Say No to Self-pity!

        A conversation earlier this week with a neighbor who lives down the street from us started me thinking about feeling sorry for oneself.  She told me, despite having nothing outwardly to feel self-pity about, still there are times she gets overwhelmed with discouragement, et al.  She will sometimes spend hours feeling blue, she confided.

        This woman is not a follower of Christian Science, indeed is not even a Christian but a Hindu, so I could only talk with her at a certain level.  But I did try to let her know how detrimental such a practice was--giving way to thoughts of "oh, what's the use in trying?"  In addition, I brought up the fact that such states of thinking have an adverse impact on our health as well.  Just not thinking that should be indulged for any time at all.

        Why is self-pity so harmful?  Beyond what it is does to us mentally/ emotionally/physically, this blocks the good we otherwise might do in this world.   If discouragement and self-pity were from our heavenly Father, we would do the best we could with it, and grow stronger thereby.  But it isn't from God; it's from the devil.  And while we're wallowing in it, and wallowing is not too strong a word, (picture yourself doing this--dignified, isn't it?), we're lost in self, and can't be about our business of loving and serving others.

        Remember this:  it isn't primarily us the devil is after; it's to interfere with Christ working in us to bless others.