Serious Question

[AntlerCollector]

Spot on SaltwaterSlick.

[Hoggslayer]

Jason, I am sure you will get a lot of good feedback to this post, but from my experience, you are going through pretty much what everyone goes through at some point in life, some, many even go through this "funk" multiple times... You identified to me your basis for understanding in your second paragraph... The God you say you believe in made us, all of us to have an innate desire to seek Him. He created us to worship Him and to have fellowship with him. We all spend a portion of our lives seeking something without knowing exactly what it is we are seeking. Pretty much everyone sooner or later finds out whatever it is they have "found" is not "it" so we are off looking around again. Our peace in our heart does not come from hobbies, jobs, material things, or even earthly relationships to a point. I make the assumption that since you say you believe in God, you also likely believe in Satan and Hell... To give you a bit of perspective, Satan also believes in God. He has just chosen not to follow Him, but to try to overthrow Him and replace that innate desire in all of us to seek God. Satan's desire is to use the world to deceive us into seeking him rather than God... To me, it is a good thing that you are questioning where you are now and expressing a desire to find "it"... I'd encourage you to start reading the Bible and to seek out Christians and befriend them, ones that you can talk to, ones that you see and know that you feel like what they have, you'd want that too... It is a slow process but a safe process to seek God, but I can guarantee you that if you do commit to seeking Him, he will be there for you to find and you will gain satisfaction in life by realizing what you were created for and how to use the gifts that God gave you... It's sort of the old follow your dreams thing, only search yourself and ask yourself, "what am I good at?" If you're good a more than one thing, pick one and go do it... That'd be a good start.

As always, Slick is spot on.

[Snowflake Killa]

Learn to fish!

Yes

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[Buckslayertx]

I would contend that if you believe in God that Faith is the basis of your belief. Whether or not you choose to practice it is a different question. I try my best to think of things from an ordained Purpose and Kingdom perspective rather than rooting my beliefs and decision making in worldly principles. Best advise seek HIM and your called purpose. HE will make it clear. It probably won't be what you imagined for yourself, but will be greater than you could have imagined. Not often time measured by your success or gain but what it achieves for HIS Kingdom. Those will be rewarded in eternity and will have meaning compared to everything on this earth that will pass away and is so disposable and meaningless. Leave a legacy in faith that will endure and break generational curses. You must love your kids even though they aren't with you. Pray for them. Pray pray pray. Put GOD first, let HIM lead you, ask, listen, be in a place to hear and be obedient. Simple right. No we aren't promised that it will be easy. HE builds us as we go. HE will be there every step of the way. Also agree that we aren't meant to do this life alone. We need relationships in our lives that matter to find encouragement, accountability and to be transparent. I will pray that the LORD moves and provides you with initiative, insight, intention, and purpose. GOD Bless brother.

[MadHatter]

Do any of you ever think to yourself "what is this life for"? I mean, we get up every day, we go to work, we get to the weekend, enjoy a couple of days off, then turn around and do it all again.




Yup!

What helped me was realizing that life sucks and has no purpose, so we have to make choices that make it suck less and to do our best to find a purpose. It sounds depressing and nihilistic but it's actually very liberating.

I also realized that so much of what we are told about life and The American Dream is a complete scam and nothing but a marketing campaign- we are told to give over our entire lives to our job to buy stuff we don't need and provide our families with a life we can't even enjoy because we are always chasing more and worrying about how to pay for it. Everyone loses and is miserable except for the folks making cash off of our work.

Working hard is vital but not to the point that we can't enjoy life, the idea that work is its own reward was made up to benefit our employers, not us.

I am currently in the process of dropping out of that system, paying off my debts I racked up trying to die with the most toys and working hard for the purpose of enjoying life and having enough to be able to be generous to folks who need it.

There are a few books that REALLY helped me get my head straight-

"Minimalism" by Joshua Milburn
"The Subtle art of Not Giving a F**K" and "Everything is F**ked" by Mark Manson
"So Good they Can't Ignore You" "Deep Work" and "Digital Minimalism" by Cal Newport
"Extreme Ownership" by Jocko Willink
Every podcast or lecture I can digest by Sam Harris and Jordan Peterson


Or if church is your thing that might help you feel better too... some folks find meaning in that.

