Is faith in God enough to give one hope?

[Trailblazer]

Is faith in God enough to give one hope when they feel hopeless?

Some people believe it is, and I used to think so. Look at what I posted only a little over a month ago.

My faith and hope are in God

But as time goes on and the hopeless situation continues, I believe it less and less. Potentially God could help me it but I don’t think He is going to. I have a feeling this is what God wants for me, to remain stuck in this situation for who knows how long, since nothing I have done has changed my situation. Of course, I don’t know what the future holds. All I know is what has happened so far.

Most believers believe that faith in God is enough to sustain a bad situation, so we just have to have faith that God will pull us through. That is easy for them to say if they are not in the situation that I am in. The people I know who say this are admittedly happy in their present life situation and they don’t need hope for the future since they have no worries about the future. They also believe that God has all these attributes I am not so sure God has, so no matter what, they believe it will turn out for the best in the end.

There is nothing more that I can do about my present life situation that I am not already doing, so I have to ‘try’ to accept it and ‘try’ to have hope for the future. That is not easy when one has lost hope, and the more hope I lose the less hope I have.

Maybe I am impatient, but given my age I don’t feel like I have forever to wait to have a better life. I try to live in the present, but when the present is not so good, then what? I just have to endure the present. I have to pretend it is not really that bad, when it is that bad, and that does not fix anything. I have explained my situation to a few people but I don’t think they really understand and they certainly can’t do anything to help. I am completely on my own trying to figure out what to do.

An objective observer looking from the outside might look at my life situation and say it is not that bad, it is actually pretty good, but they are not in my shoes living my life and they don’t have my thoughts and feelings. Some days or parts of the day I can see a Light, but then it fades away as I realize the reality of my present life circumstances.

 

[PoetPhilosopher]

Is faith in God enough to give one hope when they feel hopeless?

Before anything else, I would like to address this question.

Some people may find that their faith in God is sufficient for this. Others may need additional "things" to give them hope. For me, one of these things is finding perspective through philosophy and various philosophical schools of thought. However, this is not the only thing that gives me hope. There are many other things that inspire me as well.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I'd much rather have resignation than hope under expectations that won't happen in this reality.

It's why I'm so fond of the saying that it isn't you who owns the land , but it's the land that owns you.

 

[Secret Chief]

Is faith in God enough to give one hope when they feel hopeless?

Some people believe it is, and I used to think so. Look at what I posted only a little over a month ago.

My faith and hope are in God

But as time goes on and the hopeless situation continues, I believe it less and less. Potentially God could help me it but I don’t think He is going to. I have a feeling this is what God wants for me, to remain stuck in this situation for who knows how long, since nothing I have done has changed my situation. Of course, I don’t know what the future holds. All I know is what has happened so far.

Most believers believe that faith in God is enough to sustain a bad situation, so we just have to have faith that God will pull us through. That is easy for them to say if they are not in the situation that I am in. The people I know who say this are admittedly happy in their present life situation and they don’t need hope for the future since they have no worries about the future. They also believe that God has all these attributes I am not so sure God has, so no matter what, they believe it will turn out for the best in the end.

There is nothing more that I can do about my present life situation that I am not already doing, so I have to ‘try’ to accept it and ‘try’ to have hope for the future. That is not easy when one has lost hope, and the more hope I lose the less hope I have.

Maybe I am impatient, but given my age I don’t feel like I have forever to wait to have a better life. I try to live in the present, but when the present is not so good, then what? I just have to endure the present. I have to pretend it is not really that bad, when it is that bad, and that does not fix anything. I have explained my situation to a few people but I don’t think they really understand and they certainly can’t do anything to help. I am completely on my own trying to figure out what to do.

An objective observer looking from the outside might look at my life situation and say it is not that bad, it is actually pretty good, but they are not in my shoes living my life and they don’t have my thoughts and feelings. Some days or parts of the day I can see a Light, but then it fades away as I realize the reality of my present life circumstances.

What would a better life look like to you?

 

[Ebionite]

Gratitude for what you know to be beneficial can lead to an appreciation of possibilities which represent real hope.

 

[Trailblazer]

Some people may find that their faith in God is sufficient for this. Others may need additional "things" to give them hope. For me, one of these things is finding perspective through philosophy and various philosophical schools of thought. However, this is not the only thing that gives me hope. There are many other things that inspire me as well.

What would give me hope cannot be found in any book since a belief system/life philosophy is not what I am lacking. What would give me hope would be seeing a change in my life circumstances, but maybe that is not meant to be, so I just have to endure. I try to accept that but it's hard.

 

[Secret Chief]

What would give me hope cannot be found in any book since a belief system/life philosophy is not what I am lacking. What would give me hope would be seeing a change in my life circumstances, but maybe that is not meant to be, so I just have to endure. I try to accept that but it's hard.

What change/s would you like to see?

Is/are they outside of your control?

 

[Trailblazer]

What would a better life look like to you?

For starters, not being all alone, trying to take care of a huge house, two rental homes, and 8 cats all by myself.

