Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it,”
Self-pity is self-absorbed sorrow over one’s own troubles and challenges. Entitlement mentality, disappointments and unmet expectations are the main causes of self-pity. It is a “why me?” mentality and excessive focus on misfortunes and mishaps with a sense of hopelessness.
To drag people into a string of self-gratifying sins, the tempter would often push them into “self-pity”. They would have a ‘pity party’ with themselves and feel sorry for themselves until the entitlement mentality kicks in and convinces them into self-indulgent sins such as use of substance, drinking, smoking, pornography or even fornication/adultery. Those who drown themselves in disappointment would find themselves in the pit of depression.
Elijah was a fire breathing prophet. He was the only prophet who brought rain and fire from heaven on the same day. After 3 ½ years of drought, flood waters and fire poured down from heaven at his word. Hence, Elijah assumed that the wicked King Ahab, his perverted wife Jezebel and the adulterous Israelites, who had sold themselves to idolatry and revelry, would have a complete heart transformation. He expected the king and queen to repent and clothe in sackcloth; instead, he received a death threat from the licentious queen. He came to a broom bush, sat down under it and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors” (1 Kings 19:4). The unmet expectation pushed Elijah into depression.
Guard Your Heart from Self-Pity:
1. Deserve: Entitlement mentality is dangerous. God doesn’t owe us anything; the gifts/blessings we enjoy are the exhibition of His grace. We do not deserve God’s abundant grace.
2. Disappointment: Don’t put your trust on any man. Humans are humans – they are limited in ability and resources. It is better to trust the Lord than to put our confidence in man.
3. Depressed: When we hear ourselves wallowing in disappointment – when we feel we’ve had enough and are ready for God to take our lives, we can be rest assured that our heart has been attacked by self-pity. Untreated self-pity will lead to depression.
Guard your heart from disappointment, entitlement mentality and depression.
Prayer: Dear Holy Spirit, set me free from thoughts that push me into self-pity and entitlement mentality. Amen.
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