Trying to build my self-discipline back up in my word and lifestyle. Posting here for prayer and as a reminder to stay and get refocused. Trying to balance work, family, and just life. Here’s to getting it back together 🙏🏾

I (M16) have a dilemma of whether I should try a relationship with someone or not.

Recently me and my friends have had many social events involving the girls at my school. It's a Christian school and both my friends their girlfriends and the other girls that I would call my friends are all strongly rooted in Christ. Me and my friends have a strong brotherhood together.

Anyways homecoming happened just recently. I'm a junior and it was the first homecoming I've even been to. It was awesome, we all danced and partied. Then the slow dancing songs started and some of my friend start dancing with their respective girls, and me and I think two other single guys just start joking around and go sit down.

I got through the rest of the day feeling great but finally at like midnight when I'm driving home after the after party it really hits me hard. Thinking back to the slow dancing and how the other guys looked.

It almost brings me to tears a little even now just thinking. But then again, I have no idea if this is just me being dramatic, or even if these feelings are true and pure feelings for companionship meant by God or just the lustful desire of the flesh or even just the fear of missing out. I have no idea.

I've struggled with pornography addiction for over 5 years now, and when I was 13 I had what I would call a lustful relationship which I am not proud of at all.

As a result when I see how my friends treat their SOs(for lack of a better term). I simply don't know if I can trust myself to have that kind of self control if I were in my own relationship.

As a little bit of context me and one other friend who I respect the heaven out of have both had a mentality of saving all that stuff for later in life.

I feel like it is still a great idea but I still also feel so convicted and conflicted when I think about all of the other factors I mentioned above.

Just wondering if any of you guys have any insight on the issue.

Hello guys im Bry im 26. I’m currently going through hardship with my partner and would love some input on what i can do. I’ve never had a good strong male influence in my life even though i do have a father and he was present. I work 2 jobs my first is demolition second is doordashing im working on a third business of graphic design. I’m dating a woman a year older and she has been expressive of certain qualities i do not possess as a man. Yesterday i spent the entire day with her, i did need to work and i sacrificed doordashing to get out of negatives to be with her. We sat in the car for hours and then we went to her home and i did pass out on the couch for about an hour and when i woke up i felt anxious about work and told her i needed to go home and sleep, she was upset that i slept and didnt spend time with her and this has been a recurring issue with her that i pass out. She was watching reels with her mom while i slept and i brought that up and asked why she didn’t just wake me up or have me make a coffee, i understand that the way i delivered this made her feel disrespected. I am very stressed and i would love some advice, i wake up at 6:30 am usually mon to fri. After work i shower change eat spend some time with the girlfriend and get back to work 4-11:30 ish. She has been getting upset that i pass out on her and it’s been getting bad. I pass out on the freeway on my way home at 1-2am, been in a few accidents. By Gods grace i am here today. I work hard and a lot and i have to pay bills almost every day. So when we take time off it impacts me and her financially if we’re not consistent. I try to be considerate of her ADHD, Hormones, and Trauma. (Please don’t take this as me bashing on her, i love her more than anything and i am trying to be the right man and recognize i have things to work on) when we take time off our responsibilities it’s usually because she doesnt feel like working or she’s going through a lot of emotions and i get that yet it’s hard not giving her the time bc she gets so upset and yet when i do sacrifice i end up treating her badly bc of my stress. The other day i was stressing over us not working enough and i know she’s behind on bills so we do need to work, im helping her work because she got an order that was big and in the meantime i had my work on aswell, i get an order while were shopping together but my service is down so im like totally focused on one thing at a time and while im trying to accept the order she’s trying to tell me about how some chips have less air meaning less fresh, i brushed her off like an asshole bc i was worried about my order and then she threatens to break up with me when were on the phone later..im really torn guys. I fell asleep lastnight and told her if we can get to work and stay on top of things then i can have more space for her and not feel stressed or anxious, if we can get to work and catch up on bills. She feels neglected and tells me i should figure it out as a man. I am trying. But she also expects me to be there for her and the math isnt adding up. She threatened to cancel our new lease lastnight. Im currently working and shes ignoring me, im behind on bills and need to make 800 in 3 days. So im a bit stressed. She is such an amazing woman and i am being a dickhead and im blunt, im a leo. Shes a cancer. Not that it matters but im stubborn and ignorant and i try so hard not to be but idk what to do men. Ive been praying all day. I talk with the lord daily. I just need some advice. I love this woman. I know i dont have everything together im not perfect and im not a stable provider yet, i have little emotional intelligence and im trying to consider her. What things could i do moving forward to just be better? I started listening to BetterMan podcast on Spotify. Chris is very wise love the show. Any more suggestions?

