Do you ever feel bad for living a good life?

[Anonymous]

Being raised a Christian, I always heard that you have to suffer and sacrifice for Jesus and as a Christian you will always be persecuted. You should live a humble life, not have nice things, etc.

Growing up, my parents were able to provide food, shelter, clothing, etc., but socially it was hard for me to make friends. My parents always told me that Jesus was persecuted too and to just suck it up. I got bullied in Jesus’ name according to them.

After college, I moved out of state and things didn’t get much better. At the first church I attended, I was excluded from social events, guys tried to compete with me over girls, and I was always gossiped about. It drove me insane so I stopped going to church all together, read my Bible less, etc. I travelled every weekend and hung out with “worldly friends”.

I focused more on my friends outside of church and my quality of life improved significantly. I began doing everything contradictory to what my parents taught me and now I’m a happy person.

I still believe in God and pray, but I don’t believe in all the doctrines anymore. I go to a new church now, but only to operate the sound/TV equipment. That was the only thing I truly enjoyed in church growing up and I still enjoy it. I don’t pay attention to the sermons or attend Bible classes.

I feel bad for not being more invested in church, but being more invested has led to stress in the past. I feel like a poser. My parents don’t even know how I feel. But my life is so good. I’m doing everything I want to and more. I feel more blessed not adhering to standard doctrines, which shouldn’t be the case, right?

[NamerOfStars]

Ever hear of Saint Colmcille? Time for a quick history lesson.

When the Romans arrived in Britain, they began conquering everything around them, but they never bothered with Ireland. Despite what you may have been told, they did REACH Ireland, even setting up a trading post, but it was too far away to take, especially since they couldn't finish the conquest of what would become Scotland. Eventually, they were driven out of Britain, but they left behind many things- including Christianity.

Now, this was Britain, not England, and the absence of a real Roman presence meant that the faith, locally, was very syncretic with local pagan traditions. That's why, when a local guy named Succat was kidnapped, enslaved and forced to work tending sheep in Ireland before being rescued by pirates (I honestly have no idea why there's no movie about this), he felt the call to preach, sailed BACK to Ireland, and began preaching.

He did so in the most attention-grabbing way possible. The Hill of Tara, in county Meath, was the seat of the high kings of Ireland. The palace is long gone; today, it just looks like another hillside, save for the unusual rocks, a passage tomb barely visible from more than a few dozen yards away, and a pair of deep-burned fire rings. See, every year, the high king would ring in the new year by lighting his bonfire first, then the ring of druids around him would light theirs, then another ring, seeing this some distance off, would light theirs, and so light would spread throughout the country. To this day, there're deep ridges burned from thousands of years of fires being lit; it's a powerful sight, if you know what it is.

Succat broke the tradition and lit his fire first. He was arrested, dragged before the king, and asked to explain himself. He gave a quick breakdown of Christianity and said he'd come to preach it; the high king, unusually fair-minded for a king, said he wasn't going to convert, but Succat- or as you know him, Patrick- was free to preach in the land, so long as he didn't set his fire first again.

Ireland was converted to Christianity without Romanization, and almost without violence. While this was wonderful for the Irish at the time, it lead to a problem. What Patrick was preaching was a Celtic, rather than a Roman, version of Christianity, and there was quite a gap between the two cultural philosophies. One of the few things they had in common was the veneration of sacrifice (you've seen that "dying Gaul" statue? That wasn't an insult). But how was a land without martyrs to measure up to the less-civilized Rome?

Enter Colmcille. He was an Irish monk who got into a dispute over the ownership of a book (this being long before moveable type, a book was a VERY valuable thing), and had to flee the country for a while. He decided to make use of this departure, and sailed off to Scotland, to preach to the locals there. The Scottish, having rarely interacted with the Romans at anything other than spear- or crossbow (yes, they had them, and GOOD ones, too)- point, knew little of Christianity, and this would also let Colmcille emulate his hero Patrick, who also sailed into a pagan land to spread Christianity.

It was a rousing success, and inspired a new movement with the Celtic Christian Church: if the "red martyrdom" of bloodshed was unavailable, then they would seek for the "white martyrdom" of sailing off toward the clouds, not knowing when or even if they'd return. That's how Saint Brendan reached the New World 500 years before the vikings did.

My point is, don't assume that material success is a sign of divine disapproval; that's ultimately no different than the opposite, like the Calvinists think. DO remember that you have enough to share when the needy come knocking, but don't conflate the ephemeral and temporary nature of this world with thinking that it's bad or evil; it, too, is a creation of God, and not to be condemned simply because better stuff comes later.

[Asker]

Thanks for this!

[LiamJHayden]

No, I do not. Yes, I have luxuries, lots of friends, and a decent income, but that income gives me the resources to support missionaries and others whose callings are different than mine. And ultimately I know that if a gun is put to my head with the threat or "renounce or die" I am ready to meet my Maker.

[Anonymous]

Don't feel guilty. Also, life is long; there's every chance you will experience significant misfortune yourself. On a long enough timeline, it's inevitable.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

No. I feel blessed and earn what I have through work.

And your parents taught you wrong. Christians only suffer for Christ for the sake of gospel, not just to suffer for no reason at all or to appear humble.

[Anonymous]

GOD christ is above the dome (READ THE VERSE - Job 37:18 KJV)

this should not be to hard

YOU ARE ALLOWED TO JUDGE THE NATIONS

https://www.youtube.com/embed/LMr6Qb0_5kM

[Rangers]

I don't have a good life

[jahaims]

Why would i