Why does is seem as though my family aren’t supportive of me going after a closer relationship with God?

[Anonymous]

For the past few months I have made the decision to go on a journey where I am building a strong relationshipwith God. The Father of Jesus Christ. I made some terrible decisions in the past few years. I was fallen deeper and deeper into sin. I wasn’t truly repenting. I wasn’t reading his word or asking for his meaning and understanding of it. I wasn’t living in his will but by my own selfish will and I decided that wasn’t the life God had set for me and more so I started to feel convicted. I felt the need to turn away from all my wrong doings and seek him and when I told my sister and mother about it, who also go to church (I go as well when I’m not working) that I was on this spiritual journey they started to say things like (mostly my sister) how they don’t like how everyone has been going on a spiritual journey. They basically mocked it by saying most people don’t understand what a spiritual journey is and that all it really is allowing the Holy Spirit into your life (Which is true) but having the Holy Spirit in your life is about more than just having it. It’s about allowing the Holy Spirit to give you wisdom, a transformed mind, new and better understanding of life etc and when I said that my sister was all “I don’t believe all of that. Only life experiences give you things like that.” Basically contradicting what she said and I then told her that God is the creator of life so it’s the same thing. Then she went in to say how most people on their spiritual journey aren’t being lead by God which is true but it doesn’t make a spiritual journey, in general a bad thing if you’re being lead by the Holy Spirit. She was making it seem as though the concept of a spiritual journey is a waste of time, fake and untrue. Almost in a hateful and bitter manner but I could be overthinking.

[RoseySarah]

Being a Christian I so get this only thing is what are you doing in your journey?

Hear so many being stupid doing this from leaving to poor places... Getting raped and kidnapped.

To I'm leaving running through the country to find God.

Really if your just reading the bible going to church more they may just need time to accept your changing.

If they are enot believes then all this talk is scaring them off your not your normal self and something new is way to important in your life for them.

How your family your still you at heart! He is just inside now too.

[Asker]

Yea. Then it was really weird when the conversation got into talking about sin and repentance and they kept saying God will keep forgiving you (Which is true) but they refused to believe that at some point even after asking God for forgiveness and he forgives you because he gives us plenty of Grace, the repentance should come with change in your mind and heart. Yes, naturally we’re gonna sin, but when you desire to truly seek him, you’re gonna see sin differently and fight against the temptation to sin more than you use to. Yes, you’re gonna fall short, we’re human but You’re not just gonna ask for forgiveness because you know he’ll forgive you, but because you truly see the wrong in what you‘ve done but they just weren’t seeing in that way.

[RoseySarah]

Well don't force that view on them till latter just keep the win and change and you change cause you should talk to a minimum don't force it on them.

The best changes come from them seeing the change in you not you talking holy to them

[Asker]

I get it but they were the ones who got into the sin part of the conversation and when they said that God will keep forgiving and they don’t have to change because we all naturally sin and that changing wasn’t possible when it came to sin I just simply said it wasn’t true. I wasn’t bringing up bible verses or anything but they got offended at me being as honest as I can be and the conversation got rowdy because of it but eventually I just stopped talking because I started to see that now that this change may just come with accepting that the ones I love and care for the most are not gonna be on the same path God has for me, at least at this moment. Like you said, I’m learning the truth with the help of the spirit rather they believe it or not and all I can is be the change that comes with the wisdom the spirit gives me rather than arguing it.

[RoseySarah]

They are wrong but no one wrong wants to change from talking!
It is about their heart not just nonsinnibg cause it is bad. Then sinning cause it is fun and he forgives

[RoseySarah]

Sadly so good your anon poeple hate anything God or christian online!

[Asker]

I agree with you fully. In no way am I saying I’m better because of the true knowledge I’ve received on what sin truly is nor am saying I am better because I choose to fight against sin, nor is this journey just about sin but as I said earlier, it’s about seeking God and his purpose for my life and being eager to live out that purpose for him as well as myself and identifying with who he says I AM and not what the world, my flesh or the enemy told me I was based off of mistakes I made. I’m just thankful for Grace because only he knows, besides myself, where I was headed and he saved me and I just wanted to share that good news with my family but it just didn’t go the way I expected nor was their reactions and rejection against it expected but, that’s life.

[Anonymous]

I think they’re misunderstanding what your spiritual journey is all about. A lot of people associate the phrase “spiritual journey” with New Age or the hippie movement. What your journey is, is a process known as sanctification. It’s the process of becoming more like Christ. As you learn more about God, talk to God in prayer, seek His will, you will gain wisdom. You will learn how to fight temptation. The Holy Spirit can, and does, impart wisdom, and it certainly can give wisdom without experiences.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” - Romans 12:2

[strateguy632]

because you are right they are not supportive. she thinks it a waste of time. but you don't submit to her. keep studying and praying even alone just yourself.

[BCRanger10]

The way I'm reading this, it sounds like church and Christianity are just cultural things to them.

[Asker]

I didn’t want to believe that that’s the case but it seems to be. Like, they’re following religion rather than God or following religion more than God but, who am I to say? When my sister and I were younger she seemed to understand or at least it came off as if she understood God more and the meaning behind Christ and his sacrifice but now that I’m getting closer to God I’ve come to see that she knew the stories and the big events in the Bible in the way they were taught to us but she and I never really understood the true meaning behind them. My mom taught us as well as church that sin is bad and when we sin we can ask God for forgiveness as many times as we want but that was only part of it. Which explains why before I got on this journey being led by the Holy Sprit, even when I would ask for forgiveness, I still didn’t feel forgiven. Now I understand that though God will forgive us, change must be made, your mind must be transformed and that was what Church and my mom never taught us. I’m seeing the truth but it seems as if they haven’t.