Self-Induced Miseries

Miserable circumstances are made; they are the result of bad decisions or sins. Miseries comes deliberately giving warning signs that are most often ignored by the one suffering. Misery is not accidental but planned conditional that ignored basic principles, truth, and reality. It can be avoided and prevented by the individual himself and not by others, not even by God. Its a matter of choice, desire, decision and wishful thinking for ones prosperity that turned into a calamity. A person may design his own misery that will affect many people around him and sometimes may last for a long time.

Self-made misery is the most common type of human suffering; it has swallowed up every person in this world. People in general and Christians in particular cause themselves tremendous anguish, both within their souls and in the overt circumstances they have created. The law of volitional responsibility recognizes that a believer’s decision has natural and logical consequences. When he made bad decisions, suffering will naturally result. In almost every instance of the Christian sufferings, part or all suffering can be traced back to the choices of the one who suffers.

God designed man with freewill, (it is the ability to make decision by himself apart form influence and pressures from others). By divine decree, human indecisions or decisions have real repercussions for which we are solely responsible. . These are the laws of human consequences in which each individual’s thoughts, decisions, actions and reactions establish the trends in his life. Every human being has free will and we make decisions constantly using this freewill volition. Volition is the decision of the souls.

We continuously make decisions, some are good, and others are bad. The human freewill volition is the source of personal sins and human good and evil. The law of volitional responsibility implies that every human being is personally responsible for his own decisions and actions. Every individual must understand that blaming others for his miseries is unreasonable since it is the product of his freewill. In the spiritual life, when we follow divine protocol (the will and purpose of God based on Scripture) we are blessed, but when we violate divine protocol we suffer. This further implies that we must learn God’s system and abide by it.

It is not easy for any individual even those properly reared in Bible doctrine by spiritually mature parents to accept and acknowledge his mistakes or wrong decisions that he has made without pointing fingers to others. Only the spiritually mature believers has the capacity to acknowledge his mistakes or wrong decisions regarding relationships, activities, motives, functions in life and he likewise fulfills the obligations he has incurred. Self-induced miseries will start pouring out when a believer starts to revolt against established authorities assigned by God such as: in each individual – the free will volition, in marriage, the husband, in family – the parents, and in national entity – the government.

He does not blame others for his troubles and miseries. If he suffers from causes beyond his control, he does not allow pain and bitterness to tyrannize and poison his soul. He makes use of his present options and opportunities through good decisions compatible with the perfect plan of God. He personally acknowledges his personal responsibility and accountability based on this law:

Be not deceived, God cannot be mocked. What ever a man sows, this he will also reap (Galatians 6:7).

Sowing and reaping can be profitable or destructive. Galatians 6:7 illustrates the law of volitional responsibility, warning the believer not to ignore or violate the protocol plan of God. The sins a person commits sprout and follow a natural pattern of growth. A believer’s sins produce suffering in keeping with all variables of his life. The harvest of suffering will differ from one to another even if they seem to commit the same sins. But anyone who thinks he will escape the consequences of his decisions deceives himself. Because man has freewill, his bad decisions have bad effects.

Arrogance is self-deception. A puffed up opinion of self is the believer*s great enemy, an illusion which will relentlessly undermine his life and happiness. Most sufferings in life are caused by arrogance. Arrogance is divorcement from reality. Arrogance is a mental attitude that magnifies self above others. It is the assumption of superiority or inferiority. False humility is arrogance in disguise. It is being proud to be humbled (Philippians 2:1-9). Arrogance is a major hindrance to spiritual advancement.

The divine decrees guarantee that the consequences of man*s decisions occur in reality. Because the thought and perception of the arrogant believer is separated from reality, the natural results of his wrong or bad decisions always take him by surprise. Miserable situations for which he himself is responsible will shock and disappoint the arrogant believer; it will disturb his misplaced hope and confound his great expectations of himself.

In arrogance and spiritual ignorance the believer will falsely blame his miseries on other people, environment, childhood trauma, bad luck, karma, the devil and even God. The arrogant believers are out of touch with reality, ultimately illogical in their thinking, always confuse and without hope. He is occupied with the things of the world, people around him and his greatest enemy is self. He is blaming others and rationalizes on the ground of self-confidence and false knowledge of self. Blaming others is not only rationalization but also a sign of severe spiritual problems.

Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am being tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren (James 1:13-16).

Personal sin is an act of volition contrary to the will and standards of God; it is the individual’s manifestation of his fallen state. Personal sin results from volition that says yes to temptation; whether or not the individual knows he is transgressing the will and Word of God. The presence of the old sin nature is not an excuse for committing personal sins, nor spiritual ignorance. God has provided everything we need to overcome these problems. Jesus Christ has resolved our problems with sins once and for all. But the consequences of personal sins (mental, verbal, or overt) will continue to bring miseries. We suffers for personal sins while on earth, because in heaven, no miseries or undeserved suffering is possible.

The old sin nature is the genetic legacy of Adams’s sin in the body of each of his descendants. The old sin nature passes to every human being by biological conception, with the exception of the Lord Jesus Christ. Self-made miseries are the by product of freewill violation or rebellion against the established laws in the world such as the natural or scientific laws, and human laws. Any decision to revolt or violate the existing laws will eventually suffer its consequences. Human laws are made for violators not for its advocates or supporters. The laws are designed to destroy those who go against it, not for those who follow it. Laws are created to protect the individuals by persecuting the violators.

Many are miserable because they choose to violate certain established principles and policy created to protect them. People without personal relationship with Christ are miserable. Christians without Bible doctrines are producing or manufacturing miseries that harass their minds and souls. Self-made miseries are lessens by the amount of Bible doctrine in the souls of believers. Maximum Bible in the souls means less self-made miseries for the Christians. Only Bible doctrines in the souls of spiritual and advancing believers can prevent the development of miseries that might affects many.

Self-made miseries are produced by decisions coming from human viewpoint, inspired by old sin nature. Human viewpoint is the policy of the cosmic system which Satan uses as the operating system of the world. Divine viewpoint is the mental attitude of Christ prescribed for every member of His kingdom. Any decision based on human viewpoint will give birth to miserable circumstances. Start thinking and making decision based on Bible doctrines and stop being miserable. The decision is yours.

JR Cherreguine Bible Doctrine Ministries