Keeping on

It doesnt sound like you are connecting to the right person. Your first line of defense is Christ. He is the only one that can fill that emptiness in you. Your friends and family can encourage and pray with you but they can't fill that hole in you...only God can.

Sounds like there isn’t much room for reflection here. The responses I get are canned Sunday school responses. Slap a verse of scripture on your problem and vuala, problem fixed. Lots of the same with your response. It’s like you can’t self reflect without being shamed. I actually was writing something that encouraged me. I’ve found that even with those in recovery there is a posture as if you can fix someone by your pat answers. Obviously my own pat answers haven’t done a **** thing for me. Neither will yours. Maybe some self reflection would help you break through simplistic church answers.

It's good that you vented how you feel. But then.... take an honest look at our responses and think about them.

In view of the fact that I only have 47 good days behind me, I cannot speak as an expert. And I never will, until that day when I see Jesus.

Amy, in her post above, is sharing what actually helps her, and we would do well to listen.

A very dear friend of ours, who is now with the Lord, used to write and print little gospel papers (tracts). And those who write them can write very good arguments. But he came to this conclusion: Just put what the Bible says. Just the words of God Himself. Let His Word do its work. The pure Scripture speaks with power, because God wants to speak it to our hearts. As I think someone else has said, Let the lion out of the cage!!!