Tips on How To Be Miserable

I've held onto this article/ email for 8 years by the late Bill Bright. It has been moved from one place to another in my home office incredibly over three moves. For some reason it never has gotten filed away properly or even thrown away. Maybe there is a reason. I can't count the number of times I've picked it up and read and reflected on it. I once again found myself doing the same today and being challenged by its piercing words. Let me know what you think.

Reflections from the founder of Campus Crusade, Bill Bright
Thursday, April 17, 2003

Dear Friends,

Do you want to be miserable? Here are some tips on how to fulfill your desires.

The famed English writer, Charles Kingsley, once wrote, "If you wish to be miserable, you must think about yourself, about what you want, what you like, and what respect people ought to pay you. Then to you nothing will be pure. You will spoil everything you touch; you will make sin and misery out of everything God sends you."

Self-centered people are always unhappy. In the 1970s, Chaplain Earl Jabay wrote a thought-provoking book entitled, "The Kingdom of Self," in which he describes seven attitudes of a self-centered individual. Permit me to share a few of them:

"I am power: I can do anything I set my mind to."

"I am truth: Whatever I think, is right."

"I am right: If people don't agree with me, they have a problem."

"I am a messiah: I don't need God; I can lift myself by my own boot straps."

"I am perfect: If you don't meet my standard of perfection, I have the right to show disapproval."

Any one of these attitudes will result in a life of misery. How much better it is to forsake the kingdom of self and live joyously in the Kingdom of God.

You see the fruit of misery is everywhere, in crime, immorality, broken homes and on and on. It almost always stems from self-centeredness and selfishness. It is always related to ignoring God and His commandments to self-sacrifice and to love.

I do not recommend misery, but I do recommend its opposites - joy and peace. Joy and peace are states of mind and spirit that are promised by our great Creator God and Savior to all who trust and obey Him. They are fruit of the Spirit - the Spirit who indwells all those who put their trust in our Lord Jesus Christ. That fruit is manifest in our lives when we invite the Holy Spirit to fill and control us.

In the Beatitudes of Matthew 5:3-11, our Lord gave us nine keys of happiness. The Greek word "makarios" is usually translated "blessed," but it also means happy.

For example, verses 6-9 give us the first four: "Happy are those who long to be just and good, for they shall be completely satisfied. Happy are the kind and merciful, for they shall be shown mercy. Happy are those whose hearts are pure, for they shall see God. Happy are those who strive for peace - they shall be called the sons of God" (The Living Bible).

It just doesn't make sense to remain miserable when, if we obey God, we can be assured of being happy!

Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns,

Bill Bright