Join Rick Hughes as he delves into the topic of misery and loneliness, exploring the internal and external factors contributing to an unfulfilled life. Many of us seek happiness in wealth, relationships, or achievements, yet we often overlook the essential spiritual aspect that provides lasting contentment. Rick examines what it truly means to live a miserable life and how recognizing God’s plan can pave the way to peace and joy.
Welcome to the Flatline with your host, Rick Hughes. For the next 30 minutes, you’ll be inspired, motivated, educated, but never manipulated. Now, your host, Rick Hughes.
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Good morning and welcome to the Flatline. I’m your host, Rick Hughes, and for the next 30 minutes, please stay with me. It’ll be 30 minutes of motivation, some inspiration, a whole lot of education, and no manipulation because we’re not trying to con you out of money. We’re not going to sell you anything. We’re not going to ask you for anything. We just would like for you to listen as I try to verify and identify God’s plan for your life. If I can do that, then you have the freedom and the privacy to orient and adjust to the plan that’s up to you. I want to remind you from our website, rickhughesministries.org, that you can order many of our books free of charge, and we don’t charge for any of them. One I’d like to remind you of is called Bible Promises and Principles. And there’s no narrative in the book. We’re not writing about anything except there’s scripture references. And so all kind of scripture references for certain situations in your life, and then in the back of the book, there’s short one- or two-line principles that you can apply into your life. Bible Promises and Principles is a great book for you to have. I hope you’ll order that book today, as well as our latest book, God’s Grace in Aging. As you get older, you’ll find out you’re going to need more and more grace assets, and the Lord certainly provides that for us as we get older. So thank you for listening today, and thank you for the fidelity that you’ve shown on this radio show. Many of you have even supported it. And I thank you very much for your gifts. So today we want to talk about something kind of interesting and I see it happening all over the place. I want to title this, how do you escape a miserable life? And that’s right. How do you escape a miserable life? Do you live a miserable existence? Let me ask you a few questions. Let’s start off by doing this. Do you live a miserable existence? Maybe you need to define what miserable is. Unhappy, basically. Sad, frustrated, angry. Do you live a miserable existence? And number two, Are you fed up with certain people or certain circumstances that cause you to have that extreme unhappiness in your life? And number three, do you have so much confusion in your life that it’s impossible to make sense out of things? The fourth question I’ll ask you is do you carry a lot of physical pain or emotional pain that causes you to doubt that God even cares about you? And number five, are you under such a burden of responsibility at work or at home that sometimes you would just like to dump it all and leave? And number six, are the results of these circumstances causing you to worry or to experience depression, even physical illness? I remind you what the Bible says in Job 14.1. Man who is born of a woman is short-lived and full of turmoil. That means he lives in a crisis. The famous singer Elvis Presley was once asked if he was happy with all of his fame and all of his fortune. He replied, no, I’m not. I’m lonely. John D. Rockefeller, one of the richest men that ever lived, was asked the same question after he made his first billion dollars. And he said, I have made millions, but they brought me no happiness. Someone once said, and I quote it, I don’t remember who said it, but they said, much of our activity is nothing but a narcotic to deaden the pain of an empty life. The ironic thing about that is we spend money we don’t have to buy things we really don’t need to impress people we don’t even like. My pastor used to tell me years ago, unhappy people take their unhappiness with them wherever they go. And it’s true, if you’re unhappy in one marriage, you’ll be unhappy in the next one. If you’re unhappy at one church, you’ll be unhappy at the next one. If you’re unhappy in one school, you’ll be unhappy in the next, because it’s not about where you are, it’s about who you are. So let me give you a definition of being miserable when I say how to escape a miserable life. It means to be very uncomfortable, to be very unfulfilled, to be very unhappy. or being in a pitiful state of distress or unhappiness. Synonyms for that would include comfortless, depressing, morose, sullen, and solemn. So misery can be self-induced, or it can be imposed upon you through adverse circumstances, but a miserable attitude or a miserable outlook, that’s always self-induced because you always have a choice. Miserable people often mistake prosperity And the details of life are a cure to loneliness. And that’s the myth that Satan tells you. He will tell you that people or circumstances can make you happy. And actually, that’s not true. The Bible tells us in Luke 11, 27 and 28, blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it. The word blessed is the word for happiness. So happiness belongs to those people who hear my father’s word and who keep it. In John 15, 11, the Lord Jesus Christ said, these things I’ve spoken unto you so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be full. He’s talking about divine joy. We call that plus H in the problem-solving devices, sharing the happiness of God. And it’s a state of soul mentality. That’s what it is. It’s a way of thinking and it’s characterized with contentment and capacity for life, for love, and for blessing. If I quoted the Reverend Billy Graham, he said, this is the sort of happiness which brings enduring worth to your life. It’s not the superficial happiness that depends on circumstances, but rather the