How can I reassure my partner and validate her feelings as I deal with this addiction to porn.

Hey! Just dropped a new episode of the True Valour Podcast where I dive into the power of living with personal integrity. It’s all about aligning our actions with our faith and values, even when it’s tough. Take a listen for some practical wisdom and biblical insight that I hope will encourage you today. Would love to hear your thoughts! 🙌🎧 #Faith #Integrity #TrueValour”

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2399505/15801045-personal-integrity

I want to list some core tenets about what it means to be a christian man in our subreddit info section. What principles does a christian man adhere to? Let me know your feedback and any suggestions you might have. Here's what I have so far:

Faith in Christ
Christian men center their life on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, trusting in His grace and salvation.
[John 3:16] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203%3A16&version=ESV), [John 14:6] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2014%3A6&version=ESV), [John 15:5] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2015%3A5&version=ESV)

Character and Integrity
Christian men are called to exhibit Christ-like character, which includes honesty, humility, kindness, and patience.
[1 Timothy 6:11-12] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%206%3A11-12&version=ESV), [1 Corinthians 16:13-14] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2016%3A13-14&version=ESV), [Proverbs 20:7] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2020%3A7&version=ESV)

Leadership in Family
Christian men lead their families in a godly manner, not through dominance but through servant leadership. This means loving their spouses sacrificially, and raising their children with love and discipline.
[Ephesians 5:25-28] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%205%3A25-28&version=ESV), [Ephesians 6:4] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians%206%3A4&version=ESV), [1 Timothy 3:4-5] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Timothy%203%3A4-5&version=ESV)

Service to Others
Christian men are called to serve their family, church, and community with a spirit of generosity and compassion.
[Mark 10:45] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2010%3A45&version=ESV), [Philippians 2:3-4] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%202%3A3-4&version=ESV), [John 13:14-15] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2013%3A14-15&version=ESV)

Being Courageous. Christian men stand firm in their faith and live out the principles of Jesus, even when faced with fear, opposition, or challenges. Christian courage is not about the absence of fear but about trusting God and acting in faith, knowing that God is with you and empowers you to do what is right.
[Joshua 1:9] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%201%3A9&version=ESV), [1 Corinthians 16:13] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians%2016%3A13&version=ESV), [2 Timothy 1:7] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Timothy%201%3A7&version=ESV)

Accountability and Fellowship
Christian men grow through fellowship with other believers, being accountable to a community, and encouraging one another in their walk with Christ.
[Proverbs 27:17] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs%2027%3A17&version=ESV), [1 Thessalonians 5:11] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Thessalonians%205%3A11&version=ESV), [Hebrews 3:13] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%203%3A13&version=ESV)

Responsibility to Society
Christian men are called to be salt and light in the world, elevating their communities, seeking justice, and caring for those in need.
[Matthew 5:14-16] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205%3A14-16&version=ESV), [Romans 12:18] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans%2012%3A18&version=ESV), [Matthew 25:35-40] (https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2025%3A35-40&version=ESV)

We all have those mornings when we’re awake, but it feels like we’re just going through the motions. You're up, but you're not fully there. What gives you that jump start when you feel stuck? How do you shake off the routine and get yourself moving with purpose?

Hi, my name is Joseph, wanted to do a quick introduction. I am looking for men just to fellowship and talk with and learn together about being Men of Christ in this crazy world.

My idea is to learn with other people, I am 39 have 3 kids and own a business. Stress is something that I struggle with a lot because of financial problems, a daughter who has autism and all of my kids are under 7. It's very hard and difficult, but I believe the grace of God is greater than everything.

I believe the Lord has called me as a men who has been through a lot, I made many mistakes, who isn't necessary qualified, to get a group of men together and talk about how we can build better and more Godly men in this world.

