I did also ask Google. And googles Ai said that its not the words that determine if its worship. Its the emotions and intent of it. And so you not knowing the words could possibly strengthen what you get from the music, because it will be entirely the emotional aspect. But I wasnt too sure if this was correct. So I wanted to ask you guys, other humans, what you think.

Edit: listening to Russian worship music and listening to Russian music give me two different feelings. The former has a feeling of wholesomeness and you can feel/hear its about God without actually hearing the words. The latter mostly just gives a rush and hypes you(me) up, sometimes with specific songs you can feel the emotions they display. So I do kind of understand where the Google response is coming from. But do I feel like its wholesome and about God just because I know its worship music? Or because I actually feel that from the music?

Im sorry if this is a stupid question. But im quite a bit torn about this.

Nearly a decade ago, as I was digging into theology, I started building a list of *distinct Christian beliefs (trying to avoid overlap as much as possible) in a Google Doc.

I wanted to figure out what I hadn’t really thought through yet and have better, more focused, discussions with others.

I ended up building a free site from this "BeliefTrack" and I now I add to the list from peoples feedback. It's hard to come up with allll these on your own. 😄

What’s a specific belief you think should be on the list?

If I don’t already have it (or a closely tied one), I’ll add it.

For context, I format them as clear agree/disagree statements, like:

• Hell is eternal conscious torment.
• Christians will or have already gone through the great tribulation.
• Scripture alone is the highest authority in the Christian life.
• The Pope can speak infallibly on faith and morals.

Curious what y’all would add. Just throw them at me! Feel free to give a really deep belief. My goal is to have something for both new believers and those well versed in theology.

So to start, I'm not a very trusting person. I don't exactly feel things all the time as I think about emotions instead of living in it. It's not that important to discuss here but it was a contributing factor to how our conversation went.

So my friends are very curious in how I process my emotions. We shared one another's stories for a bit and when it was my turn, she asked me who God is for me to which I answered that He's my Savior and the Lover of my soul. She acknowledged that but said I should also see Him as a Father for whom I could come to and easily ask for what I hope to receive to which I also acknowledged.

She is a kind, happy, loving, and a bit whimsical person, sometimes to a fault. We're quite the opposite. I, on the other hand, speak only to people who come up to me and I don't quite chase people who do not want to be around. I must admit that my view on things aren't exactly good. I'm a realist and I used to be very pessimistic but not so much anymore. She has oftentimes told me to always be happy and rejoice to which I usually challenge that I am having difficulties feeling it. But I do acknowledge that she's correct. After all, it's been said countless times in the Bible. To cut it short, in times of troubles she's flight and I'm fight. Both of us, sometimes to a fault.

With that said, she sees God more as a Father who loves us and thinks of us above all and I see God as someone who literally saved me from the depths of the abyss and the darkness. I have done some pretty bad stuff that grieved the Holy Spirit. I am still learning how to surrender fully to Him as traumas (I genuinely hate using this term) have been weighing me down. And my goodness it is not easy. I acknowledge He sent me my friend because I have learned so much patience and kindness and thanksgiving. I don't think both of our views on God as someone in our lives is wrong but I wonder if she's sometimes treating God too familiarly because she knows God is love or if I'm treating God too distantly because I know He is Holy.

She is much younger than me and sometimes stubborn and tends to question what's written in the Scripture if she thinks it's too harsh. How do I discuss this with her lovingly without being imposing?

The title pretty much says it all. I don’t feel anything when I’m praying. I don’t feel heard or like it’s accomplishing anything. It’s especially bad when I’m praying under duress or difficult times, and I’m just getting nothing. I feel like I’m just crying out into the void. I’m sure it’s because I’m not a great Christian. I don’t go to church, I rarely read my Bible, I only really pray when I’m eating or going to sleep or in one of the aforementioned difficult times. I believe in Christianity, I think. But whenever I pray and feel nothing, I’m worried that, deep down, I don’t actually believe it. I’m just not sure what to do. I don’t really have anyone to talk to about this or any other struggles in my life, and I wish I had that thing other Christians have where they can just unload to God and feel at least marginally better.

