One of the common themes Iâve observed as a pastor is that people often fail to do what they should do, because theyâre trying to do what only God can do. We are not equipped to carry out Godâs role, but that doesnât keep us from trying. Here are some examples: God sees the future; we canât see it, so we worry instead (Psalm … Read More
Several years ago the road I traveled home at the end of the day was washed out in one of those torrential rains that come around every hundred years. For nearly ten years this had been my route home, but now there was a barrier placed at the half way point. My habitual commute ended with a dead-end. It took … Read More
When man was created, he was placed in a garden. That garden was perfect in every way, and only one tree was off-limits. Adam and Eve were asked to submit their wills to their Creator by not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. All was well until their desires were awakened. Then, for the first … Read More
When we feel we arenât loved, particularly by those closest to us, we are susceptible to self-pity. Perhaps others may have treated you harshly, spoken unkindly, or judged you unfairly. Itâs easy to feel unloved in these situations. When it comes to defining love, our culture clearly puts the emphasis on what we feel. Statements like: I feel like Iâm … Read More
In self-pity we take our eyes off of God and focus them on ourselvesâour circumstances, our difficulties, our weaknesses. It shouldnât surprise us, therefore, that we arenât making decisions with the glory of God in view. The final week of Jesusâ life is instructive. Ultimately it would be his commitment to the glory of God that guided his thoughts away … Read More
Taken from Dead-End Desire: biblical strategies for overcoming self-pity. Available at Christian retailers, Amazon.com and the biblical strategies website (biblicalstrategies.com). To overlook Godâs awesome work in our past and develop a complaining spirit, we need only be selective in the way that we remember the past. We see this tendency in the Numbers 11 narrative: Now the people became like … Read More
The LORD said to Cain . . . âWhy are you angry and why has your face fallen? (Genesis 4:6) Throughout the Scriptures God asks questions for which he knows the answers. He uses these questions to move the listener towards change. As a friend of mine once shared, A question stirs the conscience, but an accusation hardens the will (Ken … Read More
One of the common themes Iâve observed as a pastor is that people often fail to do what they should do, because theyâre trying to do what only God can do. We are not equipped to carry out Godâs role, but that doesnât keep us from trying. Here are some examples: God sees the future; we canât see it, so we worry … Read More
Living with suffering is hard work; itâs easy to lose your focus. Once your focus is disoriented it becomes difficult to hold self-pity at bay. Suffering can come in many forms; not all of them physical. Our mind struggles with harsh and critical statements that seem unjustified. Our emotions vacillate between confusion, anger and grief when circumstances in our life … Read More
Millicent Fenwick understood loss. Born in 1910, she lost her mother five years later when a German U-boat torpedoed the Lusitania off the coast of Ireland. Fenwick went on to serve as the editor for Vogue magazine and as a New Jersey congresswoman. She gives the most colorful statement about self-pity youâll ever read: Self-pity . . . the most … Read More