Then I might like to retire eventually, before age 90, and enjoy life engaging in outdoor recreational activities and possibly travel.
Why retire? I cannot do ANY of this as long as I am a single woman. Some people think I can, but I know myself and I know I can't.

 

[Trailblazer]

Gratitude for what you know to be beneficial can lead to an appreciation of possibilities which represent real hope.

I do have gratitude for what I have and know to be beneficial, and I believe anything is possible, but realistically I also know what I want is probably not going to happen.

 

[Trailblazer]

What change/s would you like to see?

I explained that in post #8

Is/are they outside of your control?

Yes, most of these changes are outside of my control. For example, I cannot order up a husband like a burger.
I could choose to retire but I cannot see how that would solve the problems I have and I can see how it would make matters worse.

 

[Link]

Peace,

In Du'a Zamanal Ghayba we say:


وَعَلَىٰ شِيعَتِهِ ٱلْمُنْتَجَبِينَ
wa `ala shi`atihi almuntajabina
and upon his elite partisans,

وَبَلِّغْهُمْ مِنْ آمَالِهِمْ مَا يَاْمَلُونَ
wa ballighhum min amalihim ma ya'maluna
make them attain the utmost of their hopes,

وَٱجْعَلْ ذٰلِكَ مِنَّا خَالِصاً
waj`al dhalika minna khalisan
and accept this from us to be free

مِنْ كُلِّ شَكٍّ وَشُبْهَةٍ
min kulli shakkin wa shubhatin
from any doubt, sedition,

وَرِيَاءٍ وَسُمْعَةٍ
wa riya'in wa sum`atin
ostentation, or showing off,

حَتَّىٰ لاَ نُرِيدَ بِهِ غَيْرَكَ
hatta la nurida bihi ghayraka
so that we will not seek through him anyone save You

وَلاَ نَطْلُبَ بِهِ إِلاَّ وَجْهَكَ
wa la natluba bihi illa wajhaka
and we will not aim by him for anything save Your Face.

And Imam Zainal Abideen (a) taught us to pray:


وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ مِنْ كُلِّ لَذَّةٍ بِغَيْرِ ذِكْرِكَ
wa astaghfiruka min kulli ladhdhatin bighayri dhikrika
I pray forgiveness from You for every pleasure I could find other than remembering You,

وَمِنْ كُلِّ رَاحَةٍ بِغَيْرِ أُنْسِكَ
wa min kulli rahatin bighayri unsika
every ease but intimacy with You,

وَمِنْ كُلِّ سُرُورٍ بِغَيْرِ قُرْبِكَ
wa min kulli sururin bighayri qurbika
every happiness but nearness to You,

وَمِنْ كُلِّ شُغْلٍ بِغَيْرِ طَاعَتِكَ
wa min kulli shughlin bighayri ta`atika
every occupation but obeying You!

And Quran says:

وَمَا كَانَ قَوْلَهُمْ إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا وَإِسْرَافَنَا فِي أَمْرِنَا وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَنَا وَانْصُرْنَا عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْكَافِرِينَ | All that they said was, ‘Our Lord, forgive us our sins and our excesses in our affairs, make our feet steady, and help us against the faithless lot.’ | Aal-i-Imraan : 147

 

[Link]

What would give me hope cannot be found in any book since a belief system/life philosophy is not what I am lacking. What would give me hope would be seeing a change in my life circumstances, but maybe that is not meant to be, so I just have to endure. I try to accept that but it's hard.

If I married a hottie when I was a Deist/New Age type person, what drama would arise if I become religious. Or maybe, I would have chosen not to search the truth again, and remained satisfied outside the religion of truth.

I'm not married now, but I trust God's plan for me. My illness delaying success in life, is perhaps for the benefit of mankind, if during that process I search the truth and gain insights I later can share with mankind.

The end goal is God's pleasure and proximity to him. If I seek world, then I am behind. I will complain.

But if my goal is God, then I should trust in God's plan.

It maybe delay in marriage for you is so you find the proper path before you find the proper person.

 

[Ebionite]

I do have gratitude for what I have and know to be beneficial, and I believe anything is possible, but realistically I also know what I want is probably not going to happen.

After gratitude for what you have comes knowledge of and gratitude to the source. The most useful path I've found to knowledge of the source is from the prophets.

Surely the Lord YHWH will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Amos 3:7

 

[Trailblazer]

After gratitude for what you have comes knowledge of and gratitude to the source.

That is good point, but then one has to ask what the source is for what I have. Everything I have is what I worked for. What did God do?

Also, God is the source of the good times but God is also the source of the hard times.

Isaiah 45:7 New International Reader's Version
I cause light to shine. I also create darkness. I bring good times. I also create hard times. I do all these things. I am the Lord.

 

[Ebionite]

That is good point, but then one has to ask what the source is for what I have. Everything I have is what I worked for. What did God do?

Also, God is the source of the good times but God is also the source of the hard times.

Isaiah 45:7 New International Reader's Version
I cause light to shine. I also create darkness. I bring good times. I also create hard times. I do all these things. I am the Lord.