Touche .
Live it your way, and make choices that make you happy.
Smoke some weed, it always gets me back to center, and thinking straight.
Life has a way of getting you distracted and dragging your mind through the rut it has created, and bam, all the sudden you wake up and your like,"*** is going on here"?
Avoid the rut, and the long march, at any cost

[Jspradley]

Touche .
Live it your way, and make choices that make you happy.
Smoke some weed, it always gets me back to center, and thinking straight.
Life has a way of getting you distracted and dragging your mind through the rut it has created, and bam, all the sudden you wake up and your like,"*** is going on here"?
Avoid the rut, and the long march, at any cost

If weed is your thing go for that too, just not too much weed that you get dumb! lol

[Big Lee]

Lately I have had similar struggles. I realized I have spent a large number of years giving to my job what my family, and I personally need. All for what? If you went away tomorrow (heaven forbid) your job will be posted before your family receives a sympathy letter. I understand we all have to work to live the life we want. But what does that really look like? Bust your rear when you're there, and let them know the days you are taking for yourself. If they don't like it, someone else will. Just like you, when our spouse is not interested in life together anymore, someone else will. Keep digging and you'll find the life you dream of.

[ACCURACYINC]

You guys are precisely why I posted this here. I'm typically pretty private about the issues I'm struggling with. Thank you for taking the time to respond.

[HighwayHunter]

I like the argument that you need to get more involved with the church, however I’d try out the younger girlfriend avenue before that. Just in case.


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[easeup]

Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived asked the same questions.

See his thoughts in Ecclesiastes

[JLivi1224]

I figured Charlie would have nailed it once I read the OP. Yep, living for Him. That’s the answer in short.
Seems so simple, but once you find your identity in Christ, being joyful is much easier

[LivinADream]

Jason, I am sure you will get a lot of good feedback to this post, but from my experience, you are going through pretty much what everyone goes through at some point in life, some, many even go through this "funk" multiple times... You identified to me your basis for understanding in your second paragraph... The God you say you believe in made us, all of us to have an innate desire to seek Him. He created us to worship Him and to have fellowship with him. We all spend a portion of our lives seeking something without knowing exactly what it is we are seeking. Pretty much everyone sooner or later finds out whatever it is they have "found" is not "it" so we are off looking around again. Our peace in our heart does not come from hobbies, jobs, material things, or even earthly relationships to a point. I make the assumption that since you say you believe in God, you also likely believe in Satan and Hell... To give you a bit of perspective, Satan also believes in God. He has just chosen not to follow Him, but to try to overthrow Him and replace that innate desire in all of us to seek God. Satan's desire is to use the world to deceive us into seeking him rather than God... To me, it is a good thing that you are questioning where you are now and expressing a desire to find "it"... I'd encourage you to start reading the Bible and to seek out Christians and befriend them, ones that you can talk to, ones that you see and know that you feel like what they have, you'd want that too... It is a slow process but a safe process to seek God, but I can guarantee you that if you do commit to seeking Him, he will be there for you to find and you will gain satisfaction in life by realizing what you were created for and how to use the gifts that God gave you... It's sort of the old follow your dreams thing, only search yourself and ask yourself, "what am I good at?" If you're good a more than one thing, pick one and go do it... That'd be a good start.

I can't really say it any better than this.

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[Texas8point]

Do any of you ever think to yourself "what is this life for"? I mean, we get up every day, we go to work, we get to the weekend, enjoy a couple of days off, then turn around and do it all again.

I believe in God, but I don't really have "faith".

I love my family, but I'm divorced and don't have kids.

I love to hunt, but deer season is 4 months long.

I don't mind travelling, but I hate airplanes.

I'm 45 and dealing with a lot of pressure in a job I've done for 22 years very successfully. For the first time in my career, I don't see me doing what I'm doing 5 years from now.

Before you go worrying, I'm nowhere in the hemisphere of doing anything stupid. I do love being alive and living life. I guess I'm in one of those lulls that I'll eventually make my way out of. Just wondering if anyone else deals with these kind of thoughts, and what you do to clear your mind and re-focus. The past 3 years have been particularly difficult between losing a friend to suicide, seeing my best friend lose his mom, dad, and nephew in a car accident, a close friend having a stroke, and topping it off by going through a divorce. Now the thought of beginning a new career in my mid 40's has crept into the picture. I guess I've kinda lost sight of all of the things that used to really bring joy to my life, and what better place to be reminded than right here?

I think at some point we all questions ourselves. I have those same lingering questions too.....

[Beerkat]

Volunteer at a hospital. You'll quickly see how well you have it.

[nchunter]

I think middle age is a time for reflection as well, so these thoughts are normal. Being of similar age, I see how fast time has gone and question whether or not I have properly prioritized my own time into the happiness equation.
I had heard from older relatives that the years would speed up, but I can’t believe how quickly each season and year passes.
I try to not just “ live for the weekend”. I am acutely aware that I’m on the back nine now.
Sorry I don’t have a magic bullet, but when I figure it out, I’ll let you know


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