I would love to hear other inputs, questions, and comments so we can build a great community of unfiltered men who are not ashamed of being Men of Christ.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2399505/15720378-5-ways-to-connect-with-your-kids-every-day-practical-tips-for-making-daily-connections-with-your-children

Hey am looking for friendships and community! Friends to talk scripture, eat tacos, hike, or just hang out. I'm 35 so preferably within a 5 year gap. My church is far from me so all my community is far, I don't want leave church so trying to find friends. I tried bumble friends, meet up, FB groups, and Bible study fellowship but no luck. Someone mentioned to try Reddit so here is my leap of faith. Would love ppl local (Ontario, CA) but open to chat remote as well. Heres to Christlike community!

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good online only bible college or some other serious Bible study group or website? Thanks in advance and God bless

Looking for a solid Christian community. How's everybody today?

Been struggling the last few years with porn and masturbation. I was wondering if there are any Bible resources I could use to help me rely on God and to also break addiction. Would also appreciate any forms of prayers

Bear with me as this is my first ever post. I was dating a great girl for a couple of months. This was my first ever godly relationship and I really wanted the lord help me make the right choices. I was praying and fasting. Everything was going well in my opinion. I thought things were going well and we went to a long distance relationship I was not too worried about it since I wanted to trust that the lord would provide a way for it to all work out.

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit her for a week. I thought we had a good time had super intentional time together and when I got back I felt like the atmosphere changed. I noticed she started to pull away which raised my anxiety levels. I did my best to communicate but she told me she needed some space which triggered my previous relationship traumas that I thought I over came.

About a week ago we broke up. Saying she wasn’t sure if she could handle a committed relationship, we were in different stages, and the distance was too much. I was super hurt but I wanted to work through these issues. Tried to reassure her but when she told me she made up her mind. I decided to accept it and thank her for the great experience.

I am trying to seek Christ for comfort but all I feel is lost and confused. I’m not angry at him but I really thought the lord was going to make this relationship go towards marriage. I don’t really know why this relationship hurts so much more than my past relationships but I want to heal. I dont want to run to my past coping skills and I trust god will turn my pain into happiness but I don’t know why I am struggling. In all honesty I thought this was a person I was going to marry but I also know it’s God’s choice to make no mine so tried really hard not let me head wonder their.

Any advice? Part of me hopes that she would come back. The other side knows that God is bigger than this situation and that I should improve on what I did wrong. Try my best to understand her situation and why she ended things so the next one can turn out better. My worry is that this is technically my 4th failed relationship and I don’t really want this to turn into a never ending cycle that will never lead to marriage.

In a world where walking away from Christianity is so popular and incentivized, I want to hear what made you stay. No judgment, just doing some research and why people leave or stay in the church.

Hi all, may I request that you keep me in prayer for opportunities and doors to open to where I can get into medical centers and organizations.I am restarting the hospital ministry for my regional church. I honestly don't know where to start but I have been praying about it for a while but more recently.

My heart is for the mentally ill and people with disabilities.

Does anyones church have a hospital ministry and what do you guys do? Does anyone know who I can reach out to or organizations? Is there any advice or guidance anyone can give me that would greatly be appreciated.

Blessings to all of you!!

So i'm 17, and i've dealt with alot of demonic attacks, mostly all day every day w/ one that basically attacks my will or something it doesnt attack my will but it basically does something weird well idk all u need to know is it tries to give my attributes and parts away spiritually. Like it tries to give my intelligence away or summin its super annoying and all day.

And, i found out that gaining willpower and becoming more of a adult kills it or basically dampens the effect entirely, but then i do something like ask god for protection or something childish and I revert immediately back to the problems and all the effect goes away. Like say I throw away some of my old witchcraft stuff(used to be involved in it but I tried to use it for good and ye it was dumb), I would gain strength and I would be more of an adult like instantly its weird. But, there are these voices that do stuff and say they say "I drain his strength", boom my strength slowly drains out of me and then I dont have it, its extremely annoying beyond belief.

Those of you who have been in long term relationships, would you say you were/are truly faithful to your woman with your thoughts & actions? No porn, wandering eye, or thoughts of it?

Me 22M and my wife is 20F. We got marriages recently back in August so are still learning how to be married. Recently I have begun to become increasingly frustrated about the state of chores around our home. Her work schedule has her not coming home until 8pm 4/7 nights a week so I tend to cook most often, even on nights she doesn’t work. It’s also usually me who cleans up from dinner. It’s maybe 1 meal every two weeks she makes something for us. I have twice now in the past month tried to ask her to clean up the kitchen after dinner but both times she has not fallen through with it and it has caused a fight. The last fight was a couple days ago we got heated and I raised my voice more than I should have and I feel really bad and don’t want to push it, but the kitchen is STILL dirty from that dinner. I have already wiped off the counters and put half the dishes in the dish washer.

