SELF-PITY

Have you ever heard of something called Self-Pity? Have you ever experienced it? Have you ever had a pity party? Webster’s dictionary says self-pity is “a feeling of pity for yourself because you believe you have suffered more that is fair or reasonable.” *

We don’t realize it when we’re feeling sorry for ourselves, but pity parties are very destructive, not only to ourselves but to everyone around us. Here’s why.

Self-pity drains us of our physical energy. It slows us down, and we lose motivation. It affects us emotionally and often leads to depression. It affects us spiritually as well. We don’t have the energy, or the desire to do the things God wants us to do. When we’re focused on ourselves we’re not thinking about others, so our relationships suffer.

I remember a day, several years ago, I started having pains in my chest. I also had trouble breathing. I didn’t know what was going on so it scared me to death. In a few minutes, I began feeling better and in a little while, it was like it never happened. A few days I experienced the same thing again. I thought I was having heart problems, so I went to the doctor. After a thorough examination and a stress test that I thought was going to kill me, I found out it wasn’t my heart at all. I was having anxiety attacks. When I better understood my condition, I was able to deal with it differently and the attacks became less frightening and easier to handle, and soon they were coming less often. Being informed about something helps us to deal with it more effectively.

Self-pity is something that everyone can and should live without. It’s really a tool of the devil. Not just a tool, but a weapon. The sooner we realize that fact, the sooner we can be on our way to deliverance from the oppression of Satan and his evil forces.

If you ever end up in a situation where you’re feeling sorry for yourself and throwing a pity party, here are a few things that will help get you back on the right track.

Think about Jesus and the sacrifice he made so we could be free from the power of sin and oppression. Don’t allow that sacrifice to be for nothing in your life. Both God, and Satan want our allegiance, and contrary to what some believe, we have to choose one or the other. It’s a daily choice, too, not just a one-time thing. Self-pity takes our minds off this fact and puts it on ourselves. Get your mind back on God.

Change your attitude about self-pity. Ask God to help you to stop feeling sorry for yourself. Ask him to make you sick and tired of it. Ask him to deliver you from it. Recognizing where self-pity leads, and what the end results can be, we must refuse to go down that road.

Refuse to dwell on bad thoughts and feelings. That’s a hard one, but once again, the answer is found in God’s word. Philippines 4:8 tells us to think about things that are true, things are honest, things are just, things that are pure, things are lovely, things that are of good report, and things that are worthwhile and worthy of praise.

When we do this, we will not have time for self-pity. We won’t even be thinking about ourselves and our problems when we give it all to Jesus. Kick self-pity to the curb. You know you need to. Just do it. You’ll be glad you did.

* http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-pity

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I'M GONNA DO WHAT I WANNA DO

“I’m Gonna Do What I Wanna Do!” Ever heard anyone say that? I have. Many times. I’ve probably said it myself. I remember saying something similar to that several times as a teenager. When I wasn’t allowed to do something I wanted to, I would say, “I’ll be glad when I’m 18 so I can do what I want to.” I left home when I was 16 and after a few years of “doing what I wanted to,” I realized what a big mess I had gotten myself into. There are always rules and guidelines we have to follow, no matter where we are and no matter what age we are. There are man’s laws, and there are God’s laws, and there are consequences for breaking any of them.

I recently told someone that if we don’t obey God, we won’t make it to heaven. They basically said, “I’m Gonna Do What I Wanna Do.”

That’s so sad, and it breaks my heart to see someone have that attitude because I know where it took me and what a terrible condition I was in when I finally woke up. It’s an even worse situation these days, knowing how close we are to the end of this world. Instead of doing what WE want to, we need to obey God. Peter and the other Apostles said, “We should obey God rather than People” (Acts 5:29). That would include anything we tell ourselves. Anything we want to do.

We all need to have the attitude that Jesus had in the garden of Gethsemane when he was contemplating the horrible death and mistreatment he was about to endure for us. Talking to the Father, he said, “Not my will, but you will be done” (Luke 22:42). Not what I want, but what you want, Father.

God only wants what’s good for us, so if we would all do what he wants us to do, and not whatever WE want, we would be much better off. We need to submit our will to the will of God and instead of saying, “I’m Gonna Do What I Wanna Do,” we should ask God, “What Do YOU Want Me To Do, Lord?”

In today’s world, everybody wants to feel good about their life and the choices they make. They don’t want to be told what they are doing is WRONG. Sadly, many preachers are giving them what they want by only preaching the positive side of God. He is a loving God and he does want what’s best for us, and there are so many blessings that come with following him. But here’s something many people are not telling others today. He is also a just God who cannot and will not tolerate sin. Disobeying God and doing “What We Want To Do” instead is sin.

If we reject God’s way and refuse to follow him and obey him, then we have a much worse fate to look forward to; Judgment and condemnation, and ultimately, death in hell fire. If we allow God to lead us, though, we are promised eternal life, and we will be filled with purpose and happiness here on earth. That’s what I want in my life. How about you?

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My Blogs
https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
https://teddylynn.wordpress.com

© 2015 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6