One situation that can be deeply upsetting and confusing to someone living the Christian life is when something happens that seems to overturn the value of a life-changing event they've had that originally strengthened their faith or led them to becoming a Christian in the first place.
For example, consider a powerful moment in a young woman’s life where she decided to stand up for someone at work who was being bullied by a coworker, even though it was very difficult for her to do as a shy person, and was told later that day by the person she helped that what she did was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for him—this deeply moved the young woman and this event was central to her deciding to become a Christian.
Christians,
A psychological pitfall to be ready for in life as a Christian is coming across a situation that seems to disprove or run contrary to what you felt you learned from a life-changing event that helped build your faith or even lead you to becoming a Christian. These experiences can be shocking to the mind and cause one to become confused about what they think. However, understanding these situations in their proper context can keep them from being as emotionally upsetting and confusing.
For example, consider a powerful moment in a young woman’s life where she decided to stand up for someone at work who was being bullied by a coworker, even though it was very difficult for her to do as a shy person, and was told later that day by the person she helped that what she did was one of the nicest things anyone had ever done for him—this deeply moved the young woman and this event was central to her deciding to become a Christian. Years later in life, a situation that seemed similar at first happened again, and she stood up for another coworker. This time, the person she was trying to help turned around and yelled at her to mind her own business, however. What had been a life-changing decision the first time turned into a very embarrassing one the second time, a situation that made her feel confused and ashamed. She also didn’t know how to reconcile it with the first experience that helped lead her to becoming a Christian.
What is key to think about is whether one’s intentions are good, whether it is a good thing to do in itself, and whether it is appropriate for the situation. At the same time, it must be kept in mind that the way people respond may vary greatly, regardless of whether the intention, action, and situation for the action are appropriate or not. People might not appreciate or understand at the time what you are doing for them. They may even become mad at you because they are confused or for other reasons. In other words, if you try to do something good for someone in an appropriate way and they respond in an unkind way, that isn’t your fault. Understanding this will help you make sense of situations that rattle your mind with confusion because of how they conflict with prior life lessons and life-changing events.