Gloom, Despair, And Agony, On Me Series

Agony is another word for gloom and despair, but it doesn’t end there. Agony can also describe the extreme pain caused by injury to the body or soul. Agony appears in the expression “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,” which was used in the introduction of the long-running TV show titled, Wide World of Sports. What is an example of agony? When the weight fell on her foot, she cried out in agony. A biblical example about the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross can be found in John 19:28-30 said, “After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, it is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” While agony means "the state of being in great trouble," agony also suggests pain too intense to be borne. It is only used in the New Testament by Luke to describe our Lord's fearful struggle in Gethsemane. Luke 22:44 says, “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Another example of agony can be found in the story of Job.

What is misery? Great unhappiness; extreme pain of body or mind. Misery is fruit of vice reigning in the heart, as tares are the produce of tares sown in the field. Just as guilt can be a vice, as well. By the way, a tare is an injurious weed resembling wheat when young. Tares’ can also be classified as calamity; misfortune; or natural evils which are the cause of misery and mourn the miseries of human life. Christ was without sin, yet in Isaiah 53:3: “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” All misery, including most pain, is the result of sin, but not all pain is the result of our own sin. Misery stresses the unhappiness attending sickness, poverty, or loss. But what is the main cause of misery? The main cause of misery in life is friction between our body and mind, our negativity and positivity, and in our faith and doubt in our faith. In most cases, we are at fault because we are the cause of our own miseries. We are the only one’s accountable for our own bad decisions and bad actions. Other’s may provoke us, but it’s our fault when we act against those others in negative ways.

Beware of those people who are always miserable and like to share it. Some people who are unhappy like to share their troubles with others as misery loves company. Proverbs 16:29 says “Wickedness loves company—and leads others into sin.” Miserable people mostly feel sorry for themselves and constantly look for sympathy. They feel like they’re not appreciated enough. They find themselves judging others. They frequently numb themselves with alcohol, drugs, sex, television, or excessive busyness. With that said, here are the sure-fire techniques to live a miserable life: Be envious.¬ Make excuses. Be unreliable. Refuse to change. Become the ultimate victim. Don’t learn anything new. When you get knocked down, don’t get back up. Do not observe other people’s mistakes. Worry about what other people think. Surround yourself with bad people. Get drunk and high all the time. ¬Be unhealthy. Spend all your money. Give up right before you are going to be successful. If everyone else is jumping off a bridge, jump with them. Follow the crowd. Let mass media sway you in its chosen direction with ease. Do not challenge conventional wisdom. But the most obvious way to live your life in misery is to not accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and live your life not knowing Him.