I Get So Discouraged

[Selah]

Well, I'll be honest.

Sometimes, during worship or prayer, I get really discouraged. I am reminded of sins and stupid things I have done, what people have said, and so forth...


And as I think about them, I think, "look at me. I'm such a hypocrite."

And I just hate that. I try to push it from my mind, but sometimes it comes right back.

I'm tormenting myself. I want to be perfect before God, I want to be a good example, I want to be a light...yet I can't even get through the rosary without feeling like a big hypocrite.

I dunno.

[ThePenciledOne]

Key thing to remember here as far as being a hypocrite is that we ALL are one.

And we are all human, though for the record I am struggling with this same sort, as far as striving to be perfect, yet at the same time I know I will never be. I guess, I am only trying my best, and that is all God asks of us right? Just try your best Selah, I know that is enough. I have been taking solace with King David lately since he was a man after God's own heart and he still screwed up.

[CatherineM]

We don't pray because we are saints or perfect. We pray for help and understanding because we are far from perfect.

[eustace scrubb]

This is why grace exists.

[let_go_let_God]

I think that it is amazing that you have the ability to see your sins before God. It is an illuminating experience to know that, yes you have sinned but yes, God forgives those sins. We are blessed that he has such a selective memory.

Hypocrites though we are we can still make changes for the better. I used to cringe every time I say the Act of Contrition I was taught.

"O my God I am heartly sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments and most of all because I have offended thee, my God who is deserving of all my love. [B]I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to sin no more[/B] and avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen"

The bold is why I cringed I felt that every time I said that in my prayers I was sinning again because I knew I was faulty and would end up in the Confessional yet again. Until I thought (with His help) about this. Yes I sin, yes I am forgiven, I need to be completely open to that grace. Without it, I will still sin, but with that grace, it will be easier to fight. I praise God for that grace because I have been able to kick some nastiness out of my life but I still know which ones will still come back and haunt me.

God bless-
LGLG

[Bennn]

Selah, we all sin as we have a fallen nature, and this is the tragedy of our exile within this vale of tears. But we must place our trust in the Heart of Jesus like a child so that His grace may carry us aloft to the heights of sanctity. It's a tough and rocky road, but Christ already showed us the way by walking it Himself. That path is narrow and filled with hardship, but it is worth it and it will give you peace. We are called to be warriors and to head forward to the crown of glory, which is reserved for those who are faithful to Him and His Catholic Church.

+Pax Domini,
Ben

[Winchester]

Think of Augustine.

[eustace scrubb]

[quote name='Winchester' date='30 June 2010 - 11:40 AM' timestamp='1277908814' post='2136159']
Think of Augustine.
[/quote]

Tried to give you a +1 for that, but I already used my one for today earlier.

[Seven77]

[quote name='Selah' date='29 June 2010 - 11:00 PM' timestamp='1277863225' post='2136008']
Well, I'll be honest.

Sometimes, during worship or prayer, I get really discouraged. I am reminded of sins and stupid things I have done, what people have said, and so forth...


And as I think about them, I think, "look at me. I'm such a hypocrite."

And I just hate that. I try to push it from my mind, but sometimes it comes right back.

I'm tormenting myself. I want to be perfect before God, I want to be a good example, I want to be a light...yet I can't even get through the rosary without feeling like a big hypocrite.

I dunno.
[/quote]

I have a book for you to read:

http://www.amazon.com/Believe-Love-Personal-Retreat-Teaching/dp/1928832288/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1277914301&sr=8-1

oh...and welcome to the sinners' club!

Edited June 30, 2010 by Seven77

[Slappo]

We don't pray because we're holy. We pray because we're not.

[Selah]

[quote name='let_go_let_God' date='30 June 2010 - 11:02 AM' timestamp='1277906548' post='2136140']
I think that it is amazing that you have the ability to see your sins before God. It is an illuminating experience to know that, yes you have sinned but yes, God forgives those sins. We are blessed that he has such a selective memory.

