Don’t give in to self-pity

Good morning, everyone,

Our theme for this month: “Just keep dancing”

Our Bible verse for today: “The warden did not bother with anything under Joseph’s authority, because the Lord was with him, and the Lord made everything that he did successful.” Genesis 39:22-23 (CSB)

Our thought for today: “Don’t give in to self-pity”

All this month we’re exploring a theme that’s related to our theme from last month which was “Lighten up a little.” That was about learning to live a more care-free and enjoyable life with a light-hearted demeanor. Doing so is a quality-of-life issue. This month we’re considering the role perseverance and tenacity play in achieving a better quality of life. Tough times will come and we must learn to deal with them in a positive and constructive way rather than being crushed and defeated by them. One way we do that is by refusing to give in to self-pity.

One of my heroes is General Colin Powell. He was a four-star Army General. He rose to the highest ranks of both military and civilian leadership in our nation, serving in various capacities in the administrations of four U.S. Presidents, including as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and as Secretary of State.

General Powell had a set of principles which guided his own life, and which he looked for in others. He called them “Powell’s Principles”. He had one regarding self-pity. It reads, “I am capable of self-pity, but not for long.” That principle acknowledges the truth that self-pity is a natural human emotion, and we are all susceptible to it. So, the question is not if we will sometimes feel sorry for ourselves, but how long will we allow ourselves to wallow in self-pity? The person who wallows in self-pity will live a defeated life. The person who shrugs it off and just keeps going will excel regardless of the unfortunate circumstances they are faced with.

That was the case with Joseph in the book of Genesis. Hated by his brothers; sold into slavery in Egypt; falsely accused of sexual assault and thrown into prison for years; Joseph had plenty of reasons to feel sorry for himself. But even though the Bible used fifteen chapters to tell Joseph’s story, there isn’t even a hint of self-pity in it. Not once. I believe that was a big part of the success Joseph experienced and why God was able to bless him so much. Joseph refused to give in to self-pity. That doesn’t mean he never experienced even a twinge of it, it just means he refused to live there. He refused to wallow in it.

I want to share with you a few inspiring statements about resisting self-pity from Tim Hansel’s book “You Gotta Keep Dancin”:

“The choice for all of us is not if we will accept pain, but how.” In other words, you will have painful and hurtful experiences in your life, it’s inevitable, and you will have to make a choice about how you allow them to impact you.

“If you can’t change your circumstances, change the way you respond to them.” Same point expressed a little differently.

“What a test of character adversity is. It can either destroy or build up, depending on our chosen response.”

I encourage you to resist the temptation to wallow in self-pity. Shake it off and deal with your circumstances in a positive way that honors God and inspires others. Your quality of life will be better if you do.

God bless,
Pastor Jim

(If you like what you are reading in these daily devotionals and if you would like more content from Oak Hill Baptist Church, join us on Sundays at 10:00 – in-person if you are nearby or, if you are geographically distant or if you just can’t make it, online at www.YouTube.com/@oakhillbaptistcrossville

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