I don't know what role the divine had to play in bringing about what you have. Maybe something was a source of inspiration to you that led you to your goals?

Your verse from Isaiah is about the origin of peace and evil. Peace relates to the heart as the regular ebb and flow of life, something so ordinary that you don't notice it until it's gone.

 

[Trailblazer]

If I married a hottie when I was a Deist/New Age type person, what drama would arise if I become religious. Or maybe, I would have chosen not to search the truth again, and remained satisfied outside the religion of truth.

I'm not married now, but I trust God's plan for me. My illness delaying success in life, is perhaps for the benefit of mankind, if during that process I search the truth and gain insights I later can share with mankind.

The end goal is God's pleasure and proximity to him. If I seek world, then I am behind. I will complain.

But if my goal is God, then I should trust in God's plan.

It maybe delay in marriage for you is so you find the proper path before you find the proper person.

I did not get married until I was 32 yrs old, and I was married for 37 years, until I was widowed last year. I was never in a relationship with any other man. I was never 'looking' to get married, it was something that happened. He was a Baha'i who my sister and mother knew and they told him about me. Three weeks later we were married and the rest is history.

How does one start all over at this stage of life? Or do I just continue living the same way, as if nothing had happened? It is not as if I depended upon him for anything, except emotional support and companionship. I was always the primary breadwinner and I took care of all the finances and business matters. However, he was good for me because he had the same beliefs. He was a strong Baha'i so he kept me on track, and I also had someone to share those beliefs with. I do not expect to ever have that again.

I don't want a romantic relationship but I don't want to be alone for the rest of my life either. I never lived alone as an adult except for about a year before I got married since I lived with my sister or mother before that. But the biggest problem now is having to take care of this house and the cats all by myself. He had not helped with the house for many years but at least he helped with the cats.

I guess it is too much to ask God to send me someone and maybe there is nobody who would ever be compatible with my personality and lifestyle. It is not as if I have nothing to offer, but I have no way of meeting anyone in person, and dating sites are a real wash.

I know that the end goal should be God's pleasure and proximity to him, but I have always struggled with that.
I do not view God as loving, because believe that God is responsible for creating a world that is a storehouse of suffering, and I cannot dissociate suffering from God. I have a hard time believing what scriptures say about God when they don't align with what I see in reality. Moreover, I cannot see anything that God has done, except sending Messengers. It is the Messengers who did everything, not God.

I do not want to seek the world and I don't seek the world, I just don't know what I want anymore.

Yes, I know I should trust in God's plan but it is hard.

 

[dybmh]

when the present is not so good, then what?

In my judgement these five things, when in balance, produce happiness and satisfaction regardless of religion, culture, or belief:

1. what you eat
2. what you drink
3. how you sleep
4. how you move ( exercise )
5. how you connect with others

The balance of these which produces happiness and satisfaction ( what, when, quality, quanitity, frequency ) is going to be different for each and every person. There is no one-size-fits-all recipe that works for every person.

I suggest, if the present is not so good, making adjustments to these 5 things. But nothing dramatic. Small changes. One at a time. Sustainable changes that can be accomplished regularly without too much effort. Give each change time to take effect. Journal the trials, errors, successes, and failures. This is fine tuning lifestyle choices. And don't forget to consider reducing as a potential change which will bring things back into balance.

I also suggest some buddhist practice, to address potential 'clinging' as a root cause for the suffering. There's a reason buddhism is popular. There's no need to get heavy into it, but, it is known to provide relief for many many people. And it could be that all five of those items listed above are in balance for you, or at least within tolerances which would produce happiness for you. You could be doing everything right, but adding a tiny bit of buddhism could be the small change that makes a big impact in your life.

Best wishes, and may God bless you, sincerely,

 

[Trailblazer]

In my judgement these five things, when in balance, produce happiness and satisfaction regardless of religion, culture, or belief:

1. what you eat
2. what you drink
3. how you sleep
4. how you move ( excercise )
5. how you connect with others

The balance of these which produces happiness and satisfaction ( what, when, quality, quanitity, frequency ) is going to be different for each and every person. There is no one-size-fits-all recipe that works for every person.

I suggest, if the present is not so good, making adjustments to these 5 things.

I just noticed the four of those are physical. Yes, it is vitally important to take care of our bodies because without them we cannot do anything.

I am okay with 1-4, although my diet has some room for improvement.
I am okay with 5, how I connect with others, I just don't have anyone to connect with in person. I have tried connection to the Baha'is but they don't have very many in-person activities and they are not easy to befriend, since they all have their own lives, their own families and friends.

 

[YoursTrue]

Before anything else, I would like to address this question.

Some people may find that their faith in God is sufficient for this. Others may need additional "things" to give them hope. For me, one of these things is finding perspective through philosophy and various philosophical schools of thought. However, this is not the only thing that gives me hope. There are many other things that inspire me as well.

I'm glad to hear that. Life around me gives me hope and I have learned to look to God for the fulfillment of that hope.

 

[King Phenomenon]

I hope whatever gives one hope is good enough ha ha