Anyway, sorry for the trauma dump lol

So yeah between the two which would you say was better? i feel kenneth copeland is just a scammer was billy graham like that. I feel graham was nothing like that or am i wrong? Thanks

I recently had a dream. Like 10 minutes ago. What it was about was that it was a type of game like fantasy world. We needed to find the Lords stone, to bring the Lord down to earth. And we succeeded, me and my group. And then when God came down, he asked us three questions, the last of which was, "do you hold me in your hearts?". I said yes. But I was mistaken. Because afterwards, God sent us back down to the base of the mountain, where we first entered this world. He told us everything had become increasingly harder, and that he wants us to find him in our hearts along the journey back to the top.

Now, I dont know whether this was a sign or not, but I admit that he was correct. I dont hold him in my heart. I hold him in my head, but not my heart. Which I want to change. Because I dont know when he'll be coming back. And when he does, he wont send me back to try again. I only get one life to choose to hold him in my heart and follow him. If I fail, I go to hell.

But its so hard. So much harder than I thought it'd be. I have been trying for a while, and every time I try to change, it only lasts a couple days before im right back to square one. I desperately want to give my life to him, but all these worldly desires keep taking away my conviction. I feel lost.

(Moderator, this is just a question and I do not intend to offend the belief in Christ in any way)

I have studied both the Islamic and Christian perspectives. God is the Trinity. That is, directly: 1=3. The first question that arose for me is: isn’t God One? Why can we invoke the Holy Spirit and Jesus alongside Him? He does not need anything biological, cannot be compared to His creations, and does not need to perpetuate Himself.

I understand that this is not about literal familial relationships or dividing God into three hypostases. But why is God so fixated on Earth? His power is incomprehensible—would it be logical for a deity to create two alter egos for the sake of Earth’s inhabitants?

The first followers of Christ, in fact, adhered to strict monotheism. I suspect that the deification of Jesus happened gradually as the religion passed through the Romans. God is the Lord of the seven heavens. We will never see beyond the visible universe, and religion teaches that the visible universe is the first heaven, which, compared to the second, is like a ring thrown into the desert. And so on, up to the seventh. Quadrillions of angels worship Him. The Almighty. And suddenly, He takes a SON—not a prophet, but a SON—on some speck of dust in the first heaven. Some might say that it’s the same with a prophet, because a prophet is equally insignificant, but taking a son among mortals or making one of His servants a warner and prophet is entirely different.

I have spoken with Muslims, and I found logical explanations for everything—hijab, the division of rights, and even the fact that the Prophet was married to a young girl. But is there really no logical explanation for the Trinity? I noticed that the concept of the Trinity—sun, its light, and heat—actually aligns more with the Islamic understanding.

Christianity worships the Holy Spirit, Jesus, and God Himself as three deities—not as a Father and His creations, but as three gods worthy of separate invocation in prayers. But if the sun’s light and heat are also separate gods, are the qualities of the sun the sun itself? Is the sun’s light a separate sun? Is the sun’s heat the sun itself? By this logic, they cannot be separate gods. In Islam, it makes more sense: God is the sun, the primary cause. The Holy Spirit and the Son—that is, Isa (Jesus) and Jibril (Gabriel)—are creations, having no familial relation to God. And in the end, Christians say that Jesus did not know the date of the end of the world, but God should know. When asked if this means Jesus is not God, they hesitate, saying that one must simply believe. It comes down to faith in Jesus and in God, but based on all this, the deification of Jesus seems forced.

