In last Thursday's column ("Are You a Christian …and Miserable?"), we asked you to be honest about your faith and the challenges to it that come during tough seasons. Several of you responded with very open answers, revealing the hard times you are going through or have just come out of. Read on to see the responses. Let's all offer these guys our prayers.

This is my struggle right now, so your post is very timely for me. The ever-present thought in my mind for the past few months has been that maybe I'd be happier if I just indulged my sinful urges and went back to my old ways doing what I want when I want. Because as much as I'm trying to follow God and live a life (one as a reformed sex addict and porn addict) that is pleasing to Him, the more I feel downtrodden and unhappy. It's a truly frustrating feeling, and I'm having a tough time trying to remedy it.
Mike

I'm not miserable, but I get there sometimes—usually when I have slid back into some old sin I thought Christ had helped me overcome. But I don't beat myself up too much; I just get back into the Word and prayer, fasting, giving. Then I'm back on track again. I pray others do find my kind of faith! It's gotten me through some extremely dark times, and I have rarely not felt Christ's presence. I thank God I never got caught up in "performance Christianity"! That would make me miserable.
Glenn

Very timely post. I'm most miserable when I'm trying to be "a Christian" and doing all the things I was told to do when I first accepted Christ. Please continue with this topic in the future.
Vince

The past four years have been a time of intense pain and suffering. That fateful morning four years ago I woke up and the Holy Spirit was gone! My life will never be the same. While I would never have chosen this route, growth and maturity has come in leaps and bounds. If not for my faith, I know not where I would be today. It's through fervent prayer and thanksgiving that this battle is being won. King David's psalms have taught me that prayer will not necessarily change your circumstances, which it hasn't. It's been my heart and mind that have undergone the greatest change. That is what God is most interested in. He is in the business of purifying us through the fire, to conform us to His Son.
Chris