I had an interesting conversation with my Brother Carey at Carry Me Home blog. He posed a question: Why is it that most people who have a strong desire to accomplish something, such as weight loss, or overcome a drug addiction will most likely fail at it? He concluded that even though they have the desire, and put in the work they believe is necessary, the odds are against them because they may not have the right information or they may even have misinformation. Brother Carey states that in addition, most fail because they have no true vision of what it would take to accomplish what they desire. He concludes that because of these factors, their failure is truly not their own fault. I agreed with him.
I would like to take this question and give it a Christian spin, a God theme.
Why is it that many people who profess that they are Christians fail at developing a true relationship with Jesus, when they say they have a desire to know Him? Is it bad teaching and preaching that stop us? Is it the bad things that happen in our lives that stop us? Do our issues stop us? Why is it that some of us backslide and fall away from our faith?
We know that there are many heretics out there, and false prophets and carnal minded people in the hierarchy of the church. I just read a post at my sister Ann’s blog, “The Old Black Church”, where she tells of a church which locked its members out of the sanctuary this past Resurrection Sunday, over issues of money. My Brother at Reggie’s Rantings blog just posted about the subject of child molestation in the Catholic church. All of this really looks very bad. We can say that these kinds of reports about the church is the reason that people fall away or never come to Christ to begin with.
But I wonder if all of these reasons are really the reason that many Christians don’t have a true relationship with the Lord? A deep relationship with Him. I wonder if it’s not something other than these convenient reasons, why some don’t develop their relationship with the Lord? I believe we can overcome any reason that would block us from developing a relationship with the Lord, if we want to bad enough. If we want a true, satisfying and personal relationship with the Lord bad enough, Proverbs 3:5-8 tells us:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones.
I believe it all boils down to trusting God. Despite all the madness that is out there. There are so many despicable things going on both inside and outside of the church. Many people use the church as a cloak for their own ungodly behavior. But should we allow the wicked to influence us and keep us away from God? If we do allow all that’s going on to block us from God, then isn’t it because we have concluded that God has got things wrong? Isn’t it because we have decided that we know more than God, because we can see wickedness that God apparently isn’t able to see? And isn’t it because we have decided that God is not as smart as we? And if we are honest, then we have to admit that we must be trusting our own understanding and depending on our own wisdom! We can so easily be deceived in this manner. But again, God tells us in the above scriptures what to do. Unlike the initial above scenario, we DO have the right information! Our Bible is the right information and revelation for the Christian to live SUCCESSFULLY, even in this fallen world! Amen
First published at wrestlegod.blogspot.com on 4-5-10
afrospear.wordpress.com 
I agree with what you said about having passion for the Lord. In my personal case I receive the Lord in another country, the US. Then I decide to come back to my country, Peru. But despite of being out of the Us is from that country that I began to know Jesus not just as Savior, but also as Lord. Passion and pursue is what drove toward God every time and that I learned to develop thanks to all the time I spend listening and watching messages on the web. (God Bless my pc!), Now I keep learning and I hope that more Great Teachers would go to all the Nations to lead people to the real Jesus, powerful, merciful, happy, righteous, wonderful, glorious, funny, father, son, spirit, and the list goes on.
I loved this post! Thanks!
~Great Love to you,
Mirian from peelingtheorange.
Anna Renee, This is a subject I have often pondered. I really think that most people feel to be like Jesus, perform the things he did or live in a like manner, to most is unreachable. Maybe, this is one of the reason’s people fail, simply because they believe Jesus was God on earth and to be Jesus is not possible for them.
Peace
Hello Anna,
I like how you wrapped this subject. I also agree with EnSayn, when he said many of us believe that living by God’s word is an unattainable goal, so we pick and choose which “indiscretions” we think are “not that bad”.
I say “we” because I am not above reproach. I asked the original question because it applied to me. I kept falling down even though I thought I was giving all I had. Then I looked around with a very discerning eye and noticed that MOST people that fall into the life issues you mentioned, never reach their goal. I wondered why.
I think that the very root of the problem being analysed is the very history of the religion itself! What the world knows and calls “Christianity” has very little to do with the historical personage known as Jesus who some called “Christ”. What has been sold to the world is a Western creation/corruption of the message brought by the prophets (including Jesus) to mankind for the purpose of power and control over the masses in the name of white supremacy. This is historical fact, not fiction such as much of what the so-called Christian churches are teaching the masses of people. Study the HISTORY of christianity and how it came to be – the Eastern versus the Western Churches and the very, very different views. Especially the history of the Roman Catholic church and why all of these breakaway sects that now compose the worlds of chrisitianity. Maybe, just maybe you’ll learn something that even your own preachers don’t know! Peace!