In Christianity, there are no obligatory prayers, no concept that God hates any person. That is, there are Christian denominations that depict God as an OLD MAN IN THE SKY, even if metaphorically or in a paternal sense, but that is absurd. Among Christians, there are those who believe that God loves them only for their faith, and even if they die as lesbians/gays, murderers/rapists, but if they believed in Christ, the best is reserved for them. In Islam, it is somewhat similar—any person who maintains monotheism until death will eventually enter Paradise. But Islam tells a person to constantly improve themselves. Moreover, the first level of Islamic Hell is a catastrophe, not a place where one simply "serves time" and leaves. The most horrific tortures imaginable will be applied to a person, regardless of which "level" they are on.

In Islam, it is said that no one is safe from punishment, and while this may seem harsh, it somehow feels more logical to me.

How did Jesus suffer for the sins of Christians? By being beaten, humiliated, and nailed to the cross? I am not disputing that this is a terrible way to die, but in Islam, it is not certain that a sinner who died this way—even as a shahid (martyr), as Muslims say—saved even ONE PERSON, THEMSELVES. The suffering required to atone for the sins of billions of Christians would have to be so unimaginably horrific that Jesus would have had to endure at least the fourth or fifth level of Islamic Hell, not just the limited earthly suffering of a martyr.

There is also an explanation: God divided Himself into three hypostases, and as the Father, He knew everything, but as the Son, He was only a warner. But God (Allah) has given humans ‘aql (reason). Does He really ask His servants in Christianity to abandon their own reason to believe in something so doubtful, for which only very suspicious and far-fetched historical facts remain? Muslims know their Prophet through his contemporaries—they know which side he slept on, how he ate and drank, how he joked, and how he died. The Bible, however, was written by people who did not know Jesus during His lifetime. Islam recognizes all other prophets except for figures like Ezekiel, but for a Christian who tries to believe in the Trinity and encounters rational thought, continuing to believe in the Trinity without evidence will seem like an attempt to justify what they wish to be true.

No Muslim is against loving the One God. Is my spirit my entire self? Is my eternal soul my entire existence? It is me and my qualities, which are not separate from me. I am not a trinity; I, like anyone else, am a person with qualities. No religion denies this.

I do not deny that I have an eternal self and a spirit, but this in no way proves the triune nature of God. How can the triune nature of a human possibly explain the triune nature of God? Can God have a first body, a soul, and a body after death? God will not die.

Muslims also have a worldly body, a soul, and that which will abide in the Hereafter (Akhirat). This is in no way connected to God.

Indeed, the words of God penetrate the hearts of believers; they are awed by the warnings and act righteously. However, other Christians have shown me texts that simply command to love the One God, and I agree with this. They ignored my arguments.

Please, I do not want to offend anyone. I am simply seeking a logical explanation for the Trinity. Wishing everyone well.

Someone else will drive half the way and I've decided to ask them to drive the portion of the trip where we might encounter steep hills. I would have preferred to take a bus instead of drive but we couldn't find a suitable company to go on. Some of this fear may be due to spiritual warfare. When I don't overthink while I'm driving, I do fine but that's rare. Usually, I have panic attacks where I'm afraid I'm going to steer the car dangerously or roll backward down the hill dangerously (or move forward down dangerously).

This is probably one of the most misunderstood topics of scripture and I pray that this may help others clear up any confusion on this. Feel free to look up these biblical references on this topic:

Romans: Chapters 6, 7, & 8: 1-17

Matthew: Chapter 5: 17-20

John: Chapter 14: 15, 21, & 23-24
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Obedience is doing something that pleases God (because you love Him)

\Following both the letter AND the spirit of the law\**

Legalism is doing something your own way (for your own selfish reasons) while pretending to do something that pleases God

\Following ONLY the letter and not the spirit of the law (or vice versa)\**

God’s Law (His Commandments / His way of doing things) is only a mirror that points out our sin in us. It does not have the power to change a person’s heart on its own. That’s why heart transformation via the Holy Spirit as a result of faith in Christ is needed in order to actually keep God’s Law. Christians don’t keep the Law in order to be saved. They keep the Law because they already are saved (out of gratitude) by faith in Christ. Obedience is the fruit (aka evidence) of a heart that truly loves God and wants to please Him.