happiness and the contentment that fills the soul even in the middle of the most distressing circumstances and the most bitter environment. So the plain and simple truth is this, that there is something that overrides all adversity, that overrides all heartaches, that overrides all of this, and it’s called simply the plan of God. Listen to me as I read 1 Corinthians 15, 57, and 58. But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren and sisters, be firm. Be immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Paul wrote that to the early church in Corinth, and that was the church that really was in a mess. They had dragged each other into court. They had been distracted by the abuse of various spiritual gifts, and they were still involved. Some of them were in the phallic cult. So Paul penned this first letter, which has now become part of the canon of Scripture. He was more than likely in Ephesus on his third missionary journey when he wrote it, and he actually founded the church at Corinth around 52 AD on his second missionary journey. My footnotes in the New King James Thomas Nelson Study Bible say this, that Paul had come to Corinth from Athens where he had been disappointed with the results. Perhaps when he entered Corinth while he was there, he took a job as a tent maker, we know that, and he taught in the synagogue on the 7th. the jews rejected what he said and he then reached out to the gentiles and ministered there for eighteen months eventually establishing a local church and the church like the city had a mixture of nationalities and reflected the city’s multinational character as well as a mirror of some of Corinth’s immorality. So let’s look at this verse, 1 Corinthians 15, 57. Here’s what he taught. Thanks be to God. Kataras theos. Thank you, God. What can we be thankful for? Kataras, thanks be to God, his grace. Kataras theos. There’s saving grace. You don’t earn it. You don’t buy it. You don’t deserve it. It’s free. For by grace have you been saved through faith. It’s a gift of God and not of self, lest any man would brag about it. There’s living grace, the ability to live under the filling of the Holy Spirit and the dynamics of the Christian life. There’s dying grace, and there’s even surpassing grace in heaven. But God, or theos, T-H-E-O-S, is the source of all of that grace. God the Father planned it all, God the Son provided for it, and God the Holy Spirit carries it out. We call it phase one, phase two, phase three. Phase one is salvation. Phase two is you in time, and phase three is you in eternity. So thanks be to God who gives us the victory. Naka’o is the word victory. It means to utterly vanquish or defeat forever or to overcome. Well, what do we overcome by being a Christian? Well, we overcome death. We know that for a fact by means of the resurrection. And the good news of the gospel is this, that no one no longer needs to fear death. We are guaranteed a resurrection body like that of Jesus Christ. It’s written in Hebrews 2, 14 and 15. Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he himself, that’s Christ, likewise also partook of the same. so that through death he might destroy the one who had the power of death, and that’s the devil, and free those who the fear of death were subject to slavery all of their lives. The one unmovable truth that you can stand on is this. Death cannot defeat you. Now, the interesting thing is that God can provide the most for you through the act of salvation. And does it not make sense to you that if he could do the most for you and saving you, that he could do the least for you and giving you your daily needs? That’s called an a fortiori, or a stronger fact, a stronger reason. If God can do the greater things by means of our salvation and securing our eternal destiny, then why could he not do the best things by providing for us in our daily needs? Matthew wrote the words of Jesus in Matthew 6, 25, when he said this, I say to you, don’t be worried about your life as to what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink. Don’t worry about your body, what you’re going to put on. He went on to say, is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky. They do not sow, nor do they reap. They’re not under the curse of the ground, the Bible says, nor do they gather crops into the barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more important than they? Look out the window, if you see a bird, you’re more important than that bird, I promise you. He goes on to say, which one of you by worrying could add a single day to his lifespan? And why are you worried about clothing? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t labor, they don’t spin thread for clothes, and yet not even Solomon in all of his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not much more clothe you? And then I rebuke, O you of little faith, do not worry, saying, what are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? What are we going to wear? For the Gentiles eagerly seek all of these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need these things. but seek first his kingdom, his righteousness, and then all these things will be provided for you. So don’t worry about tomorrow because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. So we see there the first mandate in Matthew 6.25, take no thought. It’s the present active imperative verb. It means don’t be anxious, don’t be troubled. Merimenao is the Greek word. Merimenao, don’t be troubled. Seek ye first another imperative verb, a command from God. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Here’s some principles for you to remember. These verses that I just read to you present a matter of priority in your life or in the life of any person who’s a believer. Food, shelter, clothing are all necessary to sustain life. But only physical life, not the spiritual life. Notice the words of our Lord in Matthew 4.4. Listen carefully. We’re talking now about spiritual food. Spiritual food is required even more than physical food. Did you know that? And you have to be nourished spiritually. Question for you, are you undernourished spiritually? Are you feeding on the Word of God? Because if you don’t feed the soul, then it doesn’t matter what you feed your body. The emphasis in the Word of God is on spiritual growth, not physical growth. And most of us have it exactly backwards. I mean, we get our children and ourselves on a good nutritious program. We take our vitamins. We exercise daily. We’ve got to stay in shape. We’ve got to look good. We’ve got to wear the right clothes. 