Extra context: She has a chronic illness (endometriosis) which causes her to have cramps, headaches, and stomachs aches. Also she has anxiety problems and to cope she will either read or scroll on social media.

I want to have grace for her with these things and I have been incredibly patient. I just can’t keep going on like this. I feel bad but I feel like I’m caring for my teenager not my wife. If anyone has advice on how to confront this please help.

Hey guys. I’m 22 and i’ve been a Christian pretty much all my life. Until recently I’ve been really trying to connect for real with God and it’s been good. Now the reason i’m making this post. My girlfriend and I have been together since she was 15 and I was 17. She’s turning 20 this year and i turned 22 in March. We’ve had a few breakups: the first because I was unfaithful, I asked a mutual friend for explicit pictures (nudes) and my girlfriend found out. We broke up and she came back to me. The second because earlier this year I was really struggling mentally and I went to a happy ending massage parlor looking for sexual gratification. I didn’t go all the way through with the service (although they did start) because I believe the Lord convicted me and I left the establishment. 2 months later it was weighing heavy on my heart and I told her. We broke up again and I really had to ask myself what is it that i am doing and who am i. I’ve realized that I struggle sexually. I was exposed to pornography at 9 years old and I’ve battled it ever since. After the breakup i went cold turkey and it’s been hard but good. I believe the Lord has delivered me from all of these sexual outbursts and it’s not something I could ever bring myself to doing again. My girlfriend did find it in her heart to forgive me once again and we are back together as of 5 days ago. Things are different and healthier (in our years together we have been intimate, we’ve struggled with it, mostly me). We both love each other and we know with God this relationship can work and we believe we are meant for each other. The problem is this. I am extremely attracted to her and every time i’m with her it’s great but it is also torture because of abstinence. And to a degree that is fine and necessary. But she wants to wait until she graduates from college (2 years from now). I do not agree with this personally because we both love each other and know we want to spend the rest of our lives together. I told her I am willing to wait but on the other hand every time we are together it’s extremely difficult and I feel repressed. I don’t know what to do or how to reconcile this issue. The bible says it’s better to marry than to burn with passion but am i taking this text out of context? I need help. Any and all advice is welcome

Hi guys, I am a 20 year old premedical/ph.d college student. I am wondering what should I do to be a better man of God and a better man for my future GF/wife. I have issues with “corn” and my language. I also have issues with being over ambitious which results in me being burnt out and affect my performance in other aspects of life, and I have problems with consistency in the Word. I know I love God more than anything in the world but I feel like a failure about everything.

When I mention spiritual fathers, I'm talking about men who have God's heart for the younger generations and for those who are younger than them. I'm not talking about a special office or about men who take the title of spiritual father. Like the Pharisees of Jesus's day, many people want a title but not many people want the responsibilities that come with a title.

The Old and New Testaments both say and show a lot about the need for spiritual fathers as well as the continued or customary absence of spiritual fathers.

At the end of Malachi God said He would eventually give older men hearts for younger people so He can bless rather than curse the entire planet (Mal. 4:5-6), and Paul told the Corinthians that they had many ministers who told them how to live for God but that they didn't have many who actually walked with them in their walk with God. He stated emphatically, "But you have not many fathers" (1Cor. 4:15).

Statistics show that children from single father homes do as well as children from homes with both parents and that children from single mother homes have a high likelihood of becoming statistics (eg. homelessnes, drug addiction, suicide, criminality, runaways, etc.). So, even the secular world has evidence on the overall need for fathers. But where are they?

Last night I saw a post on one of the christian subreddits where someone had resolved to commit suicide before the end of the night. Everyone had failed him. He wrote, "Taking my life today. God please forgive me. Not every child of God makes it. I've tried but nothing has worked... I want to be at rest and not in agony". I don't know if he's still alive. These things don't happen when spiritual fathers are present.

Famous Pastor Rick Warren's son committed suicide right after an evening meal with his own parents. These things don't happen when spiritual fathers are present.

The end of King Hezekiah's life in the Bible has some good lessons on how common it is for even men who have children to not have a father's heart. If you pause to look at people you interact with or people around you, you'll often see orphans, people without a strong father [figure] in their lives. Strong fathers don't beget or impart hopelessness, suicide, sorrow, promiscuity, sexual perversions, spiritual bondage, rebellion, addictions, lack, selfishness, dishonesty, moral weakness, deferred hopes, lack of identity/confusion/gender dysphoria, etc., but those seem to be all you see these days.