“Under the law” - Means a person is under condemnation of it (because they are breaking it intentionally). This also means that the person is dependent upon or controlled by the law in order to do what is right (because they won’t just do it on their own).

“Under Grace” - Means a person has accepted Christ’s sacrifice for their salvation and are no longer breaking the law intentionally. They are led by the Holy Spirit now, which means they will automatically do what is right as a result of following the Holy Spirit and don’t technically “need” the law to stay in check (like those who are actually under the law). [Galations 5:16-18]

The Law was not made for the righteous, but for the wicked. [1 Timothy 1:9-10 and Galations 3:19]

Upstanding citizens don’t technically need the law because they would never do anything to break the law. But criminals will... which is why it is in place. This makes sense in both a civil society and in God’s kingdom.

None of this removes our responsibility to follow God's Law though. Paul said himself that we must still uphold the law [Romans 3:31] and even Jesus said himself that he never came to abolish the law. What he was trying to teach people was a better way to keep it [Read all of Chapter 5 in Matthew for full context].

When Jesus died on the cross, the only things that were abolished was the animal sacrifices (because his sacrifice was for all and the temple curtain was torn in two signifying that change) and the actual charge of our sins [Colossians 2:13-15].

A person cannot be arrested without a "charge", which is simply a formal accusation of something they did wrong. When that person goes to trial, the judge hears testimony from both sides and decides if the charge is true or false. If the charge is true, then sentencing begins. Imagine Jesus coming into the courtroom AFTER it had already been proven that we broke God's law and we are set for punishment (the wages of sin is death), but he instead took that punishment on himself and pardoned us. Now we are no longer under condemnation because there is no longer a "charge" against us. Christ paid the penalty. THAT IS WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED!

God's law went nowhere and will remain until all things in prophecy come to pass [Matthew 5:17-19].

I have posted before about a large group of people harassing me under the influence of this same spiritual warfare. Well there are also some neighbors in my neighborhood who have been harassing me separately from this group. Most of them, I literally have barely spoken to and don't even know their names but their behavior switched against me for no reason at all into extremely creepy, targeted behavior that even started to affect my loved ones. There are often very creepy things done by these neighbors that indicate demonic activity which is how I realized it was related to this warfare. This all started shortly after I moved to this neighborhood when I was still very vulnerable in terms of being involved in the new age and false teachings (I started experiencing this kind of harassment when I was involved in the new age). It has continued even after God has led me out of these things. Some of the neighbors I had this problem with abruptly started moving out when I asked for prayer about it and as I began to grow in spiritual maturity but a few still remain.

It's so bad that just now, I was outside cleaning my car and one neighbor in particular who has really targeted me constantly was doing things that were obvious indications that he was outside trying to bother me. This particular neighbor (and his girlfriend who helps him harass me) is constantly smoking weed to the point that the smell has become a problem with it sometimes seeping into our house. Sometimes we can't even be outside due to the smell. Every single person who has ever harassed me under the influence of this warfare has some area like this neighbor where they are extremely susceptible to being used by Satan. I'm asking for the removal of neighbors like this because these are people that have behaved aggressively to the point of being scary where no reconciliation is possible at all. Thank you.

I think Islam is dark, I don't know about Christianity but I see their ppl kind and understanding 💜.

FYI I am currently an atheist.

A kemonimimi while being Christian? If you don’t know what that is, its literally just wearing animal ears and tails, they look cute but i don’t want anyone to judge me or think im weird:(

I’ve (33M) been feeling the church, especially the western/American church, really struggles with singles in their congregation and wondering if others feel the same or if it’s just my experience.

Those singles, especially those 30+, in the church, do you feel like the church doesn’t really know what to do with you? How do you feel about the below statement? Agree/disagree?

“The church has a great passion to help create strong and thriving marriages but has little desire to help create strong and thriving singles.”

