Sometimes it is easy to start feeling sorry for ourselves.
We feel as if life isn’t fair . . . that things are happening to us in rapid successions that are life-suckers instead of life-givers.
We ask, “Why me?”
While these are normal things to have happen, if we aren’t careful they will propel us into a realm of self-pity that simply isn’t helpful.
When we start feeling sorry for ourselves, we find quick moments of solace and comfort. But when we stay in those thoughts, they quickly become self-destructive.
When the Apostle Paul was writing the church in Rome to encourage them to stay earnest in the way they followed Christ, he encouraged them to be continually renewing their mind. Meaning – “don’t allow yourself to get stuck in negativity . . . but constantly try to be of the mind of Christ – that which is good, pure, and honorable.”
As we recognize that we all have a tendency to “go to the dark side,” what if we do a little self-check to see where we fall in the realm of self-pity.
Questions to ask ourselves –
- Do you think your problems are worse than everyone else’s?
- If it weren’t for bad luck, you feel like you’d have no luck at all.
- Problems seem to add up for you at a much faster rate than anyone else.
- You are fairly certain that no one else really understands how bad your life really is.
- You sometimes disengage from social engagements so you can stay home and think about problems.
- You are more likely to tell people what went wrong about your day instead of what went right.
- You often complain about things not being fair.
- You struggle to find anything to be grateful for, sometimes.
- You think other people are blessed with easier lives.
- You sometimes wonder if the world is out to get you.
If you find yourself asking these questions, perhaps take pause and instead of thinking these statements, start counting how many ways you are blessed and lucky!
Try a gratitude list . . . starting with, “Today, I am lucky that I was able to wake up!” And then, go from there!
Romans 12:2The Message (MSG)
12 1-2 So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life-your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.