Self-Imposed Hell
Good Morning,
The statement, “Self-Imposed Hell,” was in a book I was recently reading and it struck me how true it was. People do things that cause their own "Hell on earth."
Greed eats up the soul, it will devour the life from the inside. The same is true of lust. When a man or woman turns their heart and soul to desire that which is unholy, it always forms a cancer within. This philosophy applies to a new owner, new schools, new marriage partners, new jobs, or new cities.
Bitterness over any matter, small or large, will result in the same internal "Hell" that will go wherever the owner moves. When forgiveness can be only moments away (the forgiveness that brings peace and rest), far too many people embrace the oozing sore of anger or bitterness and prevent the healing balm of Gilead from cleansing their soul.
Folks will have their feelings hurt and walk out of their church, often without the slightest attempt to fix the trouble. At times, this behavior is the result of an unplanned event: one that could not be changed and was simply a one-in-a-thousand event. Faith in those around us is often very shallow.
I am always a little taken back when decades of investment, countless hours of fellowship, and endless shared joys and tears are thrown out without a word. Even a secular job deserves some notice and a conversation with the boss. What about the relationships that were cherished for decades? Are those relationships of so little value that an attempt to reconcile the situation would not be worth a try? Not even a hand shake or "I wish you well? Bitterness is unquenchable, and the self-imposed hell becomes a lifelong companion.
Why was Peter broken and weeping when he returned to his Lord with peace, while Judas repented and then hanged himself? The answer is simple; one allowed the “Self-Imposed Hell" to rule in his heart. The other found faith, rest, forgiveness, and hope in Christ.
Too many people will refuse to accept the rest that is offered by the Lord.
Isaiah 28:12 “To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”
May we refuse to allow the hurt of yesterday to erase the wonders of the Christian life and the countless blessings of God and man.
Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Remember that the Lord will care for the hurt while He blesses the just.
Psalm 94:13 “That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.”
Pastor