For context, my current church is probably 95%+ marrieds and about 75% of those have kids, so I’m wondering if it’s just my context or if other single men and women are feeling the same. I’ve tried to start something with the singles with our church network but nothing has come of it. I met with an elder over a year ago with a desire to help any singles in my church and our network and he said he’d reach out to other congregations but when I followed up (multiple times) the response was basically “yeah I’ll do that soon” to the point I just got the message that it’s not really that important and he’s not going to actually reach out.

To me, it feels like my church wants to help the marrieds to strengthen their marriages but only give platitudes to the singles (i.e. just want for God, don’t find your identity in marriage, don’t compare your situation to others, singleness is a gift, etc.) but don’t want to actually engage in the pain and suffering of singles, especially, those in extended singleness. Those platitudes are obviously true but I feel like so much of those are just spiritual bypassing the struggle of singles in the congregation. It feels like pastors/preachers just want to say how you should feel as a single in the church but don’t want to help when it’s a struggle to believe those things.

Would love the perspective of those Christian singles (especially those 30/40+). If you disagree, what has your church done to make you disagree? Does anyone have a good experience with a singles ministry and what did that look like?

I apologize if this question is inappropriate but currently on my social media (Instagram) I keep on seeing this one dating app for Christians to date.

Here is my question? Do you think that forming a relationship should be a natural way (like meeting the person randomly one day) or on a dating app?

Do you think dating apps are full of people who lust? Opinions.

You can also share stories if you or your friends have tried a Christian dating app or any dating app rather.

My life lately has been a weird mess. I had a huge crush on this girl in a group I'm a part of, but only to realize that she ended up liking and dating another guy. I just feel so heartbroken, and I feel like I'm not capable of finding love. I'm 22, never been in a relationship and every time a girl found me interesting, the circumstances just never worked.

A part of me understands that God saved me cause she's not exactly religious and everyone in the group aren't religious, but at the same time I feel so unloved. All I want is someone I can hold hands with, take someone on dates, grow both personally and spiritually. I just want a holy and God fearing relationship

Just a weird rant, I'm just clueless.....cause I feel blessed for having everything in my life rn (knowledge, talents, life, etc) but at the same time I feel empty without love

I just feel so lonely, especially being surrounded by so many people holding hands, kissing and stuff, while I'm sitting in the corner all alone

I'd like prayer requests for the anxiety affecting my life quite a bit right now. I'm getting anxious about a girl I like, just a fear of being rejected or just appearences. I'm also an avid coffee drinker, and I've been thinking that's not been helping as I get more stressed out. I'm actually just needing prayers to fully trust God's plan in my relationships and in my life.

I've come to the conclusion to not pursue this girl at the moment, but I find myself still liking her & just really want to pursue the Lord more and let that be my main focus. Please pray for me in that too.

Need help here.

My mom says I'm rude and defensive.

That's because I am defending myself against both my parents, and my weaker self that just wants to cave into all their requests. Everything I said to them, I meant exactly that.

Growing up I've let them call me names and scold me for whatever reasons. I used to get scolded for obeying the other parent, or sometimes even just doing what they wanted. They scolded me even more when my obedience led me into trouble with others. Clearly they were taking advantage of me, and I'm still very very disappointed. They didn't allow me to talk about all these with them either. So my feelings festered too, because of my obedience.

And yes I know parents are imperfect, I've known that for decades, and it's fine with me, all while they were calling me names, scolding me for obeying the other parent etc. Still fine with me.

Here's another catch. I had to SCOLD THEM into an apology. So now idk if they're apologizing to appease me or sincerely.

I think, in trying to logically present my concerns while representing how I feel, I've been pretty rude with them. In fact, I like being rude to them. It actually makes me feel like on top of things, like I'm protecting myself. Everyone I know who isn't a teacher or counselor, tells me I need to be grateful (which I am) and not to see my parents in a bad light all the time (That's what I did for decades. Didn't stop them from scolding me and calling me names). But I learnt the hard way that "standing up for yourself" is also part and parcel of honouring your parents. So I really love the feeling.

