Overcoming Self Pity
I have had my share of challenges these past three months trying not to feel sorry for myself when
work had kept me busy to the extreme.
It doesn’t help that we are a small office, and it appeared like everyone else didn’t have to work so hard. Don’t get me wrong, I love my job and enjoy what I am doing, but working long hours day after day were overwhelming at times and somedays I needed to take it one step at a time so I would not loose perspective.
One thing is for sure, self-pity won’t go away on its own; we have to choose not to give in to it.
She looks well to how things go in her household, and the bread of idleness (gossip, discontent,
and self-pity) she will not eat. — Proverbs 31:27 AMPC
Self-pity is defined by:
Excessive, self-absorbed unhappiness over one's own troubles.
Dejectedness, gloominess and depression.
I learned that just because our enemy, the devil, invites us to a pity party, it doesn’t mean we have to attend.
The devil will offer us many reasons why we should attend by reminding us of all that we do
not have in life and tempting us to compare ourselves with other people who seem to have better lives than we do.
If you find yourself attending the pity-party, the good news is you don’t have to stay there because
self-pity will:
Sap you’re your strength.
Steal your joy and hope.
Keep you stuck in place unable to move forward.
Cause you to sink into depression.
The truth is self-pity has never helped us one tiny bit. It is an enemy and should be treated as such.
We would never knowingly open the door and invite a thief into our home, and yet if we are not careful we will open the door to self-pity and other destructive attitudes when we begin to feel sorry for ourselves.
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith.
Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love.—1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT
God offers us a choice, and it is one that only we can make. We can choose to enjoy our life or be miserable and unhappy (see Deuteronomy 30:15).
You don’t have to allow self-pity to demolish your dreams and keep you from achieving your highest potential.
Here are a few ideas to help you move on and stay out of the pity-party for good!
Don’t compare yourself with others: Galatians 6:4-5
Look for ways to help others: Hebrews 13:6
Be thankful: 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Guard your thoughts: Proverbs 15:15
Watch your words: 1 Peter 3:10
Overcoming self-pity begins with being aggressively thankful and doing things for others, because
when we do this, it helps us keep our minds off of ourselves.
Thousands of thoughts run through our head every day. What thoughts will you choose to fill your
mind? Ones that make you make you feel miserable or ones that make you feel powerful? The choice is yours to make.
You’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic,
compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.—Philippians 4:8 MSG
Blessings,
Cindy
Commentaires