Posted by rayww on June 30, 2003, at 12:35:48
In reply to Prescription Enlightenment, posted by Mercury on June 30, 2003, at 11:16:52
If you are going to entertain a belief in God, you must also accept the reality of Satan. God respects our agency (the right to choose and accept consequenses) while Satan's stand is force. He will force us to do evil if he can, and he uses the disorders to enter our will. If we intoxicate ourselves and lose control, Satan will rush in and try to take over our reasoning, pushing us as quickly as possible over his edge and into the life you describe so well. Though God also lives in those same trenches, his purpose is to lift man out of them, to help us become better, and to support us and love us along the way.
I understand your question very well when you wonder exactly what is spiritually real. I believe you did see your mother and commune with angels. Some of the mental disorders are gifts that allow us to perceive things not seen or understood by others.
The dilemna lies in learning how to regognize when we are swinging too far out in them. If we are way far out and know it, medication is likely the only way to reign in a little.
I still consider one of my highest moments to be right before my bipolar diagnosis. I was very high on a spiritual swing. Later Epival shut down my spiritual feelings, yet others could still feel of my spirit, so I wasn't dead, I just couldn't feel it. But my family was very uncomfortable with the high swinging.
A spiritual test that helps increase our sensitivity to spiritual matters is to try to be obedient to it. Try for 15 minutes to obey the good promptings in your conscience, then try for an hour, and work up to a day, then make it a habit. Once God can trust your obedience you will be surprised at the spiritual gifts you will receive. But with those gifts come responsibility to fiercely protect them, or they will dissappear.
If you follow God, He will enable you to be good. Many people do not want that lifestyle so they choose not to follow Him. They fear. To fear God is good, to fear man is not so good.
Having said all this, there is still the real problem of discerning the spirits and trying to tell the good from the bad, (spirituality from spiritualism, etc.) I trust my religion to guide me in that arena.
I trust God, and even though life is tough, I accept that everything will work out for the best as long as I have faith in him and try to keep his commandments. That's faith and the simple truth my mother taught me that has kept me safe from harm throughout my life.
poster:rayww
thread:238121
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faith/20030530/msgs/238134.html