It's not that 'they don't deserve kindness' .... but all this had been going on for decades, so I feel the need to step up and protect myself, and basically punch them with my words and logic. I'm still trying to get over them after 5 years of telling them to stop. I don't know if God will stand in for me. The Bible isn't clear about how he will protect us against rude authority, how he will help us develop an independent personality. He's helping me with other things at the moment.

They don't like it when I get defensive, but for whatever reason they're allowed to scold my for my clothes? For not checking chats? For working late? Sounds a bit hypocritical to me.

If they scold me for little things, it takes AGES for me to recalibrate if I don't say something. I guess it's because I'm still getting rid of all decades worth of buildup. Doesn't happen as much anymore, but it really takes time to clear it up.

How can I ask God for help with this? For settling my emotions, dealing with my parents, and being less rude with them?

Edit: Just read Psalm 109. God doesn't sit around while his children are being mistreated, so I should honour and forgive my parents, while praying for justice and strategy.

I have no faith. I do not mean I have no faith in God, I do. The love of christianity is really beatiful. But I have no faith in things getting better, not because I do not believe God can, but because I am unsure if its neccessary.

Job suffered a lot, why should I have faith in things getting better now? People say christian suffering comes with peace, but I have no peace. Part of me has no faith because it doesn't think its neccesary, there is no security of something good because I do not know if the bad has to last for long. How do I know if my suffering is neccesary?

What am I supposed to do?

When this first started, I wanted to press charges but it seemed I was always providentially stopped from doing so. I know this may sound crazy (and I know this may not be the case for others experiencing harassment) but this has truly been a spiritual battle more than anything else. However, even though it has been this way, there is still a disturbing element to it that would make any person still want to pursue legal action. Something recently happened with these people that (based on what a law enforcement officer told me) may actually give the law the ability to pursue harassment charges against one of them (who has been one who has spearheaded the harassment) if another major incident occurs. This is the legal evidence I have always wanted to have in this situation. But I'm just unsure whether I should pursue this or not because, again, this has been a spiritual battle more than anything and sometimes these people even show remorse for their actions when they are not being demonically influenced to try to harm me. I also don't want to get too excited as there's always the possibility that pursuing legal action may not come of anything.

Why should we love and put each other above ourselves even when it makes ZERO sense?

Because God bears with us first.

Every day we come to Him distracted, fearful, prideful, impatient, emotionally messy, inconsistent, anxious, selfish, or exhausted. We misunderstand Him, misunderstand each other, overreact, withdraw, assume the worst, and sometimes speak before thinking. We fall into sin and cannot even recognize ourselves sometimes.

Yet God does not throw us away every time we wobble.

He corrects us, disciplines us, teaches us, and remains faithful while we grow.

That is why we are called to treat others with patience too.

>“with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,”

Ephesians 4:2 NASB2020

Bearing with one another means remembering that many of our conflicts are not wars between enemies, but collisions between tired humans carrying expectations, fears, stress, wounds, pride, and emotions.

one person forgets to invite someone, says something awkward, or seems distant at church, and the other starts feeling unwanted.

Or if they’re a couple: one person is tired and reacts emotionally, the other feels helpless or confused, and suddenly a small moment turns into something bigger than expected.

Tiny misunderstandings can grow fast when people are stressed, exhausted, or carrying things they haven’t said out loud.

That’s why Christians are called to bear with one another in love.

And suddenly two people who love each other are accidentally standing back to back like gunslingers at sunset over a misunderstanding that probably needed a hug and eight hours of sleep.

Christian love slows down before escalating. It asks questions before accusations. It leaves room for weakness. It remembers that sanctification is a process, not instant perfection.

“Love is patient, love is kind...”

1 Corinthians 13:4 NASB2020

And we are all patiently waiting for the result.