I talked with several people today and the proof for them is that God doesn't care about them. But just like Job told his friends, even if God doesn't care about people, people should still care about each other.

This really is an appeal to older christian men. Believe me, you guys don't have a good reputation even within christian circles. God called men to sacrifice for the benefit and not just those in your families. Sacrifice for others is within the burning core of masculinity and is why men built the whole world, maintain societal infrastructure, and risk their lives to go to war so their countries-- made up mostly of people they don't know-- can be safe or, literally, saved.

As men get older, God does expect them to act as spiritual fathers to younger people/men (this goes for women as they get older as well; everyone has a role and is expected to 'work'). (Example: Titus 2:1-8.) This is natural and is supposed to be normal. There are way too many fatherless people in this world who need to experience the care of a father-- a genuine concern that can restore and mend broken people in ways that nothing else can.

God has put certain unspoken mandates on all living things to know the difference between good and bad and right and wrong and to do the former and avoid the latter. Even animals have this. For christian men, one of these mandates is to look out for those who are younger just like older siblings naturally look or for younger siblings. It's a forgotten concept but it's still there in the conscience with the Holy Spirit bearing witness. It's just the right thing to do.

I’m searching for a Bible study guide that is oriented towards men. I keep finding feminine and submissive guides that the commentary doesn’t seem masculine at all. Anyone have recommendations for me and my fellow Christian men I study scripture with?

The Old Testament has a lot to say about idolatry. The New Testament doesn't say much about idolatry. But idolatry has always existed from the beginning of time till now in other forms other than carved statues and figures.

I used to wonder why Jesus was so adamant about wholehearted devotion to Him. I thought it was just more of a rules thing, like any commandment that christians can freely break. Do what He tells you and live. That kinda thing. The more I look at it though, the more I see that in modern christianity idolatry or the worship of evil spirits is a real thing today. Most just are not aware of it.

Jesus told the Church of Laodicea that if they rode the fence, He would reject them harder than those who were never christians. I realized that for Jesus to feel so strongly about this, there must be more going on here than it seems. A christian who rides the fence is like a wife who lives with her husband for the benefit of lifelong (or eternal) security but is really interested in and sleeps only with another man or with other men but not with her husband. What man in his right mind wouldn't send her packing at lightning speed as soon as he found out? He would do it faster than he would with a woman who wasn't his wife, wouldn't he?

In the Old Testament, God often rebuked Israel for worshiping other gods. He called this unfaithfulness and often compared it to a wife cheating on her husband with another man or with other men. (God's absolute hatred for adultery or anything short of wholehearted devotion from His people is slightly mirrored in the fact that men, by nature, loathe more than anything else a wife who cheats on them. This is just a shadow of the way God feels about anything short of perfect devotion.)

Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and mammon“ (Matt. 6:24).

Here, Jesus was talking about riches (mammon, money). But was He talking about anything more than riches? Yes. Does a human really have to hate riches, mammon, money, good times, etc., in order to follow Jesus? No. That doesn't make sense. This is one of many places where Jesus (or the Bible) is saying more than what is obvious. Here, Jesus is definitely talking more about self than about riches or mammon or money. At the end of the day, everyone who is chasing material things (etc.) is serving self and not really serving those things. Generally speaking, there are only two entities a human being can serve. One is God, and the other is self... But is there a third entity that a human being can serve? Yes, there is. A human being can also serve an evil spirit (one or more).

There is some explanation of this in the Bible but it's not necessarily easy to discern or pick up on it: when a human being serves self, an evil spirit (or more) will always be there to literally feed off the praise and worship that person gives to themselves. In reality, despite all the self-serving (literally), human beings can really only serve something or someone greater-- someone superhuman or suprahuman. That something or someone must necessarily be supernatural-- God or other. That means that people who live for pleasure or who might be cool with Jesus as Savior but who don't follow Him as Lord (ie. people who live for self) are unwittingly serving and following evil spirits and, by being god over their lives (ie. following their own self-will), these people are inadvertently following other gods (evil spirits) who are not God.

