pity parties – Moment to Moment (Bible blog)

If there was anyone who had a “right” to throw a pity party, it was the Christians in Acts chapter 8.

After the murder of Stephen, the Christians in Jerusalem were persecuted, being dragged off to prison, and in some cases even being executed.

As a result, they fled, scattering across the Roman empire. What did they do as they scattered? Throw pity parties, feeling sorry for themselves?

No.

So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word. (Acts 8:4)

The result? Many people entered God’s kingdom, finding the joy that only comes from Jesus. (8, 39)

In these troubled times, it’s easy to throw pity parties for ourselves.

But as God’s people, we need to look outside of ourselves and our own problems to a world that is dying in their sin.

How about you? Where is your focus?

Spiritual pitfalls: The trap of self-pity

Sometimes when following God gets hard, it becomes easy to complain.

“Why is this happening to me? I don’t understand. I thought that if I followed you, all would go well. Why are you allowing this to happen?”

And that’s how Jeremiah felt. Once again, he felt the sting of rejection and persecution from his own people.

As a result, he started to face doubts about what he was doing for God, saying,

Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable?

Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails? (Jeremiah 15:18)

In other words, “I’m suffering here. Can’t you see? Are you truly going to help me? Or will you let me down like so many others have in the past?”

But once again, God doesn’t allow Jeremiah to wallow in his own self-pity. Rather, he challenges him, saying,

Therefore this is what the Lord says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman.

Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.

I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” declares the Lord.

“I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel.” (Jeremiah 15:19–21)

Put simply, “Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Walk away from your pity party so that I can use you. Stop your complaining, and instead speak the words I give you.

“These people around you would have you become like them, but you must not. Instead, you must make them bend to you.

“They may fight against you and persecute you, but they will not overcome you. I will rescue you.

“So take your eyes off of yourself, and put them on me where they belong.”

How about you? Do you wallow about in self-pity when things get hard because you’re serving God?

Satan loves that, because it makes you utterly useless to God. Satan wants you to focus on yourself, because when you do, it’s impossible to focus on God or the people around you.

Let us not be people that focus on ourselves and our own troubles.

Rather, as the writer of Hebrews says,

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:2–3)