I have been thinking a lot about self pity and how dangerous it is to our moving forward in Jesus. I have heard it said that "Self pity is the super glue of Hell" and I couldn't agree more. Self pity is the WOE IS ME thoughts that run through our minds. It wants us to start blaming everyone else for our struggles or circumstances instead of taking responsibility for ourselves. When I am talking with someone who is in need of a touch from God often people will share, "Its just never going to change. Im always going to be like this." Or "I've ALWAYS had to take the hard road so why would I even expect this time to be any different." Have you ever thought those things? I HAVE! Man oh man, self pity is a nasty sucker. When we agree with the thoughts of self pity we tell the Lord, "I'm willingly choosing to believe that you are not working in my life. That you, God, don't care about my circumstances and are not at work in me to bring about change."
Self pity isolates us and diminishes our hope...Not to mention that the whole point of self pity is to get us to focus on our SELVES. Where is this in the bible? All the themes throughout scripture are Trust in the LORD, put your faith and hope in GOD, Look to JESUS for wisdom, direction and guidance, and on and on. We are instructed consistently in scripture to not get caught up in looking at ourselves but to turn our thoughts toward God and let HIM speak, correct, lead and guide us. So many of us don't understand that its the Holy Spirit's job to bring conviction and its His KINDNESS that leads to repentance. We are not to convict ourselves. We need to measure our lives against the word in the Bible, but we are not to look to other people to gage how we are doing spiritually or where we need to change. If the enemy of God can get us to put the focus on ourselves he is winning the battle. We do not possess the freedom we need in and of ourselves. We must look to Jesus and accept the freedom He already paid for on the cross.
Self Pity is the super glue of hell because it tells us to look at ourselves and circumstances instead of where God is in our lives and what He says about our circumstances. If we buy into the self pity it opens the door for so many other spirits and strongholds. It looks something like this....
Something hard happens in your life, the self pity starts in "OF COURSE THIS WOULD HAPPEN TO ME, I'M ALWAYS THE ONE WHO (enter whatever the hardship is)." Then we want to justify and feel better about ourselves so we blame shift a little: "GOD OBVIOUSLY THINKS ITS FUNNY TO SEE ME HAVE A HARD TIME". Even if we say this sarcastically its an absolute lie that we are agreeing with. Then Hopelessness starts to set in "NOTHING IS EVER GOING TO CHANGE. I'M GOING TO BE LIKE THIS FOREVER" or "I CAN'T GET FREE NO MATTER WHAT I DO!" Then comes the depression and more self pity...."IF ONLY SOMEONE WOULD COME AND HELP ME!" and the cycle just keeps spiraling.
When we agree with self pity we cut off our ability to hear God's perspective on our lives. Last time I checked most people are not really interested in what the devil's perspective is but we unknowingly listen to it all the time. We have to rid ourselves of the trap of self pity by cutting it off as soon as we recognize it, repent for listening, and ask God to speak HOPE and His perspective. Then we have to CHOOSE to believe what God says above ALL the other thoughts, reasons, and voices.
