I'm no psychologist. I am a compassionate person. I know hurt. I also know misery.
Misery is an strange sort of fellow in that it often loves its own company. By that I mean for a long time I dwelt in the sad land of "poor me" intentionally. I could create misery in my head and live it out pouting, paranoid, and pessimistic. I enjoyed my misery because I wanted people to care and sympathy was usually nearby.
Of course I denied such to myself for misery loves its own company.
I have bad news for those who linger in this trap; there is a way out. The reason this is bad news--for some--is the deep desire to remain stuck there for it seems this is the only way for attention. This goes on among us and it is a big lie.
While I am not the expert counselor, I can tell most how to leave the doldrums of misery. Begin to care about others. Care for their happiness. Care for their good breaks. Misery only stays afloat when we fail to love others more than ourselves. Joy breaks in when we will surrender our need for attention and give ourselves in great cause to another.
I know this doesn't make me look good in admitting any of this; yet I was a professional misery man. For many years now I have enjoyed a brand new life....maybe about fifteen years now. I know I preached a long time with each day buried with inner struggles.
Today I still have pain and suffering of various strains. But His fruit of joy is ever-present. When I really got it that my problem wasn't other people (the elders, the church, the neighbors), I had to admit I had been framed by my own moody disposition.
I am sympathetic to those who have been hurt. But I'm not so toward those who live miserable lives rehearsing repeatedly to themselves and to others how badly they have been mistreated. These need to get a life....and I mean they really need to get the life Jesus came to offer.
The way out of misery is to die on our own crosses. Crosses always benefit someone else...but never the one dying on it. There is a way out of misery. This is bad news to some for they enjoy such a habitation. But it is remarkable news for those like me who despise living there...and know it is very much self...but just need to pull the plug on such ridiculous practice.
Make a move from misery. Genuinely care about others and quit the trap of gaining sympathy from anyone who will listen. The former will lift you up. The latter will pull you and your friends down.
3 comments:
Marvin Phillips quoted in his book: Never Lick A Moving Blender on page 120, "What your mind can conceive and believe, your life can achieve."
I think this quote is fitting to your post. Getting out of the hole of "woe is me" isn't so easy. I know, too!
Life if to glorious for us to wallow in the pig pen of gloom despair and agony on me!
Life is a journey of God treats! To miss life because of negative thinking is to miss the "Wonder Working Power!"
It's interesting that the word "misery" occurs in only two places of the New Testament in the NIV, KJV, and a few other versions.
The word "misery" in James is used as a warning to the rich oppressors of those who exploit the poor workers of the field. God warns those who are rich and who oppress the poor in the fields, "weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you."
We've been exploiting the illegal immigrants who work the fields of this country. We don't pay fair wages, or fair benefits, even though we could afford to treat them right. And now we're beginning to see some of the "misery" that comes with such a system.
But the answer is not suddenly turning on all of the people who we've been exploiting for so long, especially when most of them have done nothing wrong. "You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you."
Sometimes we should weep and wail about our misery, because we've brought it on ourselves, and because God wants us to weep and wail about it.
James 5
Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you.
Here's just one example of how this nation can easily afford to pay the workers in our fields a decent wage.
In this example, the workers finally receive an extra penny per pound for picking tomatoes. This single action impacted 75% of the tomatoes grown in Florida.
http://www.wusf.usf.edu/news/2010/02/17/florida_tomato_pickers_to_receive_their_penny_a_pound
This nation needs to start remembering God, or MISERY is what we shall deserve and MISERY is what we shall get. We're a rich nation who can afford the extra penny per pound to give a decent wage to the people who work our fields.
But some people don't like the truth.
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