Devotionals

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Self-Pity…It Isn’t Worth It Here Or In Heaven!
© 2005

by

Stephen A. Peterson


While jogging down Oklahoma state highway 3 on a May, 2005 Saturday morning, I noticed an elderly man throwing rocks into the North Canadian River. Curiosity overtook me. I stopped to ask the Native American man, “Sir, why are you throwing rocks into the Canadian River instead of fishing for fish?”

The man smiled sadly, “These ain’t rocks, Pete. I’m throwin’ my feelings of self-pity and the sins I know I’ve committed this morning feeling sorry for myself.”

Like the elderly man, I recalled where Jesus had little regard for self-pity and even less regard for sin. Jesus never recognized poverty, hunger, sorrow, doing what a person wants to abuse as acceptable reasons for us to pity ourselves or to commit sin by coveting or stealing from our neighbors in order to change our circumstance. Many non-Christians and, sadly, just about as many professing, active Christians believers attempt to justify self-pity and coveting of their neighbors property as rational, good and just because “I” or “the poor” have a RIGHT” to the wealth or property of those who have more to ameliorate some of their personal wants or to satisfy what they believe is social justice.

Non-Christians are expected to believe that self-pity and sin are acceptable methods towards dealing with personal and social issues. Christians, on the other hand, have no justification for self-pity and are to advocate and work toward dealing with poverty through unconditional love and advancing human social conditions using Christian principles.

Jesus said, “What happiness there is for you who are poor (and poor in spirit)! The kingdom of God is yours!”

“What happiness is there is for you who are now hungry, for you are going to be satisfied!”

“What happiness for you who cry when the time comes for you to laugh with joy!”

“What happiness it is when others hate you, insult you, smear your good name! For you have a great reward awaiting you in heaven!”

Never, ever let trouble trigger feelings or thoughts of self-pity.

When trouble comes, it should trigger strength, gratitude and happiness inside a person—you. If trouble, hard times turn a person’s thoughts away from God and into a person’s self, LOOK OUT!

Throw all thoughts of self-pity into the river or in the nearest trash can. Offer up all of your self-pity up to God as a sacrifice and receive in its place God’s gift for rejoicing and His promise of eternal life for your suffering.

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