Hypocrites though we are we can still make changes for the better. I used to cringe every time I say the Act of Contrition I was taught.

"O my God I am heartly sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy just punishments and most of all because I have offended thee, my God who is deserving of all my love. [B]I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to sin no more[/B] and avoid the near occasions of sin. Amen"

The bold is why I cringed I felt that every time I said that in my prayers I was sinning again because I knew I was faulty and would end up in the Confessional yet again. Until I thought (with His help) about this. Yes I sin, yes I am forgiven, I need to be completely open to that grace. Without it, I will still sin, but with that grace, it will be easier to fight. I praise God for that grace because I have been able to kick some nastiness out of my life but I still know which ones will still come back and haunt me.

God bless-
LGLG
[/quote]


I know exactly what you mean. Sometimes I want to pray the way I ought, and say everything to Him that my heart wishes to tell Him, but then I step back and thing, "what if I don't mean it? What if I am being a hyprocrite? Would God still want me to tell Him all these things, knowing that I will probably screw up again?"

[teresitacarmel]

[quote name='Selah' date='29 June 2010 - 10:00 PM' timestamp='1277863225' post='2136008']
Well, I'll be honest.

Sometimes, during worship or prayer, I get really discouraged. I am reminded of sins and stupid things I have done, what people have said, and so forth...


And as I think about them, I think, "look at me. I'm such a hypocrite."

And I just hate that. I try to push it from my mind, but sometimes it comes right back.

I'm tormenting myself. I want to be perfect before God, I want to be a good example, I want to be a light...yet I can't even get through the rosary without feeling like a big hypocrite.

I dunno.
[/quote]

Please, don't get discouraged!!! Lord knows I've done tons of stupid things, and I feel like an imposter sometimes...but REMEMBER, no one is perfect before God. Our Lord accepts us and loves us with all our imperfections! It's true I personally can't get through the rosary either without feeling like a big loser, lol. Yet, time and again, my Lord lets me know that He doesn't mind He just loves me anyway, no matter how big of a screwup I am. I just want you to realize that *HUG*

[tinytherese]

I definitely second the book recommendation I Believe in Love. I'm reading it right now and it talks a great deal about having confidence in the Lord. St. Therese is a wonderful saint who discusses in her little way and how we don't have to be great saints to earn God's favor, but to humbly tell Him that we need Him because of how weak we are and by doing this we become holy.

[Ed Normile]

Discouragement is probably one of the best tools in satans arsenal. Our loving Father would never want us to be discouraged as it hurts us. When we fall as children we run to our parents and they pick us up and encourage us. When we fall as adults we tend to look first to ourselves and blame our shortcomings and wonder why we can not be perfect as we would hope to be, I wonder why we forget our true Parent at times like these? Why do we doubt our ability to love and please God? Have we been conditioned to beleive that we are the center of our existence, or that we are letting God down ? Remember God made us, He loves us and will pick us up and encourage us, all we have to do is run to Him.

ed

[Mary Veronica]

[quote name='Selah' date='29 June 2010 - 11:30 PM' timestamp='1277863225' post='2136008']
Well, I'll be honest.

Sometimes, during worship or prayer, I get really discouraged. I am reminded of sins and stupid things I have done, what people have said, and so forth...


And as I think about them, I think, "look at me. I'm such a hypocrite."

And I just hate that. I try to push it from my mind, but sometimes it comes right back.

I'm tormenting myself. I want to be perfect before God, I want to be a good example, I want to be a light...yet I can't even get through the rosary without feeling like a big hypocrite.

I dunno.
[/quote]


It's so kind that no one here wants you to feel alone. like the saints, if they had to, they'd probably go far as to share some things that make them hypocrites just to prove you're not alone (i'm not implying we should). and they'd go further by sharing how they overcame it and strove to renconcile with themselves and others for the love of God. mistakes can be fixed. May you and all of us have courage to fix things through the grace of God. He wants to give us all the strength and drive we need to show Him and others we can become better and that they can too. prayers for all of us.

Edited July 8, 2010 by Mary Veronica