Is this part of why Jesus is so adamant about vomiting fence-sitters and why He said no one can serve two masters? Yes. Is God opposed to money or good times? No. Can a spouse commit adultery alone (ie. serving self)? No. Another entity is required in the equation for it to be adultery (even if the adultery is only in the mind). Therefore, the idolatry (and spiritual adultery) of the Old Testament still relates today. Just like God rejected Israel because they literally bowed at the altars of evil spirits, so Jesus will reject christans who indirectly serve evil spirits via their service of self or self-will and their rejection of Him as Lord.

Jesus said that He will reject many christians (most christians, according to the Greek) with “I never knew you“ at the Judgment including many christians who were successful in ministry. This really begins to make sense and come into view as one gains more understanding surrounding the topics of a.) obedience, b.) Jesus's Lordship, and c.) idolatry or adultery with evil spirits. Just like Paul rebuked the Athenians who thought they were too sophisticated and intelligent to worship anything supernatural by reminding them of the many idols in their city (Acts 17), similarly as advanced as we believe we are today, the people of ancient times who directly worshiped gods were actually more honest than we are.

In warning the Corinthian believers against idolatry (which would earn them God's rejection), Paul gave them an Old Testament example, stating that God still currently operates the same way. I hope everyone who reads this will also take the warning to heart:

”With most of them (the Israelites) God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.' Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell... Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall... Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. (*)I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say(*). The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ?... You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons. Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than He?" (1Corinthians 10.)

(*) 1Corithians 2:6-8, 10-15 (*)

Hey guys I could use some thoughts on a subject, so me and my now girlfriend are seniors in college and haven’t been dating for too long about 3 months now. Prior to the relationship we had talked before but it was in a different time in my life where I didn’t treat her to good. Anyway now we are together and even more so now then any other time in my life I want to peruse a life for the Lord! However I have really messed up a lot in when I comes to sexual sin especially having been in college the last couple years. Me and my now girlfriend have slept together prior when we us to talk before and even then I didn’t feel right about it but now that we are together I’ve shared a lot with her about my faith and my struggle with this area in my life. She said she was saved as a kid and has gone to church but her understating and grasp on any real gospel says otherwise. At first I wasn’t even sure if she was saved and to be honest I’m not sure if she is now. Anyway I’ve tried to not have sex with her and I’ve told her so many times that I don’t want to do it because I want to honor God with my life and our relationship and she “respects” it but doesn’t see anything wrong with it. Not just that though before we started dating I learned she was really into astrology which is witchcraft stright up and she seems to believe everything about it and thinks it’s the truth about everyone. Since we have been together I’ve shared the faith with her and I’ve told her my view on astrology and fornication and so many other things and though at times I can really see her trying to read her Bible and do devotionals other times it feels like she really doesn’t value the faith I value so much. I don’t want to date anymore unless I’m dating toward marriage and I can see us together if it weren’t for my uncertainty about her faith walk and views. For example I’ll try to not sleep with her and at first she will kinda stop me but most of the time she will just go with it and not care that after I feel so bad and she doesn’t. I don’t want to keep sleeping with her but she doesn’t want to put up boundaries I feel like I can’t even been in the same room with her sometimes. Now she is going to moving to Florida for a job and I don’t even know if she will be able to handle a distance relationship without some for of sex and I fear she may cheat on me. Idk I know this is a lot of rambling but yeah idk if the relationship is worth it

I recently was broken up with. It was a three-year relationship, but it wasn’t my first break up and my last one I went the wrong way and made even more mistakes afterwards that ended up hurting me. However, this time It pushed me back to the Lord. I was really luke warm. I would go to church and groups and say I was in the faith but I didn’t really have a relationship with him like I should have. I have started seeing the breakup as an absolute point (breakup is story for another time but we were both not close to God when we started and I started coming back to him slowly over the last two years) that needed to happen and God has been working so much since I fully committed back to him after and I repented my ways I was living the last decade or so. I have been letting so much control my life instead of giving it to him. Now I’ve been resisting temptation like never before through him, reading my bible again,praying like I never had in awhile and inviting others to church. I feel more alive then I’ve felt in awhile. Is there anything else I can do as I get back into the fold to be closer to God and keep this growth. I don’t want to lose this fire slowly has the break up gets further away. I am done doing things my way.