1 Timothy 4, 8, For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness, that’s a mature spiritual life, is profitable for all things since it holds promise for the present life and of the life to come. millions of dollars are spent on trying to improve the body, and life, but little is spent in investing time in learning God’s Word, which is where the real treasure for you is located. Matthew 6, 19, don’t store up for yourself treasures on this earth where moth and rust destroy, where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourself treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves cannot break in and steal. Listen to what our Lord said in regards to the water when speaking to the woman at the well in John 4.14. He said, whoever drinks of the water I give him will never be thirsty again. The water I give him will become a fountain of water springing up in him to eternal life. Listen to what our Lord said in regards to shelter in Matthew 8.20. Jesus said, foxes have hoes. Birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. Here’s a principle again I want you to remember. Remember these. They’re critical for you to remember. The spiritual life is much easier to maintain than your physical life. Number two, the spiritual life has eternal benefits, but the physical life, and you’re finding it out, will only wear out. Your spiritual life is the key to success in your physical life. As goes your spiritual life, so goes your physical life, and so goes the stability of your nation. In 2 Chronicles 7, 14, the promise is there about this. if my people, those believers, who are called by my name, believers, would humble themselves, get rid of their arrogant attitude, and pray, that’s your divine resources available 24-7, and seek my face, that means get into the word, try to find what God has to say, and turn from their wicked ways, frantic search for happiness, then I will hear from heaven.” and I will forgive their sin and heal their land. That verse has been quoted millions of times, and that really is the verse that we need in America today. Lord, it would be so awesome to hear some president quote that verse. If my people who are called by my name would humble themselves, and that includes politicians, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I would hear from heaven, I’ll forgive your sin and heal your land. Only your spiritual life can provide the happiness you’re seeking. I’m telling you that today. It’s not people. It’s not circumstances. It’s your spiritual life. And as you grow spiritually, you will have more and more capacity for happiness and more and more contentment in your life. To understand true biblical happiness plus H, problem-solving device number nine, to understand that, there must be an examination of certain passages found in the Bible, in the Word of God. Like Proverbs 3.13 is a great one. Blessed is the person who finds wisdom and the one who understands, one who obtains understanding. Proverbs 3.13, blessed is the person who finds wisdom and one who obtains understanding. So never confuse happiness as taught in the Bible with the different details of life, which are enjoyable for the moment, but have no ability to carry you in your daily conflict. Because the happiness that I’m talking about is related to the soul and the spirit and the immaterial part of us. I mean, I can remember hearing people say, I’d just like to be able to win this. If the Lord will let me win this lottery, then I’ll give 10% to him, right? Trying to bargain with God. I even heard a fisherman one time say, if the Lord will let me win this tournament, I’ll give 10% to your ministry. You can’t bargain with God like that. You can’t try to buy God off like that. That’s crazy. The happiness we’re talking about is soul happiness. Has nothing to do with money. Has nothing to do with circumstances. Nothing to do with details in life. Bitterness, well, that’s the fuel that accelerates unhappiness. In Hebrews 12, 12 through 15, therefore strengthen the hands that are weak and knees that are feeble and make straight paths for your feet so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated but rather be healed. Now listen carefully, 14, Hebrews 12, 14. Pursue peace with all people and the holiness, that’s plus our righteousness of God, without which no one would see the Lord. You will never see God without having perfect righteousness that only comes through Christ, See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness, Greek word here, no root of bitterness spring up, cause trouble, and by it many are defiled. Bitterness can destroy you. It’s an arrogant sin. It’s self-absorption is what it is exactly. So the perfect happiness I’m telling you about is related to the grace policy of God Psalm 31, 7, I will rejoice and be glad in your loving kindness and your unfailing love every day. That’s God’s wonderful grace. Because impersonal love is a grace provision that God allows me to use to stop being bitter from hating other people. You know, this is one of our problem-solving devices. Problem solving device number eight, impersonal love for all mankind. You can love someone based on who you are, not based on who they are, and this is exactly what God did for you in John 3, 16. He loved you impersonally, but once you believe in Christ and received him as your savior, then the personal love of God envelops you because you become a member of the royal family of God, but you can use the same impersonal love in your life so you don’t have to be bitter about