Self-Pity

I honestly have to say that self-pity is the most crippling thing imaginable. And the trouble is, it seems so meaningless and innocent. "I have a right to feel sorry for myself," we say. "So-and-so treated me wrongly," or "I didn't get such-and-such" or "things haven't turned out the way I planned". There is nothing wrong with sadness or being upset. Those emotions in themselves are harmless. The trouble comes when we become bogged down in the never-ending swamp of "Why Me?". We become so focused on ourselves and all of our problems that we miss out on the things that are happening around us. Honestly, there are many things in my life that I could feel sorry for myself for, but my life is a comparative wonderland when looked at next to the lives of so many other people.

Self-pity has the potential to ruin my life. I could either spend my time being depressed about the way my life has turned out, or the things I'm not happy with, or I could spend my time making a difference. I don't want to seem trite though. Battling self-pity is ridiculously hard. Probably at this very moment, I am feeling sorry for myself at how hard it is not to feel sorry for myself. And self-pity is probably something I will struggle with for quite some time. But by the grace of God, I can overcome. In my own strength, there is no question I would fail, but with God, all things are possible.

So, this is one of my major flaws that has come to my attention today. Just thought I would share my struggles in the hopes of encouraging some of my fellow self-pitiers out there.