Thank you

Shared in another subreddit:

I am a Western man, but I grew up in a non-western country. Coming back to the US, I was amazed at how cowardly, compromised, weak-minded, and simple the men were. Cyndi Lauper can rewrite her song for men: 'Boys Just Want To Have Fun'. The masculine imperative in the West is "If it benefits me, then I'm in. If it doesn't, then I'm out. 'Boys just wanna have fun!'"

The dictionary defines the word coward as “a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.“

Most men would deny being cowards, but when contrasted individually with the dictionary definition of the word, there are very few men in any Western nation that are not cowards. One of the reasons why is because Western culture and tradition are actually vehemently opposed to courage, boldness, stoicism, and bravery and, in more recent years, outright hostile to the concept of masculinity.

God condemns cowardice in the Bible, and Revelation 21:8 says that the cowardly, along with other sinners, will be thrown into the Lake of Fire at the final judgment:

”He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

I used to think, ”Surely, God will not be condemning people to eternal damnation for just being afraid...” But the more I saw cowardice and the impact it has on people (the impact is always negative), I began to reconsider. As a human, I can't really say what God is going to do with cowardly people. But I can say that He abhors cowardice with all His soul. I hate it myself, and I'm just an imperfect human. But there's something about cowardice that even cowards hate. And for sure, while cowardly men are beneficial in some ways to the women in their lives, at the end of the day all women hate cowardly men-- even Jezebel who very much favored cowardly (Ahab) and weak (eunuchs) men.

The cowardice can be observed in every facet of the western man's life, from the way he favors females far over males to the way he structures most of his life to please others to his need for approval to the way he chases women (and brags about being heterosexual as if heterosexuality isn't natural) to his unconcern for anyone not within his tight-knit circle to his neglect of his God-given responsibilities to his community (I mean, "Am I my brother's keeper?") to his need for power, position, acclaim, status, fame, prestige, and recognition. All those things are born not only out of pride but also out of cowardice. A real but subtle Peter Pan or Toys 'R' Us kid who depends on 'the right presidents' ("Save us, oh Trump!") and leaders to do all his work for him, depending on fear to save him from all responsibility: "I was afraid because I was [ashamed], so I hid myself" as Adam first said. Fear, the final frontier.

I know that 99.9% of the men who read this will disagree with me if they even speak up. But the women know it's true-- even without having bold men to contrast all the cowardly men with. Again, the definition of 'coward' is “a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.; a timid or easily intimidated person.“ Western men are so pampered-- even the ones that look masculine-- that anything that is inconvenient, unsafe, upsetting, difficult, anything that requires going out of one's way or standing up for another person's rights (without pay, eg. lawyers), any stance of justice or any standing up alone for something... all these things are considered scary, inconvenient, uncomfortable. Western men are self-centered and don't know how to define the word 'justice'. They have no strong sense of morality, no sense of leadership/responsibility when it doesn't directly benefit them, no initiative to take charge, have a follower's mentality and won't budge to do anything unless/until someone does it first. But many of these people are praying for revival and expect God to honor their cowardice and to send revival while they hide safely in caves and holes in the ground-- afraid of everyone and everything and always expecting God or the pastor to do all the work while they nurse their pleasures and coddle their good times safe in the back nursery. They're cowards like King Saul and his entire military rather than being "strong and courageous" like Joshua and Caleb and like their brethren Jonathan (1Samuel 14) and David (1Samuel 17) as men are supposed to be.

The cowardice runs so deep (before America was founded as a nation, the cowardice was there) that I can smell it on men and women. The Bible uses phrases like "saving your own life" to describe what cowardice looks like. People gladly sacrifice the dignity and reputation and wellbeing of others to 'save themselves' because they're cowards. Everywhere people are gathered-- some places more than others-- the air is filled with the stench of cowardice, fawning fear, pride, shame, performance, self-preservation, self-absorption, self-centeredness, and lovelessness. And all the problems in society-- including feminism and the many complaints men have against that-- can be traced back to the failings and fallings short of western men, not western women.

You women who pray for revival and reformation and awakening and all such things, don't pray for those things. God already wills to send those things so you're praying amiss and unnecessarily. Rather, pray that God will send bold and courageous men (and women) through whom He will initiate and distribute those things to others (and that He will remove the cowards so they aren't constantly in the way of everything He wants to do). From OT to NT and through history, God has only used the courageous to inaugurate His Kingdom on earth as in Heaven. As far as God's works on earth, christians aren't waiting on God; God is waiting on christians.

Ode to Lauper (I do love this song): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIb6AZdTr-Athat