Self Pity
Good morning brethren, I like to write on what I have titled “Self pity.” The dictionary defines self pity as excessive, self-absorbed unhappiness over one’s own troubles. Any time we focus on ourselves, we are in the territory of the flesh and our sinful flesh is the enemy of the Spirit (Romans 8:7). As believers the sinful part of our lives no longer needs to dominate us, the sin of self or self-sin does not die easily because they seems to be hidden in the life of a person. Self-confidence, self-seeking, self-admiration, self-indulgence, self-love etc are all symptoms of a fleshly nature that has not yet been crucified or fully surrendered to Jesus. Pity on its own is not necessarily a bad thing as we read in Scripture that pity for others motivated our Lord Jesus to heal people. Matthew 14:14 says “Jesus saw the huge crowd as He stepped from the boat, and He had compassion on them and healed their sick.”
Self-pity is a sinful, selfish response to something not going the way we think it should. It is a subtle sin and many may not easily recognise it because it disguises itself in form of a righteous indignation. It is dangerous, deceitful and a heart-hardening sin. It is a faith choking, hope draining, joy killing sin. Self-pity poisons relationships and is often the cause of burnout. Very often life throws challenges at us, and when we start to experience rejection, injustice, and even cruelty from people. Our natural response could becomes self-protection, which sometimes can lead to self-pity. As believers, we can choose to “walk by the Spirit, and . . . not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Romans 12:3 warns us “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.” We will be thinking too highly of ourselves when we allow life’s hurts and injustices to dictate our emotional state, bitternesses can override the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
To deal with the sin of self pity, we are to be saturated with the scripture and in particular to keep ourselves refreshed in God’s promises. Ask God for help (Luke 11:9) because self pity can be an expression of pride. Be content with what you have received from the Lord (Philippines 4:12-19). Pray to God for forgiveness for the sin of self-pity (Matthew 3:2). Ask those affected by your sin to forgive you (James 5:16). As believers we are to turn to God’s compassion which will helps us to cultivate gratitude for Him. Show generosity to others. In conclusion self-pity will not do us good, even if we have suffered a true injustice. It is a sin that can weigh us down (Hebrews 12:1). Service is for 10.30am and workers meeting is for 10am. God’s blessings - Mike