anyone in first john 4 20 and 21 here’s someone that does not have impersonal love if someone says i love god i’ve heard it before and you have too i love god and yet they hate their brother or they hate their sister they’re liars For the one who does not love his brother or his sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this is the mandate we have from God that the one who loves God must love also his brother and his sister. Arrogance, self-righteousness, It includes jealousy, self-pity. You can’t ever be happy with these two mental attitude sins floating around inside of your soul. That’s not the key to happiness, not ever. So, you know, we all say at certain times, I’m happy. But what we’re really talking about are the circumstances that please us. So matter doesn’t make any difference what you have. You’re always gonna want more, aren’t you? Accumulating more and more does not make us happy and it does not bring us contentment. That plus H I’m talking about, problem-solving device number nine, is a problem-solving device that gives you status quo contentment. That means you never look over the horizon thinking something better coming. never looking over the horizon wanting more. Paul said that in Philippians 4.11 where he said, not that I speak from want because I have learned to be content. There it is. In whatever circumstances I’m in, it means he applies the word of God to his experience. I know how to get along with humble means. I know how to be humbled. I know how to bring down one’s pride to make one low is what it means. I know how to get along with humble means. And I also know how to live in prosperity. So I’ve learned the secret. It is indeed a secret. What kind of secret? The secret of being filled and going hungry and both having abundance and suffering need. What is the secret key? Occupation with the person of Christ. Giving you that plus H. So that whether you’re hungry or not hungry, whether you have it or you don’t have it, The circumstances of life do not control your mental attitude. God’s matchless grace has designed a wonderful spiritual life for you that can overcome the best or the worst of any environment and give you the ability to live or die with great capacity for life. Perfect happiness. Perfect contentment. Works in a crowd or even if you’re all alone by yourself. Because God’s matchless grace has designated a spiritual life for you that can overcome the best or the worst of of any environment and give you the ability to live or die with great happiness. You are responsible for your own happiness. Do you know that now? No one else is. Nothing outside of you is responsible to make you happy. You are responsible for your happiness. So if you are unhappy now, it’s because you haven’t grown spiritually. That’s why you’re unhappy. The mature believer, the one who has grown spiritually, has self-contained happiness, and that’s his constant companion. Therefore, he’s able or she’s able to rise above circumstances of life. Romans 14, 17, for the kingdom of God is not eating, it’s not drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Self-contained happiness is mandated as one of the ten problem-solving devices in Philippians 3.1. Finally, my brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. That’s an imperative mood verb, a command. So the manifestation here that we’re talking about, the manifestation of this type of happiness is contentment. And that’s the profile of the mature believer. In 1 Timothy 6, 6, but godliness, that’s the mature spiritual life, with contentment, that’s happiness, a perfect condition of life in which no aid or support is needed, sufficiency of life’s necessities is always there. So godliness, having a mature spiritual life with contentment, a perfect condition of life which no aid or support is needed. The mature believer with this sort of happiness in his soul can be identified by these traits, and I’ll give them to you before we wrap it up. Tranquility of soul, no stress-related sins in his life, contentment of soul, capacity for life, capacity for love, with the attitude of appreciation and gratitude, and never feeling threatened by any circumstances. Living your life with enthusiasm and stimulation from the right priorities. Having a sense of security and confidence in God’s plan. And having an attitude of stability from Bible doctrine in your soul. So that whatever comes your way doesn’t knock you off your feet. Whatever comes your way doesn’t catch you by surprise. Whatever comes your way doesn’t cause the tears to flow from your eyes because you’re seeing something that’s making you very sad. Sure, you’re going to see things that make you sad. We all do that. We all have loved ones that pass away and make us sad. Whether my mother or your mother or my father or your father or whether my fortune or your fortune, whether that exists or not exists, that’s not the key to happiness. The key to happiness is the Lord Jesus Christ living in me, giving me his mindset. As the Bible says in Philippians chapter 2, let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus. Do you think like he thought? Do you have that sort of mental attitude? Do you have divine viewpoint thinking? That’s the key to happiness. I hope you’ve been listening to me today, and I hope this is making sense. I’ve gone to a great deal of urgency to try to bring this to you to make you understand it. Pray that you understand it. I pray God the Holy Spirit would take these words and use them in your life and encourage you to grow in the grace and knowledge of your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Get under a well-qualified pastor and begin a daily routine of studying the Bible. Stay filled with the Holy Spirit and glorify God to the maximum. Thank you for listening to The Flatline.
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Thank you for listening to The Floodline with your host, Rick Hughes. If you’d like to contact Rick, please write to him at P.O. Box 100, Cropwell, Alabama, 35054, or online at www.rickhughesministries.org.
