Beware of self-pity

Self-pity can be dangerous. It tells us, ‘You’re not appreciated.’ It says to a worker, ‘Look how valuable you are, yet you’re never recognised or rewarded.’ It says to an unemployed person, ‘No chance!’ It says to a divorced person, ‘No place!’ To someone overcome with grief, it says, ‘No hope!’ And to the person struggling, it says, ‘No way!’ Look at the prophet Elijah. Twenty-four hours after his greatest victory, he is deeply depressed and wallowing in self-pity. ‘I have had enough…Take my life…I have zealously served…But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed…your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too’ (1 Kings 19:4, 10 NLT). There it is – self-pity in the raw! Generally speaking, there are two reasons behind self-pity. The first is emotional manipulation. We might use self-pity as a weapon to guilt-trip others and get our own way. That’s immaturity and we have to deal with it, whether it’s in ourselves or somebody else. On the other hand, self-pity can also stem from sheer exhaustion. In the Old Testament, God showed Elijah four things that were necessary to help him get himself back on track: 1) He needed more rest. 2) He hadn’t been eating properly. 3) He had taken his eyes off God and was trying to do everything in his own strength. 4) He was isolated and needed a friend. So, God gave him Elisha. That did the job, and the next time we see Elijah, he’s back on top. Take a moment today and think about how these four truths apply to your life.